You often hear that the triangle is a great place to be for Higher Education. Not only are there tons of schools to work and gain experience at, but there are also so many opportunities to collaborate with other professionals! This October the regional NAFSA (Association for International Educators) conference is coming to Raleigh. I am so excited about the opportunity because I will be blending my interests from my assistantship and internship to co-present with someone at NC State.

I currently work at Duke University as the Gender Violence Prevention Graduate Assistant and at NC State in the Office of International Services as an Advising Intern for international students and scholars. My colleague approached me about co-presenting at the regional conference but I thought to myself, “I am not an expert in advising international populations yet, what could I possibly contribute?”. He was interested in my work at Duke and after a coffee chat we decided that international educators have the opportunity to attend so many workshops on advising…..why not develop a workshop for them on how to respond to an international student that may have been a victim of gender violence? We know that gender violence is a problem on our college campuses and it affects every segment of the population, including international students, scholars and their families. The idea was so intriguing!

I have learned so much researching the cultural differences and responses to gender violence. Surprisingly, my research has helped me become a better immigration advisor because I have explored other issues that my students and scholars are dealing with. My colleague and I have really enjoyed working together and have spent a lot of time digesting and reflecting on how these issues affects our population. I would highly recommend submitting a conference proposal while studying in your program at NC State! Professionals want to hear and learn from you. Even if you aren’t sure you know enough about the topic, research your interests and find a triangle colleague to tag team it with!!

If you are interested in learning more, the HEA October meeting will have a Conferences and Associations professional development component with our newest faculty member, Tiffany Davis!