Global Education Student Committee
Mission
The Global Education Student Committee (GESC) works with students on campus to make global education better. We are a group of students who have studied abroad and now want to help the Global Education Office by providing them with a student voice.
Goals
The student committee’s goals are to promote study away with our fellow Duke students and to keep study away alumni involved and engaged with their global experiences.
Member Roles
Co-Presidents plan and run Executive Board meetings and work closely with the Ambassadors, the Global Education Office, and students interested in study abroad/away to put on presentations for prospective students and facilitate global education on campus.
Executive Board members participate in at least two Global Education related events per semester and supervise Ambassadors in planning their own event or activity to promote study away.
Ambassadors answer prospective student questions and work with the Executive Board to plan and participate in one event per year that promotes study away. View the Study Away Ambassador Directory.
Apply for a position
- The Executive Board application opens in March for the following school year. If you're interested in joining, email Christine Lee, GESC advisor.
- We accept Ambassador applications at the beginning of the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. If you are interested in joining outside those windows, please email Christine Lee, GESC advisor.
CO-PRESIDENTS
Langley Barnes
Studying abroad in Copenhagen was the perfect mix of culture and learning for me. I lived with a host family outside of the city which allowed me to have a unique perspective because I was fully immersed in the country and its culture. I know my experience would not have been nearly as great had I not gotten to know and live with my host family-I encourage and would love to chat with anyone considering this option! DIS Copenhagen was the perfect match for me as it allowed me to satisfy major requirements in Neuroscience that I could not check off anywhere else. Additionally, I am pre-med, so I was never sure I could go abroad until I really investigated programs. As a member of the executive board, I hope to promote abroad as an option for pre-professional students and make sure students are made aware of their options. As cliché as it sounds, my time abroad truly changed my perspectives in so many ways, and I cannot wait to share my experiences with others in order to make the process of applying to programs and preparing for them as smooth as possible!
GEO Programs: DIS-Copenhagen, Fall 2021
Major: Neuroscience
Minors: Chemistry and Medical Sociology
Graduation Year: 2023
Sofia Bottinelli
Hi everyone! My name is Sofia, and I’m a senior from Denver, CO. I was lucky enough to travel abroad a few times throughout my life, and I always knew I wanted to study away if I could. After some trial and error finding a program that fit my goals amid an evolving pandemic, I had what can only be described as the happiest four months of my life. I chose my program in the hopes of learning about my academic interests beyond the American-centric perspective—this ended up being just a piece of what I gained. I learned a great deal from my classes, but my positioning in a hub for international travel gave me the chance to explore six countries, push my independence, and become confident in my choices. These experiences are now indispensable to who I am, and I want all students to be able to grow the way I did. I am here to help you fit in a program that will bring out your best and navigate areas where I had questions (like financials). Always feel free to reach out to me—there’s little I love more than talking about abroad!
GEO Programs: IFSA Trinity College Dublin, Fall 2021
Major: Program II: Immigration and Child Development
Graduation Year: 2023
Ying Yu
Hi! I am a senior from Gainesville, Florida. I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark during my Junior Fall and it was undoubtedly one of my favorite experiences at Duke. During my first semester at Duke, I was skeptical about the possibility of studying abroad as a premed who was also trying to figure out how to incorporate my interests in music and the brain into an individualized degree program. With the dedicated help of many advisors, both pre-professional and in the GEO office, I was not only able to go abroad, but also connect professionally and personally with amazing international faculty at DIS, employees at local startups in Copenhagen, physicians at the hospitals that we visited in Berlin, but most importantly, a host family that I can always call my home away from home in discussions that have helped me shape the rest of my time at Duke and beyond. Please reach out if you have any hesitations or questions about study abroad – I am always happy to chat!
GEO Programs: DIS-Copenhagen, Fall 2021
Major: Program II: Music, Mind, Medicine)
Graduation Year: 2023
All of the Global Education Student Committee members are available for questions – feel free to reach out using the email address listed in their bios. You can also check out more resources for contacting alumni of study away programs on the Ask a Student page under Advising.
Explore All Programs
For any major and every interest, there’s a Study Away program that matches your needs.
GEO ADVISING IS HERE FOR YOU
Get advice on choosing a program, exploring courses and credits, and covering the costs of study away when you engage the Global Education Office's advising network.