Reflecting on Growth: Recipients of the Ping Taylor Professional Fellows Grant Share Their Journey

As the recipients of the AIFS/CIEE Ping Taylor Professional Fellows Grant, scholars are granted a unique opportunity to delve into the depths of their chosen field, exploring innovative ideas and forging invaluable connections with peers from around the globe.

We have the privilege of hearing directly from the fifth cohort of Ping Taylor Professional Fellows as they reflect on their enriching experiences at The Forum on Education Abroad’s 20th Annual Conference, which occurred in Boston, MA in March 2024. Their insights offer a glimpse into the profound impact of this esteemed program and the transformations it fosters in both professional and personal realms.

We care about students, we care about the impact our field has on the planet, and we care about each other.

Lili Klar

Clemson University

Global Engagement Coordinator

I wrapped up my first The Forum on Education Abroad Annual Conference and learned much from engaging speakers and colleagues! It was great to meet my Ping Taylor Professional Fellows cohort, hear about their roles and experiences, and have some laughs. Thanks to AIFS Abroad and CIEE Council on International Educational Exchange for the warm welcome! I attended many informative sessions, and my main takeaway from the conference is that professionals in this field care. We care about students, we care about the impact our field has on the planet, and we care about each other. The closing session, Collective Leadership: Innovation to Change the World, was inspiring, and I'm excited to see what the future of education abroad brings!

The Forum ignited a passion to find ways to make study abroad more relevant, sustainable, and accessible to the students I serve.

Nandi Musengwa

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE

Study Abroad Program Coordinator

As a new member of the study abroad field, attending the Forum as a Ping Taylor Fellowship Grant recipient was transformative. The conference provided a vital platform to connect with fellow professionals, discover industry best practices, and be exposed to innovative new ideas to progress study abroad equitably and sustainably. I was able to begin curating a vibrant community of education abroad peers from across the nation and the world. Working in such a unique institution, it was exciting to hear the experiences of my fellow study-abroad professionals. The Forum ignited a passion to find ways to make study abroad more relevant, sustainable, and accessible to the students I serve. I am incredibly thankful to AFIS Abroad and CIEE Council on International Education for this opportunity! 

I'm ready to join the collective leadership.

Jennifer Chan

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY

Senior Advisor & Exchange Coordinator

The Forum 2024 was truly phenomenal. Sincere gratitude to the Ping Taylor Grant from CIEE and AIFS, I was able to increase my network with the other Ping Taylor recipients. build on my own skill set and focus in on finding ideas in sessions to bring back my office. In my own goals for this year, I hope to develop more robust content for linking career and education abroad in our pre-departure orientation and post-return. I am thankful for the ideas from Career Support: How Universities Can Better Support Students Abroad, to build a strong pre-departure module and find ways to excite students to build on their skills from abroad. The Closing Plenary was truly inspirational, and I’M IN and ready to join the collective leadership to shoot for the moon with our ideas and weave education abroad into all aspects of the American culture. Thank you again for CIEE’s patronage and leadership!

I just wish I took more photos!

Melissa Matsubara

Hawaii Pacific University

Director of Study Abroad and International Exchange Programs

Thanks to the Ping Taylor Fellowship award sponsored by AIFS Abroad and CIEE, I had the privilege of attending The Forum on Education Abroad’s Annual Conference and am brimming with resources, tools, and possibilities to better serve my students and community. 

Working at Hawaii Pacific University, a minority-serving institution committed to making education abroad opportunities more accessible to a wider range of students, I send 3 to 4 times as many underrepresented, PELL-eligible, first-generation students abroad than the national average.

I learn from my students every day. Many have triumphed over barriers along their path, and therefore have the grit, drive, and skills to serve as resources to their peers abroad. More importantly, they are role models to others, inspiring their families and communities to disrupt the typical narrative of what is possible. I have seen firsthand how their perspectives and lived experiences allow them to thrive and succeed at anything they put their minds to while abroad and in life.

I just wish I took more photos, but at least I was present.

I’ve started to build community in Education Abroad.

Jessica Michelsen

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)

Study Away Coordinator

I’m grateful to AIFS Abroad and CIEE Council on International Educational Exchange for the opportunity to attend The Forum on Education Abroad's 20th Annual Conference as a Ping Taylor Professional Fellowship Grant recipient. Our Ping Taylor Professional Fellows cohort connected through a very warm welcome from AIFS and CIEE, and over the next two days, we engaged incredible learning experience! Through the conference, I’ve started to build community in Education Abroad, and it’s inspiring to be part of a group of such innovative, caring, and engaging professionals. The closing plenary on Collective Leadership reminded me that you don’t have be a director to be a leader, and that together we can help write the future of Education Abroad. I’m excited to bring new ideas and tools to back to my California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) community!

For program details please contact:

Stacy Benjamin, Director of Professional Development, CIEE

sbenjamin@ciee.org

Kelly Holland, Vice President, Institutional Partnerships, AIFS Abroad

kholland@aifs.com