By: Maria Llorens
FSU students don’t have to be International Affairs majors to prove that they have global ambitions. Undergraduate or graduate students looking to expand their cultural horizons academically and professionally can turn to the Global Pathways Certificate (GPC) program.
This recent initiative, begun in 2008, gives students the opportunity to track their multicultural experiences in a useful and organized manner.
“The program was created to recognize and encourage students to become global citizens while taking advantage of existing on-campus activities and opportunities abroad,” said Dr. Cadence Kidwell, director of the program.
Students of any major are encouraged to participate, especially those from academic tracks that don’t contain a multicultural component.
The certificate can be pursued at any time, though Dr. Kidwell encourages students to begin as early as possible. “We’d like to see students as early as freshmen year in order to help them complete the requirements and select electives,” Dr. Kidwell said.
Certificate-seekers begin by choosing from one of eleven themes, including Women’s Studies, International Business and Global Hunger.
“I chose to participate because I wanted to learn more about other countries and their cultures, politics, etc.,” said Tabinda Syed, an FSU senior. The GPC is channeled towards that sort of learning in a way that I felt would be even more convenient, engaging and enjoyable than picking up a second major geared towards that.”

The program requires students to take four courses related to their theme, study a language, participate in either a study abroad program or an on-campus sustained cross-cultural experience, and participate in eight relevant on-campus activities and events.
The final component required to complete the certificate is a synthesis and reflection project, usually an essay, which pushes students to articulate their experiences.
Dr. Kidwell said the Global Pathways Certificate is “inspired by other colleges but is unique. Learning is outcome-based and inclusive of many student experiences.”
Completion can be retroactive, since students who are farther along their academic career are allowed to submit work done prior to joining the program officially.
“The program makes completing the various requirements accessible with the approved course list and upcoming campus events,” said Kelsey Gilbert, an FSU senior.
One such event, “The International Coffee Hour,” is held every Friday afternoon in the Center for Global Engagement, and local FSU students can meet and chat with international students over snacks and coffee. “Had it not been for the GPC,” Gilbert said, “I wouldn’t have gone to events such as the ‘More Alike than Different Dinner’ with the Middle East Peace Association and ‘Bollywood Bash: an Indian Cultural Showcase.’”
The GPC also offers “International Exchanges,” which allow students to study abroad at select international universities while paying FSU tuition, as if they were on-campus. Dr. Kidwell emphasizes that the program seeks to offer students multicultural perspectives without expensive fees.
One of Dr. Kidwell’s goals for students who complete the certificate is to have them achieve comparable levels of “intercultural sensitivity, regardless of where they start.” This new awareness is helpful on-campus as well, not only abroad.

“The programs I’ve participated in involved working with international students, and I’ve realized how their outstanding work and research is drastically underrepresented,” said Student Body President Dustin Daniels, an FSU senior.
The tangible result for all students is an additional academic credential, which appears on a student’s transcript, and “can be a great opener in job interviews because it is specific to FSU and generally unknown,” said Dr. Kidwell.
There are also personally and professionally fulfilling results.
“After I graduate, I want to work in an international setting, particularly in the realm of international law and human rights, and the GPC human rights track complements my interests and goals perfectly,” said Mary Correia, an FSU junior.
“The Global Pathways Certificate indicates on graduate school and job applications that a student possesses diverse perspectives, adaptability to new situations, and an ability to work with different kinds of people,” said Carolyn Barringer, graduate assistant for Global Pathways.
More information on the Global Pathways Certificate program can be found at www.global.fsu.edu or on their Facebook page by searching for Global Pathways @ FSU.