The Center of International Programs recently held a virtual discussion with musicians from Northern Ireland as part of the Northern Ireland Virtual Study Abroad Program. During this time, students had the opportunity to learn more about traditional Irish culture and music.
Brian, Josie and Sean, the musicians who joined us live directly from Northern Ireland, played live music and gave us an insight into musical instruments such as the flute, the uilleann pipes, and the history of how the names originated. Our students learned how the pipe works, the different parts of it, the sounds they make, and the differences between different types of pipes such as the bagpipe and uilleann pipes.
Josie explained how music changes from region to region, and how she experiences that in her career. The musicians expressed that Northern Ireland’s music tends to be more “aggressive” in humor because of cultural circumstances such as their politics, the population’s dark sense of humor and the influences from the neighboring countries.
The three shared interesting facts about different kinds of dances, including the Reynolds dance, set dances, and sean-nos dancing. Sean, a member of the Battlefield Band, talked about how his music career started and shared a memory of his time performing in St. Petersburg, Florida.
They captured the Distinguished Delegation Award at NMUN NY’s virtual conference. This means that the team placed in the top 10% of all colleges and universities. We are very proud of our students for overcoming adversity and achieving this success! Thus, despite a difficult academic year for MUN due to the challenges of doing trainings and simulations virtually, SPC’s legacy of success continues. Indeed, our students also won the Distinguished Delegation award at NMUN DC in the Fall 2020 semester. We are very proud of our students and it is a pleasure to lead them as their faculty advisor. Our students represented Croatia, Germany and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
I used to be a very stubborn and a quiet girl. My parents always complained to me because of that. I also received a lot of sarcasm from my relative because of my personality. However, because of my personality, I always proved to myself through my actions and achievements instead of words.
Vy is my name and I was born in a small country of Vietnam, in a normal family. The thought of studying in the U.S. was a dream for me. Therefore, one of my biggest goals was to study abroad based on my academic successes. During my high school years, I studied hard to give myself an opportunity to explore the world and guess what, I did it.
I remembered my first-time landing in United States at the beginning of May, 2018. My feelings were hard to explain and all together made my heart was pounding hard. At that moment, I knew that I finally made it and I knew this was just the beginning of a long journey that awaited me.
At first, I had a lot of difficulties in integrating into the college community because of language barriers and differences in culture. However, I feel that I have been very fortunate to be a part of St. Petersburg College (SPC), my second home. At SPC, I met many important people who changed my life and helped me move forward. As an international student, I am grateful to have a dedicated and listening advisor who listened to all my problems, who later gave me the opportunity to work as her student assistant. She is like a family member who is always ready to help and encourage me. St. Petersburg College is also the place where I met many friends whom I thought I would never have when I arrived to the U.S. They are like brothers and sisters who have taught me so many things in daily life through all their experiences.
Also, participating in college clubs and meeting many different people motivated me to break out of my shell. The members, advisors, and mentors, they gave me many opportunities, that have taught me many lessons in leadership and teamwork. In the end, with what I learned, I became a Historian of Student Government Association and a officer of many other clubs. Those are valuable lessons that not everyone can have, so I am thankful to the school community for being a perfect steppingstone to my college journey.
For me to get here, it is impossible not to mention the merit of the professors who helped me in all the lessons. They are always patient with students’ questions and are always ready to help. I received many scholarships from the SPC Foundation, where generous donors have contributed to the college for supporting students. St. Petersburg College is a place that has opened a lot of opportunities and supported me from the beginning and will always be a part of me.
With all I have achieved here, I am very proud and grateful to receive a valuable merits scholarship from University of Massachusetts for my bachelor’s degree to continue my journey. If it had not been for St. Petersburg College, I wouldn’t have been who I am today. They have taught me a lot and provided me with a solid foundation for me to follow along my chosen path. I am grateful to St. Petersburg College and no written or verbal appreciation will be ever enough.
International education week is a week where we celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Although this year’s SPC’s International Education Week was celebrated a little differently, hundreds of students, staff, and faculty participated in a variety of virtual activities.
During the week of November 16, 2020, The Center for International Programs provided some great opportunities to expand SPC’s world view and engage students on a global platform. We started the week with a series of four zoom sessions, in a collaboration with North West Regional College (NWRC) in Northern Ireland, where speakers from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, discussed changes in health and social care and what those careers look like.
The week continued with one of the most beautiful and touching event yet, our virtual open mic! This was a time where students from both SPC and West Regional College, shared poems and talents. One of the most memorable moments of the week!
Another student favorite was our Tour around the World! We traveled virtually to Rome, Paris, and London with a private tour guide living in London. The week finished with a fun event put on by the SPC Multicultural International Student Club, where students got to learn how to make Origami arts.
Despite the current challenging conditions, we were able to highlight and celebrate the importance of international education and exchange worldwide!
