Robin
Melavalin
Robin Melavalin, Director of the Global Education Opportunities
(GEO) Center, is an internal consultant to the six Colleges
of the Fenway schools. She is involved in all aspects of
internationalizing the campuses, which includes working
with faculty and administrators as they prepare to take
students abroad, streamlining procedures and policies, and
working with the campuses to develop their strategic vision
for internationalization. An anthropologist, photographer
and teacher, she has been in the field of international
education for over 20 years and has led student groups to
Cuba, Cape Verde, and other countries. She has also traveled
in Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Bali, Uzbekistan
and China. In her spare time she leads outdoor adventure
trips for the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Ciao, my name is Marta Ciocca Vasino I am an international student from Italy and I recently started working for the GEO Center. I am from a small town called Borgosesia, about an hour from Milan and less than half an hour from the Alps. When I turned seventeen, I moved to the United States which caused a lot of my friends here to ask me why I moved so far away from home at such a young age. The only reason I can think of is that I needed my freedom, I needed my independence and the United States seemed the perfect place for me. Prior to my decision to move here I had a chance to travel a lot around the world, and visited more than thirty different amazing countries including the States. I have visited a lot of different states here and have always been amazed by the mannerisms of the people from here. I have also been attracted by the idea of studying in an American College and learning another language to the proficiency level, so after many arguments with my parents and a lot of research to find the perfect place I finally accomplished my goal.
Why did I choose Boston among all the other places? Well, because Boston is one of the easiest cities to navigate without a car, is the closest plane ride from Italy, full of schools and consequently a lot of students and young people and offers the best education in the United States. Moreover I visited the town two years before I moved here and I absolutely loved it.
I am a double major in psychology and philosophy here at Emmanuel College and I am really enjoying what I am studying. This is more or less my story, and a little bit about me. Right now I do not really know where I am going, what I do know is that I want to travel more, that I do not think I will live here for the rest of my life. Maybe in ten years or so I will travel to Brazil, perhaps doing something with my uncle that lives there. Who knows? For now I just live my life little by little the future will happen without fail, it is inevitable, so I will just wait and see what happens.
Hey there! My name is Isabelle Byusa and I am an international student from Kigali, Rwanda studying Economics at Emmanuel College. Rwanda is a beautiful, tiny country located in the heart of Africa. I grew up in the capital city, Kigali, and went to a British school called Green Hills Academy. I did most of my primary school there and when I had two years left to graduate from secondary school, my parents decided to take me to the United States. When I was younger, I had always fantasized about going to the United States. I watched a lot of American movies, read books by American authors, and was greatly influenced by American music. Because I had never been to the United States, I was ecstatic at this opportunity my parents were giving me. I came to the United States in the summer of 2007 and I was enrolled at Westover, an all-girls boarding school in Middlebury, Connecticut. My first two years in the U.S. were very interesting in the sense that I matured greatly in a short space of time. For the first time in my life, I was living far away from my family, my friends, my country, and what was my norm. I was obliged to adapt to a different lifestyle, deal with some cultural shocks and overcome them, and many times I went through periods where I was really homesick. However, I made new friends at my school and soon began to learn from the diversity I had close to me. My new friends came from all over the world: Japan, Korea, Ghana, Germany, France, Spain, Mexico, South Africa and of course the U.S. Although I still missed Rwanda, I found a home away from home in the mix of cultures that surrounded me. During my senior year, I applied to colleges mainly in cities. Emmanuel College attracted me because of its amazing location, which is right in the heart of Boston, and its small campus size. I felt as if I would be receiving the best of both worlds in such a setting. I started working in the GEO Center in the fall semester 2009 and I’ve enjoyed working here because of its direct link to information about study abroad programs. I am planning on studying abroad during my years at Emmanuel College. Traveling the world is definitely on my bucket list and the GEO Center serves as a first step in realizing that dream. I’m a pretty down to earth person, quiet at times, friendly and open-minded. I love most kinds of music and I love dancing. I also enjoy reading books and meeting new people.
Sam Duffy is a graduate student currently attending Wentworth Institute of Technology and set to graduate in August. With a major in computer science he hopes to have a future where telecommuting is a benefit and provides a chance to travel and explore the world. With his work in the GEO Center this travel bug has been awakened and provided a new perspective on the benefits of travel.
MEET THE GEO CENTER STAFF