Miami Dade College (MDC) is hosting nearly 90 students from 50 countries at MDC’s Wolfson Campus, Aug. 20-24, as part of the 2018 Fulbright Gateway Orientation sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The goal is to prepare international students to succeed academically, professionally and personally in the United States. MDC has long been a site for this important gathering.
The Fulbright Gateway Orientation helps students establish and reach academic and personal goals for their studies in the United States. It provides a broad introduction to American culture and history as well as emphasizes teamwork and leadership. The U.S. is uniquely diverse in its social make up — race, religion, attitudes about sexual orientation, and more. The event makes students aware of the diversity of American society, which will help them succeed as graduate students in the U.S.
It is the 14th anniversary of the Fulbright Gateway Orientation at MDC, which is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education. The Fulbright Gateway Orientation leverages much of the best that MDC and Miami have to offer.
Given its campus diversity, MDC is an ideal site for the Fulbright Gateway Orientation. MDC, with a student body representing over 190 countries and more than 90 different languages, is the most diverse college in the nation.
Capitalizing on this resource, MDC students serve as on-campus ambassadors for the orientation program. Many presenters and workshop facilitators are MDC faculty and administration. Several are Fulbright alumni including Dr. Stephen Johnson, a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Germany, who was director of the 2018 Fulbright Gateway Orientation.
Dr. Danixia Cuevas from MDC’s Law Center was a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar and later a Fulbright Specialist in India. Dr. Alejandro Angee, associate professor of sociology was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in Sendai, Japan. These former Fulbrighters attest to the fact that the Fulbright Program is life-changing for anyone who takes part in it.
In addition, Miami’s rich cultural and international heritage is unique in the United States. Gateway participants will enjoy a river cruise along the historic Miami River with History Miami Museum’s resident historian, Dr. Paul George, a renowned retired MDC professor. Dr. George will tell the story of Miami from the late 19th Century, and participants will hear tales of the area’s earliest known inhabitants, the Tequesta Indians. The students will also visit Miami’s ethnic neighborhoods and sample the rich culture and cuisine.
