By Mary Barrett '14
Siena College students, faculty and alumni, some from as far away as India, gathered to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Globalization/International Studies Program. Under the leadership of program founder and director Professor of Political Science Jean Stern, Ph.D., the Globalization/International Studies Program has prepared students with valuable skills through course work, travel abroad, internships and service for a decade. It has helped students find a world of success and they were eager to share their experiences and the impact of the program with current students, even if they had to connect via video conferencing.
Matt Walsh ’06 was in India during the celebration but woke up at 3:30 a.m. just to encourage students to take advantage of the International Studies Program. Walsh explained that the program provided him with extremely valuable opportunities. Having experienced the benefits of a global perspective, Walsh has been able to visit and work in world-class cities, including Dublin, Cape Town and Bangladesh. He works at the Grameen Foundation in Seattle, Washington.
“The International Studies Program was one of the best things I did at Siena,” said Christina Manning ’12. While at Siena, the marketing major interned at a bank. She was responsible for helping to build relationships with banks around the world. That experience helped Manning land a job at PNC Bank in Washington, D.C. where she serves as a Treasury Management Analyst.
Matt Grimes ’12 felt that the program helped him relate to people. “It helped me to step out of my comfort zone and to be able to speak to people and really hear their stories,” Grimes said. This ability to relate to others helped him to teach English in Argentina after being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2013.
Economics major Steve Lanciotti ’14 also valued the program’s ability to connect him with others. Lanciotti remains in contact with friends from all over the world. He says it’s because the program helped him to “not only learn about different cultures but go out and actually get to know people from other countries as well.”
Emma Bettiol ’14 made the decision to minor in International Studies because she felt it paired well with her history major. “I have had the unique perspective of looking at culture through history and through globalized eyes,” Bettiol said.
The students involved in international studies come from different majors and have different reasons for getting involved, but they agree that gaining a global perspective has helped them build relationships, make connections, advance their careers and see the world in new ways.
While Stern is retiring at the end of the academic year, she announced that the program will continue under the leadership of Assistant Professor of Sociology Sudarat Musikawong, Ph.D.
