Blog

By Bridget Hays, Strategic Initiatives Intern Last Monday I had the chance to hear the French Consul General, Graham Paul, speak at World Trade Day at the Ritz Charles. Our very own CEO, Diane Thomas, was chosen as an honorary consul for Indiana and was introduced to the group. M. Paul continued on with a speech discussing the strengths of France and why it is and will be a great trading and investment partner for US companies. This entire morning was extremely exciting and interesting to me as an international business student who was fortunate enough to study abroad
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By Megan Watson Marketing, Communications and Stakeholder Relations Intern  This week, I had the privilege of attending a Community Orientation Program for Expatriates (COPE) session focusing on American banking procedures and social customs. COPE is an 8-week program that meets twice a week and facilitates newly relocated professionals and their families as they settle in Indiana. It was interesting to see this side of the transition process, especially after just returning from a semester in southern Spain. I remember feeling very thrown off by small things that I didn’t realize could operate differently than the way I knew. For
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By Shaina Peterson, International Visitors Leadership Program Intern The desire to lead has always come naturally to me, and although I knew that I wanted to work in International Affairs, I was unsure of what I wanted to do with that aspiration; until now. Being a part of The International Center and experiencing other cultures firsthand has truly been a blessing for me. The opportunities that we are provided don’t just make you consider the importance of our work, but it also compels us to look deeper into the meaning of our life, and how we are affecting and
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By Rachelle Fullam, Strategic Initiatives Intern As I approach the midway point of my internship at The International Center, I have begun to start reflecting on all the things that I have done here. Since I started interning at The Center I have met so many talented people and gotten the chance to participate in a wide variety of projects. Working in the Strategic Initiatives department has given me the opportunity to learn about all the different programs on a deeper level, while also interacting with the people who help run them. I’ve also had a lot of unique
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By Carrington Kujawski, Programs & Services Intern “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate.” – Pico Iyer  I was warned when I started to travel internationally that it would change everything about me: it would change my habits, my preferences, and my perspective. I was warned that learning about other cultures would become addictive, for the more I looked at the differences outside my comfort zone and background, the more I would learn about
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By: Caitlin Selby, Global Competency Intern Earlier this week, on Tuesday, was the globally celebrated holiday, Mardi Gras; which in French means Fat Tuesday. On this day, individuals indulge in feasts and parties before a six-week period of fasting, called Lent. Thursday of this week was none other than the international holiday of love—Valentine’s Day. In many countries around the world it is celebrated much the same as here in the United States, with a big emphasis on gifts of candy, cards, and flowers to friends and significant others. The International Center has been preparing our flag collection for
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By Megan Watson, Marketing, Communications, and Stakeholder Relations Intern On January 31, I had the honor of presenting an American flag to the eldest of the newly naturalized citizens in Marion County, Indiana. This moment was emotional, in every sense. It was endearing, it was overwhelming and most of all, it was absolutely joyous. This man, after waiting for who knows how long, was finally an American citizen and I got to give him what was now HIS flag. This was a landmark moment in my life and gave me the opportunity to realize just how great this community
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By Apelles Johnson, Strategic Initiatives Intern To The International Center Team, I’ve been at The International Center for a month now, and while there is still a lot that I would like to discover, there are already some things that I know for certain about the people that power this organization. Each individual has a unique role and expertise that have been funneled through a concrete mission of the center and the leadership that oversees it. To see such a machine in action, and to have been an active part in it, really opened my eyes to what can
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By Megan Watson, Marketing and Volunteer Intern This is the first week for the new Spring 2013 interns at The International Center!  We are all excited to be here and ready to experience the personal growth that goes along with investing in new experiences, especially those related to a culturally enriching environment. There are a few excellent events that I’m really excited about visiting here in Central Indiana this week. Until April 28, the Indianapolis Museum of Art is hosting a collection of Kuna Needle Art from the San Blas Islands of Panama. The Kuna are the indigenous people of both Panama and Columbia and represent a distinct
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By Titilope Adebambo Adeniyi-Oshin, Global Competency Training Intern It’s been almost four months since I began my internship at the International Center. Over the course of my internship I have had the opportunity to experience many cultures, meet great people. As a Global Competency Training Intern, I had the opportunity to attend the COPE (Community Orientation Program for Expatriates). This consisted of 8 sessions. I even had the opportunity to be a translator to a French speaker throughout these sessions.   These specific groups consisted of ladies from Japan, Puerto Rico, India, Poland, France and the UK. This program
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