Three undergraduates honored as champions of international education
Three undergraduate students received awards from the Office of International Education on Nov. 12.
Students Kaleigh Isaacs, Daniel Levinson and Muneeb Kamal were all honored with a Global Citizen Award.
Isaacs, a junior majoring in international affairs, received the Study Abroad Student of the Year award. She recently spent two semesters studying in the Dominican Republic.
Issacs’ program director in the Dominican Republic nominated her for the award.
“I was really honored,” Isaacs said. “It was a really amazing experience.”
According to a university press release, the Global Citizens Awards are given each year to students, staff and professors who enrich the campus with their presence and serve as role models.
Isaacs spent her first semester in the Dominican Republic volunteering through a community service class. She volunteered at a public hospital in Santiago where she worked with a sexual education program.
Isaacs participated in a service learning program her second semester. She spent time training small businesses so they would become more effective. She said her interest in minority rights and immigration issues led her to consider working in Latin America.
After graduation, Isaacs said she plans to work in the field of service. She said she anticipates working in Latin America.
Levinson, a junior majoring in fine arts, received the SHIPster of the Year award for his involvement in the Smith Hall International Program.
“I felt really fortunate to be the one to win this award,” Levinson said. “There are lots of students in SHIP, and I’m just one of many.”
Levinson has been involved with SHIP since his freshman year. He recently organized international-themed events on campus involving SHIP.
He has participated in language clubs, cooking clubs, International Coffee Hour and lectures held by faculty members.
Levinson said his favorite part of SHIP is meeting the people involved and the opportunities to engage with the international student body.
“I have an interest in learning Spanish and other languages and meeting people and experiencing different cultures,” Levinson said. “Traveling is what I love most, and SHIP really embodies that.”
Kamal, a senior mechanical engineering major, received the International Student of the Year award.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Katherine Spencer at Katherine.a.spencer@thecampuspress.com.
