The past couple of months have been filled with so many informative, eye-opening, and amazing experiences. We explored the city of Derry and learned about its history, from its historic walls to the key events of the Troubles that occurred here. We traveled to Belfast and went to the Titanic Museum, talked with people from both sides of the conflict, and examined the peace walls. And last week, we went to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. There we talked with community members, visited rural towns, and got to experience the beautiful countryside.

We also have been able to immerse ourselves within local community organizations through our internship placements. Each of us have had our own unique experiences at our internships and have been able to see first-hand the important work being done in a variety of areas. It has been such a great time so far and it has been such a privilege to get to know the people of Northern Ireland, as well as one another.

The post Community, Borders, and Peace [Student Reflection] appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

The first half of Augsburg’s CGEE New Activism, Human Rights, and Social Justice semester program took place throughout many different places in Guatemala. Our program has been filled with lots of fun and educational excursions. These activities have helped us become more knowledgeable about the Indigenous communities in the country and the struggles that they have prevailed through and continue to face. The program is specifically built in a way where we don’t just learn about the history of Guatemala through books, but through discussions with local community members, activists, artists, and families. Our Spanish classes that took place in the beginning of our program helped contribute to this and allowed us to develop our communication skills with our speakers so we wouldn’t have to purely rely on a translator.

Thanks to so many people willingly taking time out of their days to educate us, we were able to learn and gain an understanding of the historical impact of colonization, as well as how it is still very much alive and deeply rooted in our societies. Due to these deeply touching experiences, we (the students) have been able to incorporate a more decolonized mindset into our day-to-day lives.

It was incredible to hear the different topics each person in our group took away based on their own personal interests and backgrounds. For me personally, as an artist from Los Angeles, I felt such deep emotions when listening to many different Indigenous artists and learning about the importance of their work. Not only are their practices so deeply rooted in culture, such as Mayan Indigenous textiles, but they also use their art to uplift, support, and stand up for their community. It was truly a refreshing look at art as a whole, especially when compared to the elitist construct of art that is often seen in mainstream media. No question went unasked during our time there, and no story will be forgotten.

The post Learning from Indigenous Communities in Guatemala [Student Reflection] appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

The first half of the semester in Norway has been an incredible and thought-provoking experience in so many ways.

Through this program, we have explored key issues such as sustainability, environmental issues, social welfare, and equality in the Nordic countries, with a focus on Norway. We have also reflected on how these systems are different in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States. However, the most engaging part of this experience has been our learning outside the classroom! We have visited the Norwegian Parliament, the July 22nd memorial, the Nobel Peace Center, and the National Museum in Oslo, as well as taken a week’s trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. These experiences have guided our learning on Norway’s historical and cultural values as a whole. Additionally, in Copenhagen, we were able to engage with the Nordic Council, the Greenland house, and multiple museums to gain a better perspective of this program’s themes in another Nordic context. Each experience has offered a new outlook on the ways that justice, democracy, and identity are shaped within Norway.

From my perspective as an American, this program has helped me recognize the systems and communities I am a part of. Furthermore, it has shifted my perspective that even the Nordic countries still have a lot of progress to make politically, socially, and environmentally, even with their valued model. However, the emphasis on collective care, communities, governments, and how individuals play a role has shifted my perspective to a more shared responsibility rather than an individual within society. Altogether, it has made me think more critically about how social roles, policies, and cultural values can either support or hinder equality within a society.

The post Collective Care in Norway and New Perspectives [Student Reflection] appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

Our semester in Cuernavaca is about halfway done and I feel so grateful to be here. Whether it was witnessing the traditional Brincon at the annual Carnaval in Topostlan, hearing from traditional healers and community leaders of Amatlan, or sharing a meal with residents at the Casa Tochan migrant shelter in Mexico City, everywhere we’ve gone shown us another example of dedication, community, and joy as a form of shared resistance.

