GEO Student Ambassadors
The GEO Student Ambassadors program is an IRA Funded program out of the Global Engagement Office (GEO). The GEO Ambassador Program is designed to help study away alumni, NSE and international students stay connected with the GEO, including working and internship hours in the office and engaging in fun activities to promote studying away!
These Ambassadors are made up of current SSU students who are SSU study away program alumni, as well as international and international/domestic exchange students studying at SSU. Each semester these students are dedicating hours towards building a strong, global community on campus, through programming, event planning, and working with other on-campus departments and organizations, including working closely with the on-campus student organization, the International Education Exchange Council (IEEC). The Ambassadors are able to practice important skills in event coordination, marketing, professionalism, and leadership.
As all of the students are either program alumni or current international/exchange students, SSU students can talk to those who have either studied in or are from the location where they would like to study away! Students would simply need to stop by GEO in International Hall 107 and see the Ambassador Desk schedule, or visit our Virtual Office to view Peer Advising drop-in times.
Want to encourage your students to broaden their horizons by studying away? If you are interested, an Ambassador can visit your class to talk about the different study away opportunities there are at Sonoma State University. Ambassadors will also speak on program requirements, deadlines, academics, and finances. If you would like to request that an Ambassador visit your class or group, please simply fill out the Request Form and we’ll contact you with confirmation! IT’S THAT EASY! You will be able to choose the date, time, place, and length of presentation. We offer both 5-10 minute “Shout-Outs,” and 10-15 minute “Presentations.”
Anna
Lead Ambassador
- Preferred name:
- Anna
- Major, year:
- Junior, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Psychology.
- Studied abroad or where you are from:
- Studied abroad in Utah, Montreal (Canada), and from France.
- A list of all countries and U.S. states you have visited:
- Countries: Canada, New Zealand, United States, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium.
- U.S. States: Utah, Maine, Vermont, Nevada, Arizona, New York, Massachusetts and California.
- 3 fun facts about yourself:
- I don’t have a bachelor’s degree yet, but I’ve already studied at four different universities.
- I lived in a car for four months while traveling around New Zealand.
- I get lost on hikes every time I try to take a shortcut.
- Contact: [email protected]
Arelin
Community Engagement Chair
- Preferred name:
- Arelin
- Major, year:
- Senior, majoring in Business Administration.
- Studied abroad or where you are from:
- Studied in Tokyo (Japan).
- A list of all countries and U.S. states you have visited:
- Countries: Mexico, Japan, Italy, Portugal, France and Spain.
- U.S. States: California.
- 3 fun facts about yourself:
- I have a cat named Toothless.
- I am a first generation student.
- I am slowly becoming trilingual.
- Contact: [email protected]
Lily
Marketing & Outreach Chair
- Preferred name:
- Lily
- Major, year:
- Senior, majoring in Criminology and Crime Justice Studies.
- Studied abroad or where you are from:
- Studied abroad in Birmingham (United Kingdom).
- A list of all countries and U.S. states you have visited:
- Countries: England, France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Sweden, and Mexico.
- U.S. States: California, Nevada, Oregon, and Tennessee.
- 3 fun facts about yourself:
- I have lived with 11 people.
- I was a collegiate athlete.
- I have climbed the Eiffel Tower.
- Contact: [email protected]
Sophie
Ambassador
- Preferred name:
- Sophie
- Major, year:
- Senior, majoring in Liberal Studies with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies.
- Studied abroad or where you are from:
- Studied abroad in Florence (Italy) and London (United Kingdom).
- A list of all countries and U.S. states you have visited:
- Countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, Vatican City.
- U.S. States: Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
- 3 fun facts about yourself:
- I have 7 tattoos.
- In 2024, I went to Dutch Bros 100 times (bear in mind, I was in Europe for a third of the year).
- 7 of the countries I have been to were solo trips.
- Contact: [email protected]
Rawan
Ambassador
- Preferred name:
- Rawan
- Major, year:
- Junior, majoring in Economics.
- Studied abroad or where you are from:
- I am from Cairo, Egypt.
- A list of all countries and U.S. states you have visited:
- Countries: United Kingdom, France, Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, United States and Bahrain.
- U.S. States: New York, California, Nevada and Utah.
- 3 fun facts about yourself:
- I have a twin brother.
- I used to play competitive tennis.
- I was the youngest person in my graduating class.
- Contact: [email protected]
Kira
Ambassador
- Preferred name:
- Kira
- Major, year:
- Junior, majoring in Psychology.
- Studied abroad or where you are from:
- Studied in Konstanz (Germany).
- A list of all countries and U.S. states you have visited:
- Countries: Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, France, Spain, England, Austria, The Netherlands and Japan.
- U.S. States: California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Illinois and New York.
- 3 fun facts about yourself:
- I’m a first generation American, German and Irish. I also speak German.
- I love all things art, especially ceramics and knitting.
- I love pets: I’ve had 7 guinea pigs, 2 dogs and 4 cats throughout my life.
- Contact: [email protected]
“Being a part of the ambassador program has allowed me to get involved in the international community at Sonoma, meet new people, learn new cultures/share my culture and help those to experience the awesomeness of going on exchange and getting out of your comfort zone.”
“This program has enabled me to network and learn about more cultures than I could have as a regular student at Sonoma State. I’ve met the most wonderful people because of it!”
"Through the ambassador program I’ve grown as an individual and expanded my horizons to the vast cultures represented around the world. I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing people and share my experiences, while also learning theirs. Oh, I can’t forget about the amazing food I’ve been introduced too!”
“Being part of the Ambassador program has made me feel exclusive in that I get to be a part of a close knit community of like minded people and get to have fun while learning so much about studying aboard and other ways of traveling that I can carry with me all my life. The Ambassador program has made me feel inclusive because we have a mission to our SSU Community so open doors for them to the outside world, and help them further grow as a person on their Study Aboard & NSE experience.”
“Being a student ambassador has been a great opportunity to stay connected with the international community at Sonoma State and to give back to the office that helped me study abroad in the first place.”
“Coming back from my study abroad year was a bit hard for me. When I learned about the Ambassador Program at the Center for International Education, I knew I had to apply. Being an Ambassador has given me a chance to work with others who had similar experiences as I did.”
“Being a part of the Center for International Education is a great and fun way to be a part of the community and give back. It is a great way to gain leadership and responsibility for the future.”
“I love being in a community that promotes global perspective and celebrates international relations. I feel that being a part of the Ambassador Program has better helped me to assimilate back into American culture and society.”
“Wonderful program linking study abroad alumni with international students, and creating a fun international spot on campus. Many students have said that our office is their favorite place to hang out on campus.”
“My greatest skill acquired would either be public speaking from doing Info Meetings and Classroom Presentations, or computer programming, from using FileMaker Pro Database, Excel, etc.”
“Because I’m an international student, I’m so glad to share my experience to students, and make them interested in studying abroad! CIE Ambassador program is an amazing opportunity for me.”
“I was able to meet and understand people from all over the world. It helped me to see the bigger picture rather than just studying for getting a job for monetary purpose in the future.”
“I think that learning how to manage your time appropriately is a skill that we are all continuing to develop, this job has helped me to strengthen this skill.”
“My communication skills have had the most improvement since I became an ambassador.”
“Learning how to email, make phone calls, and talk professionally. What I learned in the ambassador program was the stepping stones to what I practice in my job today, and I am so thankful for the opportunity!”
“Studying abroad and the ambassador program were both huge parts in my college career. I am SO thankful for these opportunities and all that I have gained. The ambassador program is a great program to keep study abroad alumni (in my case) to stay involved in the community after returning, as well as learning and practicing for a future career.”