Buenas! My name is Alexandra (Ali) Philbrick. I am currently a candidate for a MA in International Education Management at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. I attended undergraduate school at Fairleigh Dickinson University just outside of New York City.  A globally conscientious school, FDU gave me my first real taste and appreciation for cultural differences.  Persuaded by my new encounters with international students and a highly internationalized campus, I left the country for the first time to study abroad at the age of 19. The experience turned out to be one of the most inspirational and influential periods of my life. It ignited my desire to explore the world and highlighted the importance of a multicultural competency. I returned from England a changed person and began exploring Latin America. Three consecutive summers in Costa Rica led me WorldTeach Panama. What started out as a 6 month volunteer commitment quickly became everyday life, and when my obligations were completed, I couldn’t bring myself to return to the states. I had fallen in love with the country, the culture, the people, the traditions, and my job as an educator. Another year in Panama and countless incomparable experiences brought me back to the US with the aspiration to study International Education and development in Latin America.

My study abroad experience planted the seed for my cultural curiosity, but my time in Panama is when it really blossomed.  Not only did I learn how to be an educator, I learned about living in a culture wildly different from my own. I learned more drastically about socio-economic differences and I saw first hand many of the issues that the developing world is facing today.

I believe that education is the solution to so many of the world’s problems. Diversity, access and equity issues in education, especially in developing countries, are issues that prohibit mobility and impede the idea of a globally competent community. Political corruption, poverty, violence and social stratification are just a few issues that can be improved through education. I believe that my time at MIIS will help me become a leader in the international education field  as an advocate for exchange as a means to address these important development issues.

My current position as a Program Manager at GirlSportWorks in Cusco, is a step in the right direction! Read more about the organization, my position and the projects I am currently working on here.

Thanks for stopping by my site! I would love to hear from you with any comments or questions!

Abrazos