Georgetown University Student Wins Second Annual Student Diplomat Essay Competition

NAFSA: Association of International Educators and Abroad View, the global education magazine for students, are pleased to announce the winner of the 2nd Annual Student Diplomat Essay Competition. More than 100 students from across the United States who recently participated in an undergraduate study abroad program submitted essays about how their experience changed them as individuals and as Americans, contributed to their global understanding, and helped to shape their world view.

This year’s winning essay is an insightful reflection on defining identity and building connections in a cultural divide between the Middle East and the United States. Hammad Bassam Hammad, the essay’s author, is from Livermore, CA, and currently a senior at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He writes, “I am Palestinian. And, I am American. Studying abroad allowed me to realize that while categories are created and only one box should be "checked," I do not have to fit anyone's definition of who I am. I essentially became an ambassador between the United States and the Arab world. I understand both places, speak English and Arabic, and being abroad helped me realize that I can connect both worlds.” The full text of the winning essay is available at www.nafsa.org/studentdiplomat.

Hammad, who studied in Cairo, Egypt, decided to enter the competition because he believes in the importance of study abroad. “I wish every American could have a chance to explore the complexities and excitement of living and learning in a different country, to explore the culture and diverse traditions of that country” he said. “Study abroad is a way of exploring both the world and oneself.”

“NAFSA and Abroad View are delighted to name Hammad this year’s Student Diplomat,” said Marlene M. Johnson, NAFSA’s Executive Director and CEO. “Through their study abroad experience, students like Hammad can offer a valuable face of the United States in their host cultures. They also return home with a strong foundation for global competence and cultural understanding and a commitment to furthering that understanding throughout their lives.”

Opinion polls reveal a strong consensus among Americans about the importance of international education programs in preparing the next generation for success in an interconnected world. Foreign policy leaders continually rate exchanges as one of our most valuable public diplomacy tools. Yet, currently, only about 1 percent of American college students study abroad each year. Of those students, few are minorities and most travel to Western Europe. The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, currently pending in Congress, aims to build greater bridges of cultural understanding with the world by supporting 1 million students from diverse backgrounds to study abroad throughout the world, with an emphasis on developing countries. The legislation has garnered strong bipartisan support in Congress, prompted thousands of letters to Capitol Hill urging its passage, and has the backing of dozens of higher education and international exchange organizations.

Additional Contacts:

Sherry Schwarz, Abroad View
802.442.4827