This program has been comprehensive, to say the least. Not only in the range of topics we’ve covered, but also the range of ways we explored them: We’ve studied migration both through hearing from experts on the immigration system, as well as the lived migration experiences of community members who were willing to share them. We’ve learned about women’s issues, LGBTQ+ issues, and the place of religion in Mexico from public officials, activists, and local progressive churches; we’ve also learned by talking to our host families about their lives as we get to know them.

The more traditional avenues of learning we’re given are also important, don’t get me wrong. Texts, research, and empirical data are all great ways to get a really in-depth, technical understanding of the issues that impact us. But people’s stories, their dreams, struggles and emotions are why we learn about these issues in the first place. Reflecting on this has helped me better understand what I want to do with these stories, and what I want to contribute to my community back home in and outside of the classroom.

The post Augsburg CGEE in Mexico: The Lived Experience [Student Reflection] appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

Summary of Job Description:  The purpose of this one-year stipended fellowship is to help foster a healthy living/learning environment for semester students and participants in short-term educational seminars and to assist with the operation and promotion of CGEE-educational programs in Mexico.  The primary responsibilities of the fellow are to assist study abroad students (mostly coming from the U.S.A.) with medical and emotional issues and to help them develop intercultural and global competencies, as well as to assist in the operation of all educational programs. The IRA will also be expected to help produce social media content that can help promote these programs.

Length and dates of this stipend fellowship position: *August 15, 2026 – August 20, 2027 (*The starting and ending dates are slightly flexible.)

Stipend & Other Benefits 

This is a one-year academic fellowship that provides:

• a monthly stipend of US $700 
• room, board, health insurance in Mexico (approximate value of US $1,000/month), 
• airfare to and from the United States, 
• educational opportunities, including setting your learning goals related to intercultural and international education and receiving support in accomplishing those goals.  
• 10 days of vacation (to be taken after the semester ends in December), plus Mexican federal holidays.

Given that this is a fellowship intended to benefit a recent college graduate who is seeking hands-on experience working in international education, these benefits are appropriate within the Mexican context, when you consider the benefits of room, board, health insurance and travel in addition to the monthly monetary stipend.

Application Deadline: March 15, 2026

International Resident Assistant (“IRA”) Responsibilities

Brief description of duties is below, we encourage you to read the full description and qualifications if you are interested in applying.

Resident Assistant (R.A.) Responsibilities

• Live-In Support & Health Coordination: Reside at “Casa Augsburg” to serve as the primary on-call first responder, managing emergency assistance, medical appointments, insurance claims, and the semester-long on-call schedule to ensure student safety.
• Housing Operations & Logistics: Oversee the complete arrival and living experience, including coordinating flight pickups, managing roommate assignments and dietary needs, preparing the facility, and leading housing and safety orientations.
• Community Building & Engagement: Foster a positive living-learning environment by conducting individual student check-ins, maintaining communication channels, and organizing community meetings, social events, and cultural excursions.

Connect Students to the Broader Community

• Help plan and facilitate orientation activities to help students get to know Cuernavaca.
• Inform students of social, cultural, political, & other events in Cuernavaca and the surrounding area. It is recommended that the International Resident Assistant organize a bulletin board with updated information about opportunities to go to events and get involved in the local community.

Assist with Diversity and Intercultural/Global Education and Community-Building

• Assist the faculty with the design, facilitation, and debriefing of some classes that focus on intercultural and global competencies.
• Co-coordinate the intercultural exchange with IHouse students as an integral part of the program.
• Plan and facilitate or co-facilitate group activities &/or meetings with the students to help build trust among the students and to address issues of concern to the group. These issues usually include concerns about racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, religious discrimination, etc.)
• Spend time with students and other program participants to support them as they process their intercultural learning experience.
• Help students find appropriate ways to manage conflicts that emerge within the group. This may mean organizing and/or facilitating or arranging a session on conflict management and helping mediate when necessary.

