Congratulations to Amandine Schoffen- 2011 Ambassador of the Year!
Each year, ISEP alumni volunteer to enrich and maximize the study abroad experiences of both incoming and outgoing students on their home campuses. Through study abroad fairs, social media, campus events and other creative means, ISEP Ambassadors play an active role in promoting international education. By devoting time and energy to this mission, ISEP Ambassadors also foster their own personal and professional development. Each ambassador submits mid-year and end-of-year activity logs and reports documenting their efforts and demonstrating the incredible impact they have had on their ISEP peers worldwide.
During the 2010-11 school year, over 150 ISEP alumni volunteered to be ISEP Ambassadors. While several of them showed tremendous leadership and diligence, one ISEP Ambassador went above and beyond the call of duty. After an extensive review of all activity logs and end of the year reports, ISEP is pleased to award the title of Ambassador of the Year to Amandine Schoffen.
Amandine spent her year abroad at Hendrix College in Arkansas. Since returning to Université de Franche-Comté, in France, she has devoted her time to promoting ISEP and improving the experiences of all ISEP students on her campus. She has demonstrated leadership, dedication and diligence in all of her Ambassadorial efforts. The following are some highlights from Amandine’s report:
- Picked up all new ISEP students at the train station and then gave a campus and city tour.
- Helped ISEP students register for classes and buy necessary toiletries and groceries.
- Held a free salsa dance class to introduce students to one another.
- Created a Facebook group for Université de Franche-Comté to address all prospective student’s questions and concerns.
- Cooked an authentic French meal (tartiflette) for ISEP students to discuss French life, hospitality, mannerisms and values.
- Arranged a weekend trip to take ISEP students skiing, sledding and snowshoeing with her ESN organization.
- Threw a Mardi-Gras party through her ESN organization with a costume contest and a raffle to win exciting prizes.
- Coordinated a trip to the nearby town of Arbois for ‘Percee du vin jaune’ where students had the chance to drink the world famous yellow wine.
- Brought ISEP students to her family home during the spring and entertained them with conversation and yoga.
Amandine had this to say about her experience as an Ambassador:
“Going back home after a year abroad is really complicated especially when you completely integrated into the host culture. You feel lost and in between two cultures. The ISEP Ambassador program was the perfect way for me to keep in touch with my wonderful year spent abroad and international life, but also to go back to your own culture and start belonging to it again as you share it with international students. I don’t think I would have been able to handle my return to France that well without being an ISEP Ambassador. Moreover, it allowed me to make new friends, and it is just amazing to see how thankful they are for the few things you do for them. I think that most of their experience (if it will be great or not) is defined at the beginning. Thanks to this program, they have support and feel less lost. This way they are in better condition to start a new life and make sure they will enjoy every single moment.”