ICFRC: 2024 Mandela Washington Fellows
Recorded: July 17, 2024
Runtime: 01:26:43
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Rachel Maggi is an International Studies major focusing in South Asian Studies and East Asian Studies with a minor in Global Health and certificate in Sustainability. Her international travels include study abroad and interning in India, as well as miscellaneous travels to France, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Canada. She has studied French, Mandarin, and Hindi at the University of Iowa. She has recently been awarded a Fulbright to conduct research on breast/cervical cancer knowledge and perceptions in Karnataka, India. She hopes to pursue a Master's in Public Health in the future.
Daniel Valentin is an International Studies major focusing on Development and Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, with a minor in Arabic and a Writing Certificate. He has studied abroad in Fes, Morocco and Pondicherry, India. Daniel is also fluent in Spanish and Arabic. In his time as an undergraduate, he has held positions in the Daily Iowan, the Association of Latinos Moving Ahead, the Human Rights Student Collective, Secular Students at Iowa, and the University of Iowa Student Government. Daniel is a student clerk for University of Iowa Health Care, an ESL tutor for Kirkwood Community College, and he contributes to the Translate Iowa Project. He enjoys writing fiction and personal nonfiction stories, camping / backpacking, and letter writing.
Ashley Chong is an International Studies major focusing in East Asia and Post-Colonial/Diasporic Studies, with a minor in Anthropology and a Writing Certificate. She has moved a total of seven times across South-East Asia and North America before coming to Iowa to pursue her undergraduate degree. She is most confident in Korean and French and is working on her Mandarin and Spanish language proficiencies. Ashley is also an ICRU research fellow with the International Writing Program, where she assists with the podcast and is currently working on an online anthology. She is currently working on a collaborative exhibition titled 'fractals of identity' for the end of April for her Writing Certificate capstone, a cross-disciplinary collaborative project inspired by Stravinsky's Three Pieces for String Quartet, and her chapbook 'A Flower-Petal Space' is forthcoming from the University of Iowa Publishing Track. Beyond academics, she is a member of a string quartet within the School of Music that will tour Iowa this summer, is part of the executive board of the Translate Iowa Project, and performs at local venues and events as one half of the Dashi Project.
As ICFRC interns, Maggi, Valentin, and Chong assist the organization in bringing local and international experts into Iowa City and witness how the professional world engages with global topics. Additionally, as International Studies students, they are equipped through their coursework to critically engage with the world and its different cultures. Each student has a unique blend of international experience, extracurricular activities, and academic backgrounds that led them to engage with the global community in different capacities. They share the importance and impacts of their international experiences, both abroad and within campus organizations.
For more information on the Foreign Relations Council visit their website at www.icfrc.org.