Academic Program Responsibilities

• Assist all professors with educational materials and classroom and guest speaker/excursion set-up related to their classes, and communicate with them regarding the weekly gmail calendars.
• Coordinate the rental and sale of books that students need for their courses. 
• Communicate regularly with the adjunct and/or visiting professors about their classes, guest speakers, and excursions, and provide logistical support to them. Assist instructors and program coordinators in planning, set-up, operation, and evaluation of the semester programs.
• Oversee the ongoing confirmation, updating, printing, and distribution of weekly program calendars with students, staff, host families, and any others who need them.
• Provide interpreting support from Spanish to English (and vice versa) in very informal, small group settings as needed.  (Training and support provided for those interested in learning this skill.)

Administrative Responsibilities

• Coordinate and follow-up with the insurance company regarding claims for students and our program.
• Perform regular administrative tasks such as checking e-mail, filing, running errands, maintaining computer databases, shelving books in the library, managing WhatsApp groups, and assisting with other projects.
• Help the Office Manager & Homestay Coordinator & others to organize activities with host families & others, as asked. 
• Manage finances needed for student activities and file a monthly finance report by the last working day of each month.
• Coordinate and pay guest speakers, drivers, meals, and entrance fees, as needed.
• Attend staff meetings.
• Edit and update the IRA training manual for future IRAs and help prepare and facilitate their orientation.

Marketing Responsibilities

• Assist with recruiting students and short-term customized program participants by taking & submitting digital photos with short captions explaining them to help document each of the major components of the program, such as guest speakers and excursions, rural seminars and the seminar in Mexico City, homestays (both rural and urban), travel to other areas of Mexico, etc. 
• Assist with the creation and maintenance of social media posts in coordination with the Minneapolis and other Mexico faculty/staff members, including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

Qualifications/Requirements��������

• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and goals of Augsburg CGEE, including our educational philosophy and our commitment to intercultural and global education, social justice and anti-oppression work.
• Experience in international and multicultural settings, as well as deep knowledge of intercultural issues and group dynamics. 
• Experience and/or knowledge of at least one of the program areas we address, such as globalization, migration, language and culture, religion, the environment, education, and/or social work. BSW graduates are encouraged to apply.
• Ability to multitask.
• Strong knowledge of both Spanish and English. Strong speaking ability of both English and Spanish is necessary. Fluency is preferred, along with experience with at least basic interpreting from Spanish-English and vice versa.
• Initiative, flexibility, leadership, and strong intercultural and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience with taking photos and social media is preferred.
• Resident advisor experience or equivalent community-based living experience is preferred.
• Basic computer and organizational skills, as well as attention to detail.
• Experience in group facilitation, particularly of intercultural and/or diversity issues, preferred.
• Experience living in both the United States and Mexico is preferred.
• Preference given to alumni of Augsburg CGEE semester programs or similar study abroad programs in Latin America.

Application Instructions

and MUST submit the following documents:

• Resume
• A Cover Letter
• Three Professional References*

*When listing reference information, please use professional references (including one past or present supervisor).

Submit applications by March 15, 2026: where you will answer a few brief questions, and upload your resume, cover letter, and professional references. If you have any issues accessing or uploading your documents, please email globaled@augsburg.edu. Be sure to write “(Name) IRA Mexico Fellow Position” in the subject heading of your email.  

Augsburg University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national origin, familial status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status or public assistance status.

More About Us

About Augsburg University:  Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to more than 3,500 students of diverse backgrounds. The trademark of an Augsburg education is its emphasis on direct, personal experience. Guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.

About Augsburg CGEE:  Founded in 1982, the mission of the Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) at Augsburg University is to “provide cross-cultural educational opportunities in order to foster critical analysis of local and global conditions so that personal and systemic change occurs, leading to a more just and sustainable world.” The Cuernavaca, Mexico site offers three semester-long study abroad programs: 

• Communication and Media Studies: Migration and Social Change in Mexico (Fall)
• Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change (Fall and Spring)
• Social Work in a Latin American Context (Spring)

In addition, we offer four 3-week summer sessions focusing on Spanish language and social change, as well as a summer program for pre-med and other health care students. We also facilitate numerous short-term programs (1-2 weeks) throughout the year.  See for more information about program and course offerings.  

