BOONE, N.C. — To say “I met someone from there” can be a start in demystifying foreign cultures.
Greater global understanding is the aim of the Cultural Ambassadors at Appalachian State University — a group of international students and scholars who visit K-12 schools, community organizations and Appalachian classrooms to talk about their native countries and the people who live there.
The Cultural Ambassadors program is one of many activities sponsored by Appalachian’s Office of International Education and Development designed to develop awareness, knowledge, appreciation and respect of cultural differences.
Alexandre “Alex” Berard, from Belgium, shares information about his homeland with Mabel School students as part of the school’s International Day in March 2018. He is one of Appalachian’s Cultural Ambassadors, a group of international students and scholars who visit area schools and civic groups. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University Cultural Ambassador Alexandre “Alex” Berard points to a map of Belgium, while talking about his native home and culture with students at Mabel School. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Hersha, an international student from Pakistan, teaches students how to count in Urdu during International Day at Mabel School in March 2018. The characters from right to left are one, two, three and four. The Urdu language is spoken by more than 100 million people in Pakistan and India. Hersha visited the school as part of the Cultural Ambassadors program at Appalachian State University. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Janine Barten, from the Netherlands, fields questions from Mabel School students during her Cultural Ambassadors presentation in March 2018. As an international student at Appalachian State University, she visited the school as part of the Cultural Ambassadors program designed to inspire global understanding. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Milka Radovic, from Chile, shares a laugh with Mabel School students during the school’s International Day in March 2018. She is one of Appalachian’s Cultural Ambassadors, a group of international students and scholars who visit area schools and civic groups to inspire global understanding. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Milka Radovic, from Chile, performed a traditional dance for Mabel School students during the school’s International Day. She is one of Appalachian’s Cultural Ambassadors, a group of international students and scholars who visit area schools and civic groups. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Alexandre “Alex” Berard, from Belgium, interacts with Mabel School seventh-grader Shane Courtney during a visit to Mabel School in March 2018. “I was really surprised (to learn) how Belgium is so small,” Courtney said in an interview about Berard’s visit. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Alexandre “Alex” Berard, an Appalachian State University student from Belgium, fields questions from students during a visit to Mabel School in March 2018 with the university’s Cultural Ambassadors program. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian senior Rebecca Boyette, a middle grades education major who is student teaching at Mabel School this semester, is interviewed by Appalachian’s Dave Blanks about the school’s International Day. She and her students walked through several rooms with Cultural Ambassador presentations: “First we went to the Netherlands, then Belgium and next we’re going to move to Australia, learning about the countries and talking to people who are from there,” she said. Photo by Chase Reynolds
This academic year has seen the highest numbers ever in the program’s history: 21 students and scholars wanting to be Cultural Ambassadors, with more than 30 requests already this semester for them to speak.
The current ambassadors represent 13 countries in South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. They can “humanize world events and allow local community members to hear different perspectives,” said Lindsay Pepper, assistant director of international student and scholar services and outreach at Appalachian.
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“They talk about their families and where they grew up. They share photos and talk about their personal experiences,” Pepper said.
“We hear anecdotal stories of people’s feelings or attitudes about a country changing as a result of hearing the Cultural Ambassadors speak. If people learn to care about a particular person, they can care about that country, too.”
About the Office of International Education and Development
The OIED is responsible for spearheading the internationalization efforts at Appalachian. The internationalization mission of Appalachian is to develop awareness, knowledge, appreciation and respect of cultural differences in both domestic and international contexts in its students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communities. The university is also dedicated to creating a campus environment that builds the theoretical and practical skills needed to interact effectively in a global society. Learn more at https://international.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, Appalachian enrolls about 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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