VCU’s First Global Ambassadors Serve International Students

By Lane Burgess
Global Education Office

Mohamed Ibrahim and Astrid Aniwa, Virginia Commonwealth University’s first Global Ambassadors, know how it feels to be new students in a new culture surrounded by new people. 

“When I first came to VCU, I faced a lot of struggles,” said Ibrahim, a junior from Egypt.

Aniwa, a senior from Ghana, agreed with the sentiment.

“That alone made me want to help international students—I’m an international student myself,” Aniwa said.

To provide VCU’s international students with additional resources and attention, the Global Education Office launched the Global Ambassador program this fall to guarantee a smoother transition to college life in the United States.

According to Sarah Young, GEO international admissions processor, the idea is to encourage international students to mentor other international students. “We felt like that would be helpful in the process of students transitioning to a U.S. educational system.”

To apply for the program, Ibrahim and Aniwa each submitted letters of recommendation and completed an interview. They will receive a scholarship, leadership opportunities and the chance to work with the staff at GEO.

“The Global Ambassadors were selected through a highly rigorous selection process and are able to provide prospective students with information that only enrolled students can,” Blair Brown, director of international admissions. “We are delighted to have these excellent ambassadors as another resource to provide high quality service and information to students who have applied, or are thinking of applying, to VCU.”

Young explained that the program is likely to grow in the future to include additional ambassadors—one for each area of the world that is widely represented at VCU. 

“Our goal is to be there for your every step of your career at VCU,” Ibrahim wrote in a letter to international students at VCU. He explained the many aspects of their jobs—orientation assistance, mentoring, events, volunteering and tutoring. The ambassadors will visit English Language Program (ELP) classrooms to talk to students about the transition from ELP to the academic setting at VCU.

Young is hopeful that the GEO ambassadors will take on additional roles involving communication with prospective students.

Ibrahim moved to the United States about two-and-a-half years ago to study biology and business. Currently on the pre-medicine track at VCU, he plans to attend medical school after graduation. He is the vice president for the Emerging Healthcare Leaders Organization and is involved with the Muslim Student Association, African Student Union and the VCU Honors College.

Aniwa studies biology and chemistry in the forensic science program at VCU. After graduation in 2012, she plans to attend graduate school to study toxicology and DNA analysis. Eventually, she’d like to open her own crime scene and DNA analysis laboratory in her hometown in Ghana where facilities are lacking. She is a member of the Established Leaders Society and the Student Admissions Ambassadors. She is the secretary of the African Student Union.

To connect with them, email Mohamed Ibrahim at shaabanmg@vcu.edu or Astrid Aniwa at aniwaa@vcu.edu.