Global Leaders
I first heard about Global Leaders through the president of the organization, who happened to be part of the group that I met over at BCM. I was definitely hooked on the concept of mentoring a student from another country, and I was even more so when I found out that many of the exchange students were from the Middle East. I am currently trying to study Arabic, so I practically jumped at the chance to be a mentor. Aside from the fact that I had to come back early from my winter break to start training, I soon realized it was well worth it, as I not only got to meet other global leaders but my mentee from Saudi Arabia. It was initially a little awkward to start a conversation as his English wasn’t well, but over time I began to notice more and more of an improvement in his confidence and ability to speak the language with ease. In return, I learned a lot about Saudi Arabian culture, and even learned a few tips on speaking in Arabic. The real reward for me was seeing all of the other Global Leaders wanting to learn more about their mentees and their cultures, and in return helping them learn a little bit more about America. Another cool part about Global Leaders was watching the organization grew to an enormous amount. When I first joined there were only about nine new members, but by the end of the year we doubled that number. Although my mentee isn’t returning for another year at Longwood University, we still keep in touch to this day, and are even talking about one of us going to each other’s country to hang out again. Global Leaders has taught me tolerance and acceptance of other cultures, and allowed me to form a bond with a friend halfway across the world.
Enclosed is a photo of me and Saad, my international student from Saudi Arabia.