The post Now Hiring: International Resident Assistant (Mexico) appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

Final Reflection

This second half of the semester has been nothing short of eye-opening and grounded in collective care. Our excursions and conversations revealed different dimensions of struggle, identity, and resistance across Mexico City. We engaged with activists who discussed immigration patterns, community organizing, and efforts to protect vulnerable populations facing deportations, as well as speakers who addressed issues like state violence, the war on drugs, and social movements. Alongside these discussions, we encountered artists and cultural practitioners who shared their work and traditions, from Afro-descendant and Indigenous perspectives to feminist artistic expressions. Together, these experiences offered insights into how communities resist erasure, preserve memory, and assert identity, underscoring the transformative power of culture, activism, and collective care.

Coming from my perspective as a first-generation Mexican-American, these experiences resonated deeply. I saw connections between the struggles and resilience of communities in Mexico and the challenges faced by Mexican and Latinx communities in the United States, including my own family’s experiences with migration and systemic barriers. The focus on collective care, how communities support one another, preserve culture, and resist oppression, helped me understand that these struggles are not individual but shared, and that solidarity and mutual support are vital to survival and empowerment. Witnessing these forms of care and resistance firsthand expanded my sense of responsibility to my own community and strengthened my appreciation for the ways identity, memory, and culture are preserved across borders and generations.

The post Final Reflection on Migration and Social Change [Fall 2025 Student Post] appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

Final Reflection

Participating in the Decolonizing the Mind: Racial and Environmental Justice Program has been one of the defining experiences of my life. I arrived unsure of what to expect, but intentional about taking full advantage of every opportunity, and I truly did. I’ve never experienced such rapid growth in myself academically, mentally, spiritually, and as a developing actor in the social-justice sphere. This program has been an almost uncannily perfect fit for who I am and who I’m becoming.

What made the program especially powerful was its well-roundedness. We engaged with people from a wide range of identities, ideologies, and lived experiences; some I liked more than others. But even in moments of disagreement, I found myself growing. The space for open dialogue allowed me to sharpen my thinking, challenge my assumptions, and recognize the value in perspectives that complicate my own. The staff also was crucial to fostering a productive and respectful dialogue. They always provided further insights, understanding, and let us form our own conclusions.

The experiential learning transformed the way I understand knowledge. Instead of memorizing facts I’d likely forget after an exam, which I now know is rooted in colonialism, I engaged directly with the people whose lives are intertwined with the histories we studied, and incorporated more indigenous knowledge systems. Meeting liberation fighters, lawyers, politicians, historians, and resilient survivors made the material feel real and urgent. Asking them questions helped me situate what we learned within my own context and pushed me intellectually far beyond what traditional academic spaces allow.

There was also a thoughtful balance between academic rigor and fun. The excursions weren’t just touristy explorations, they also gave our learning emotional texture, grounding the heaviness of the subject matter with shared experiences, laughter, and community.

This program confronted many of the assumptions I had absorbed from the colonial systems that shaped my upbringing. The two lessons struck the deepest: colonialism robs authenticity from everyone, and true commitment requires sacrifice, a question I now continually ask myself.

In this environment, I found space for genuine self-discovery, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.

The post Final Reflection on Decolonizing the Mind [Fall 2025 Student Post] appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

What is IEW? A joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education that celebrates the transformative benefits of international exchange worldwide—a mission perfectly embodied by our panelists!

The dynamic event was hosted by Sarah Morgan, Study Abroad and Away Advisor (CGEE), and featured six remarkable panelists: four current Augsburg students (including two international students) and two distinguished faculty members. Each shared their unique, powerful insights into how global experiences have fundamentally shaped their worldview and helped them develop an invaluable sense of community.

