🌎 Exploring a World of OpportunitIES with our Black Correspondents & Alumni

This is past event from Wednesday, February 21st, 2023 - view the recording below.

Each year, IES Abroad celebrates the diverse and unique identities of the students who study abroad with us. This year, OpportunitIES: Expanding the World of Study Abroad weaves threads through what study abroad brings to students, what they learned about themselves, how they advanced in their career goals, met new friends or colleagues, learned a new hobby, and more. In February, we celebrate Black History Month and explore these opportunities with our Black students and alumni.

Panelists:

Host:

  • Ashley Simmons, Brand Coordinator, IES Abroad Granada | Spring 2016

Check Out our Latest News and Black Correspondent Blogs

Timaira Hinton

Greatness Unfolding

Timaira shares her thoughts on studying in London and taking next steps in her journey abroad.

Kamora Millan headshot

Nihongo Jouzn't: Learning Something Daily

Kamora takes us along on her adventure learning daily lessons while studying in Japan. 

Colleagues at the Dusable Museum GIC Reception

Fostering Inclusion with IES Abroad: 2023 HACU & Diversity Abroad Conferences

We recap our attendance at the 2023 HACU & Diversity Abroad Conferences, giving us more connections to

Sumaya Elkashif in posing Paris

Trendsetters and Trailblazers: Paving the Way for Study Abroad and Black History

Check out last year's Trendsetters & Trailblazers panel for Black History Month! 

Learn More About Our Panelists!

Kojo Clarke Headshot

Kojo Clarke | IES Abroad Nantes | Franklin and Marshall College | 2006-2007

Originally from Accra, Ghana, Kojo Clarke (he/him) is a recently appointed insurance agent in Chicago, specializing in Life and Health Insurance, focusing on Medicare benefits for seniors.
Kojo spent Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 with IES Abroad in Nantes, France, where he maintained his Psychology major in the French university system while studying French, eventually graduating with a double major in both French and Psychology from Franklin & Marshall College in 2008. After graduation, Kojo worked first in healthcare consulting in Washington, D.C., then as an entrepreneur in renewable energy solutions in Ghana before pursuing graduate studies at Northwestern and a career in education. After 10 years as a French language teacher in Accra, Chicago, and Connecticut, Kojo served as a Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at a PreK-9 independent school for 4 years. He is excited by his recent return to Chicago, as this remains his favorite city after all the years of travel and exploration!
Timaira Hinton Headshot

Timaira Hinton | Oxford Direct Enrollment | Howard University | Fall 2023

Timaira Hinton is a graduating Senior at Howard University with a double major in Economics and Political Science. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Timaira shares her mission as one "to expose HBCU students to the endless professional, academic, and personal opportunities they can positively take advantage of by studying abroad."

Christian Herald Headshot

Christian Herald, IES Abroad Cape Town | University of Richmond | Fall 2023

Originally from Washington, D.C., Christian Herald (she/her) is a junior at the University of Richmond, majoring in Leadership Studies with a minor in Sociology. In Fall 2023, she spent the semester with IES Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, where she completed sociology courses at the University of Cape Town and volunteered as a tutor for local high school students. She also worked as a Social Media Correspondent for IES Abroad. Post-graduation she plans to attend law school to pursue a career in public interest. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with friends and family. 

Chimdi Marcus Headshot

Chimdi Marcus | IES Abroad Cape Town | University of Toledo | Summer 2018

Chimdi Marcus attended the University of Toledo (UT) where she received a bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration and a masters degree in Nursing. As an undergraduate student at UT, she had the privilege of interning at a research laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa during the Summer of 2018 with IES Abroad. This experience allowed her to see the passion that she has for not only being on the front line, but being able to use her curious mind to understand processes/research being developed in the background which is applied to the front line. She currently works as a travel Medical-Surgical nurse in the central coast of California and is actively in pursuit of a Clinical Research Nurse position.

Malik Ngugi Headshot

Malik Ngugi | IES Abroad Madrid/Barcelona 2023 | Howard University

Malik Ngugi is a senior at Howard University majoring in both Political Science and Spanish. Originally from Wichita, KS he has a special interest in international relations and foreign policy that stems from his upbringing by two Kenyan immigrant parents. He spent both the Summer and Fall 2023 with IES Abroad in Barcelona and Madrid Spain respectively. During the summer, Malik interned at Klev and Vera International Law Firm as a Legal Aid where he gained real-world insight on how the immigration, visa, and other spanish and european legal systems operate. In the Fall, he took IES Abroad classes at Universidad Complutense de Madrid such as International Security and Geopolitics, Contemporary History of Spain among others. Expected to graduate in the Fall 2024, Malik plans on pursuing a master’s degree in International Affairs with career aspirations to be a Foreign Service Officer with the US Department of State. Wanting to be a future diplomat, Malik credits this as his central reason for choosing to go abroad. 

Ameer Naseer Headshot

Ameer ‘Dunston’ Naseer | IES Abroad Cape Town | Howard University | Spring 2019

Ameer Naseer is a Buffalo, NY native, and currently resides in Houston, TX. He is a proud alumnus of Howard University where he earned a B.B.A in Finance and The Ohio State University where he earned an MA in Educational Studies. Ameer is the creator and founder of Afya Organic™, a plant-based wholistic nutrition company, is currently completing his health and wellness certifications in plant-based nutrition, wellness coaching, and personal training, and is a Middle School Math Tutor. Ameer studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa during his junior year at Howard University. While abroad, he served as an IES Abroad Student Correspondent by contributing to a monthly blog, and completed a service-learning initiative where he presented his findings about Urban Poverty in South Africa at the conclusion of his studies in Cape Town. In his leisure time, Ameer loves traveling, photography, writing, reading, exercising, spending time outdoors, and learning how to grow food in addition to other home economic skills. Moving forward, Ameer is on a mission to restore healthy living and lifestyle in his community by leading with a preventative and proactive philosophy regarding wellness rather than reactive. Furthermore, Ameer is aiding his community in pursuit of unleashing their Inner Wealth collectively. Ameer defines Inner Wealth as the overall state of our Wholistic Health. Lastly, it is Ameer’s study abroad experience that gave birth to his current personal and professional endeavors, affirming the transformative experience that studying abroad has on college students who dare to spend a semester overseas embracing the unknown!

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