Friday, April 16, 2021

International Studies student Holly Harris was chosen to be an Emerging Leader by Global Ties U.S. which is a a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. This incredible honor allowed Holly to learn and discuss problems affecting the international field during a national meeting with other organizations, U.S. government agencies, and leaders in the international exchange field. Holly was able to apply for this position as a Program Coordinator at CIVIC.

Holly Harris Visual Resume

Holly answered a few questions for us regarding her experience: 

What is Global Ties U.S? 

Global Ties U.S. is a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. that works to foster international connections and tackle global challenges through the promotion of citizen diplomacy and implementation of international exchange programs. 

 How I got involved: Global Ties U.S. leads a network of 120+ community member-based organizations across the nation including the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC) which is how I became involved. Every year, Global Ties U.S. hosts a National Meeting in Washington D.C. which is a premier gathering of these organizations, U.S. government agencies, and leaders in the international exchange field to discuss trends affecting the international field and build networks to strengthen international exchanges. As a Program Coordinator at CIVIC, I was able to apply and was accepted to be a member of the 2021 Emerging Leaders cohort at the National Meeting.

 My experience: I attended sessions throughout the week focused on the global fight against climate change, the multilateral approach to global health security, best practices for implementing international exchanges, foreign policy from the perspective of the embassies, and so much more! It was very insightful to hear professionals working in the fields I want to pursue discuss these diverse topics. I made several connections within the Global Ties U.S. Network and was inspired by how passionate everyone is for their work. It made me realize that this is exactly the career I want to pursue!