Meet our new TODOS Engagement Coordinator, Kayla Joseph! We asked Kayla a couple of questions for you to get to know her better and understand her position.
Tell me a little about your background?
I recently graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor’s in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. I had the chance to study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and gain a better appreciation for different cultures, and it was this experience that sparked my interest in underrepresented communities and their boundaries with studying abroad. After returning, I had interned with Church World Service working with refugees by helping them prepare for the citizenship test. I also worked at NC A&T in the Office of International Affairs and became a member and eventual president of Aggies Abroad, a club dedicated to promoting study abroad on campus.
Why did you want to work for Barcelona SAE?
I wanted to work for a company that believed in having accessible options for all students that want to study abroad. I was very impressed with the TODOS Initiative and the amount of effort that went into the different programs and trainings. I also liked the amount of attention that the students receive when they are in Barcelona. It seemed like this company goes above and beyond for its students and I wanted to be apart of that.
What do you hope to accomplish in your new role?
This role is all about outreach to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to increase access to study abroad for their students. I would like to increase the amount of MSIs we partner with and the amount of outreach to the schools. I would love to see more minority students traveling abroad and understand that it is possible.
What do you think is the biggest challenge around education abroad/diversity and inclusion work today?
I think one of the biggest challenges starts with helping families support their children who are thinking about studying abroad. There are a lot of stigmas around who studies abroad, paying for study abroad and what it even looks like from an academic standpoint. Families can have a lot of influence on a students decision and that is why it is so important to address these issues using different tools such as parent forums and online student guides.