Meet the Panel of Global Auggies

The panel was rich with perspectives from students who traveled abroad and international students who brought the world to Augsburg:

• Everlyn Balvoa-Granda: An Augsburg student who gained hands-on experience by studying and interning abroad through CGEE’s program in .
• Aidan Wippich: An Augsburg student who broadened their academic horizons on an exchange program at .
• Yan Urrizalqui: A current international student from Spain, sharing her experience navigating life and academics in the U.S., and feeling welcomed by the Augsburg staff immediately upon arrival. 
• Tommy Maritan: A current international student from Italy, who offered his perspective on studying at Augsburg, and his experiences making friends in Minneapolis and connecting with staff and faculty to feel welcomed. 

Faculty: Bridging Global Gaps

Adding another layer of compelling experience, two faculty members reflected on their own journeys that started as international students in the U.S., demonstrating how their backgrounds enrich the classroom today:

• Bernardo Andrade: Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Augsburg, who grew up in Brazil before coming to the United States as an international student.
• Jayoung Koo: Associate Professor of Marketing at Augsburg, who grew up in South Korea before embarking on her journey to the United States as an international student.

The panel was a testament to the powerful exchange of ideas and the creation of community that happens when the world meets at Augsburg!

Auggies, are you interested in studying abroad? Head to the to begin your search.

International students, are you interested in studying at Augsburg University? Head to our International Admissions website to get started. 

The post International Panel Highlights Augsburg’s World Reach appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

We’re a little over halfway through the semester abroad here in Cuernavaca, and it has been nothing short of welcoming and warm. We’ve already visited so many places like Mexico City, Amatlán, and Tepoztlán, which have all been incredibly insightful. Each place has shown how different communities are united by the same goals of resistance, preserving their identities and those of their ancestors, and fighting for social justice.

Many of the topics we’ve explored include immigration, hearing people’s migration stories, learning about immigration in Mexico from other Latin American countries, and understanding what U.S. immigration policies look like, as well as LGBTTTQ+ visibility and feminicides in Mexico. It’s very powerful to hear these stories directly from the people who lived them because there is nothing more impactful than hearing their emotions, their memories, and how these experiences continue to shape their lives.

The stories about immigration especially resonate with me, coming from a Mexican household where both of my parents migrated to the U.S. at a very young age. It reminds me of the sacrifices they made so that I could have opportunities they didn’t, and hearing other people’s experiences gives me a deeper understanding of what that journey truly means. It’s easy to get caught in mindsets that limit how we see the world, but listening to the struggles, reasoning, and resilience of others and seeing how often they are treated as less than human really changes one’s perspective. These experiences have made me reflect more on my own family’s history and the challenges faced by many migrants who continue to seek better lives. Overall, this experience has made me feel even more proud of my intersecting identities and has helped me reconnect with my roots in a much deeper and more personal way.

The post Reconnecting with My Roots: A Mid-Semester Reflection appeared first on Center for Global Education and Experience.

Highlighting the Study Center of Augsburg CGEE in Cuernavaca, Mexico

Augsburg staff members Fátima Mendoza and Lucy Hardaker co-presented a session titled: “Bridging Barriers: Supporting Students in Non-Traditional Locations.”

The presentation focused on encouraging students to look beyond Western European destinations (such as Barcelona and London) and instead explore high-impact experiences like the one offered at Augsburg’s own Mexico Study Center. The presentation highlighted on three unique perspectives, including:

• Ethical Advising and Marketing strategies for promoting programs in Latin America and Africa; from the point-of-view of advisors & US-based staff.
• The incredible on-the-ground student experience in Mexico; from the point-of-view of on-site staff in Mexico.
• The significant impact of the Mexico Study Center on the careers and life trajectories of alumni; from the point-of-view of alumni themselves.

The session was powerfully enhanced by two Augsburg students and recent Mexico study abroad alumni who shared their personal testimonials: Diana Reyes ’26 and John Reuss ’23 and MAT ’26. Their stories brought to life the transformative value of choosing a global learning experience outside of the conventional.

This successful presentation underscores Augsburg’s commitment to providing students with meaningful study abroad opportunities that truly broaden their horizons and enhance career readiness post-graduation.

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