I have been a part of the Global Ties organization since the summer after I graduated high school. I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Global Ties Kansas City. I learned so much about the Global Ties organization, my home city, and myself. After an incredible summer internship experience I came to Fayetteville, AR as a freshman at the University of Arkansas.
After a busy freshman year and even more hectic pandemic, I missed the experiences I had working with Global Ties. After looking for similar opportunities in the Northwest Arkansas area, I couldn't find anything that felt right. So I took a chance, reaching out to Toni Carr, hoping they would be willing to take on another intern, even though I wasn't based out of Little Rock. Luckly, we had all just learned how to survive in a virtual world, and I joined the Global Ties Arkansas team as an intern!
I continued to learn about Global Ties, the world, and working in a professional environment. I loved jumping back into the Global Ties world and learning about Arkansas and international affairs on the way. After my first semester as an intern, I became a Program Officer over the summer. Spending the summer in Little Rock, where I finally got to meet the team in person, as well as visitors like Gabby Sanz, recent recipient of our Diplomacy Grant, was an incredible experience. I learned invaluable skills, hosted my first virtual program and developed lasting relationships with the Global Ties Arkansas Team.
While I spend the majority of my time back in Fayetteville, I am still able to be an active member of the GTA team, largely thanks to Toni's incredible support. From virtual staff meetings to attending the Global Ties US national conference in DC, I love getting to know our team better and develop new strategies and goals for our organization.