The Go Abroad Fair showcases work, study and volunteer opportunities for the Memorial University community. It was held in The Landing (UC 3018) on the 6th of February, 2019 (Wednesday), and included a wide variety of organizations, including: the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, the MUN Internationalization Office, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Business Students Studying Abroad, the Scholarships Office, various departments from the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC), i.e. French, German, Russian and Spanish organizations, to name a few. A full list of all the participating organisations can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/375235793041291/permalink/383759898855547/.
The event was sponsored by the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC), and the cultural food, ranging from croissants, Swiss Cheese, Sausage to Nachos and salsa, to name a few, encouraged a lot of the students to attend, but it also allowed them the opportunity to visit some of the many booths that were present there.
Su Alteen, the Go Abroad Fair Coordinator, talks about the significance of having been invited to integrate the fair as a part of the International Development Week events in St. John’s,. “The Fair is important because it’s about bringing people together, who all have something special that they can share. It’s a one stop shop networking opportunity to meet anyone you need to, develop great relations and get more info on how to go abroad and/or get involved here at home.”
During her freshman year of studies in 2014, Su attended the Go Abroad Fair for the first time and fell in love with the Canadian Third Year Nice program. Inspired, she changed her major to French and after much hard work and resilience, finally made her dream of studying in France come true, having had what she claims to be the best year of her life so far. Upon her return, she was eager to share her experiences, hoping to encourage others to study abroad and get involved in similar programs- an interest which led her to applying for MLLC Go Abroad MUCEP (Memorial’s Undergradtuate Career Experience Program).
“The presence of organizations such as the Student Volunteer Bureau, the Student Experience Office and the Student Wellness & Counselling Centre at the fair also play an important role,” Alteen says, “Since they help students thrive, which enables them to get more involved, and empathize with people who have had different experiences, thereby enabling the creation of a fundamentally diverse university community. The Fair extends to intersectional partners with inbound and outbound international as well as local students being connected and interconnected. It is an experience of internationalization provided to many students, here, at home.”
Picture Credits: Ehsan Mohammadi
Naturally, Alteen has faced challenges as a queer woman who was born in China and brought up in Newfoundland. She has seen her fair share of the world, and is considered a mentor to many. Along with the usual stress of a college student, balancing family, friends, academics, work, volunteering and hobbies, Alteen is also dealing with personal struggles everyday, such as being under treatment for an ongoing mental health condition as well as utilising The Blundon Centre, a unit of Memorial Student Life dedicated to provide accessibility supports for students with special needs.
Nevertheless, similar to anyone else organizing an event, she managed to muster up the courage and charisma that every host or hostess needs to carry out the function. By applying for a grant from the ACIC, she shared her dream of development, connectedness, empathy and shared community with them to pull off yet another successful Go Abroad Fair. Since Su Alteen will be graduating soon, she has already started working on putting the framework in place to pass the project on to capable newcomers who she believes will only build off the amazing work that has been done so far. She hopes for bigger, brighter initiatives and greater inclusivity which would help students, faculty and staff from day one to not only succeed on their own, but to craft everlasting networks, connections and friendships which will help them thrive on campus and beyond.
