Tag Archives: Salzburg Scholars

SJSU Salzburg Scholars Discuss Global Citizenship in Austria

Eve Allums, ’18 Political Science, took her first trip outside the United States this summer along with 16 other SJSU students who were selected as Salzburg Scholars this year. She and the other students attended the Global Citizenship Alliance Seminar in Salzburg, Austria, from June 9-16.

Allums said she first learned about the Salzburg Scholars program, in which SJSU students take a global citizenship course in the spring semester, attend a week-long summer seminar in Austria, and then work on a campus project the following year, when she was a freshman.

Her English 1A lecturer Jessy Goodman, ’14 MFA, incorporated global citizenship topics into her English 1A course. The lectures prompted Allums to switch her major to political science and to get involved with former Salzburg Scholars who created SJSU’s Cultural Showcase Event. Goodman herself was an SJSU Salzburg Scholar as a graduate student, and later served as a Fellow.

The SJSU Salzburg program was established in 2005 by Dr. William Reckmeyer, current program director, and Dr. Mark Novak, as a way to enhance the education of global citizens at SJSU. Since its inception, student scholars and faculty/staff fellows have participated as part of the Salzburg Global Seminar (now known as the Global Citizenship Alliance) each summer with a requirement to return to campus in the fall to work on a year-long project to promote global citizenship on campus.

Allums said the program cemented for her that she wants to pursue international law after she finishes her bachelor’s degree.

The program was honored as one of the “Top 10 Programs on Global Citizen Diplomacy,” in U.S. higher education in 2010 by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, NAFSA, and the U.S. State Department.

During the week-long seminar in Salzburg, SJSU students met with students from other U.S. universities to learn about global citizenship through topics such as refugees, economics, and the Holocaust.

Aaron Friedman, ’17 Marketing, said the part of the program that really struck him was the visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site and time with a speaker who survived the Holocaust.

“It shows how brutal history can be and how we need to keep talking about it so we don’t repeat it,” he said. “It was a very powerful example of how we really do need to remember history.”

During the week, the students divided into small groups to discuss some topics more in depth and made a presentation on the last day. Friedman’s group focused on ethnocentrism.

“It was interesting how we find ourselves classifying other people,” Friedman said. “There is ‘us’ and there is ‘them.’ Breaking away from these words helps us see the world from a more objective point of view.”

Allums’ group discussed refugees and came up with the concept of creating a support system called the “Beehive” where refugees would be able to connect with resources in their new homes for networking, job hunting and help with integrating into a new society.

“We want to make it a real thing,” Allums said, noting that a few of the students in her group were from SJSU and San Francisco State University. “We can start off small, but our ideas are to make it self-sustaining.”

The 2016-17 Salzburg Scholars also include:

Kristen Anderson, senior, College of Social Sciences

Celina Cesena, graduate student, Connie L. Lurie College of Education

Raissa Chiri-Zarzosa, senior, College of Social Sciences

Taylor Colunga, graduate student, Connie L. Lurie College of Education

Grecia Cuellar, junior, Lucas College and Graduate School of Business

Shriel Deogracias, junior, College of Social Sciences

Brandon Do, junior, College of Applied Sciences and Arts

Yen Huynh, freshman, College of Science

Jatinder Kaur, senior, Lucas College and Graduate School of Business

Sabrina Leung, junior, Lucas College and Graduate School of Business

Adriana Muratalla-Morales, junior, College of Humanities and the Arts

Nyantara Narasimhan, junior, College of Applied Sciences and Arts

Tony Nguyen, Lucas College and Graduate School of Business

Lisa Ruder, junior, College of Social Sciences

Matthew Vella, senior, College of Humanities and the Arts

Two Salzburg Scholars Named as Outstanding Seniors

Erin Enguero and Anna Santana are the recipients of SJSU’s 2016 Outstanding Graduating Senior Awards  in recognition of their scholarship and contributions to the community. Both will be recognized at Commencement, beginning at 9:30 a.m. May 28 in Spartan Stadium. Read about the Outstanding Thesis Award recipient Amanda Feldman.

Erin Enguero

Erin Enguero (photo by Inderpal Kaur)

Erin Enguero (photo by Inderpal Kaur)

Since age 11, having a hearing loss has influenced how Enguero identifies herself academically and socially. She has evolved from a self-described “cautious pre-teen to an ambitious young woman striving for excellence” in her educational and community endeavors.

Carrying a 3.796 GPA, she has earned numerous scholarships and has been recognized as a CSU Trustee Award winner, SJSU Salzburg Scholar and 2016 American Kinesiology Association Undergraduate Scholar.

While Enguero’s hearing loss has taught her to adapt using her existing strengths, she says she is proud “not just for overcoming my disability, but for finding the courage to explore my identities as a student, leader and, ultimately, an agent of change.”

Enguero graduates in May with a bachelor’s in kinesiology. In fall 2016, she plans to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy at California State University, Fresno.

 

Anna Santana

Anna Santana with civil rights activist Dolores Huerta (courtesy of Anna Santana)

Anna Santana with civil rights activist Dolores Huerta (courtesy of Anna Santana)

At age six, Santana transferred schools three times in less than a year in search of a bilingual teacher. This daughter of former farmworkers says this was just part of the struggles that “have shaped my dreams and aspirations.”

Today, Santana advocates for the education of migrant families through the Apoyo Campesino project, which seeks to change a state regulation that forces students to move to a different school after each growing season ends.

In addition, Santana is the founder of the College Awareness Network, which has been integral in bringing students from marginalized schools to university campuses to promote a college-going culture.

A double major in sociology and Spanish, Santana will receive her bachelor’s degree in May. As a McNair Scholar, she maintains a 3.9 GPA and has been accepted to Stanford University for graduate school. Like Enguero, she is also an SJSU Salzburg Scholar and participated with the 2015 cohort.

Salzburg Scholars Connection

SJSU Salzburg Scholars have a history of achieving top accolades at San Jose State. See the list below of Outstanding Graduating Seniors, an SJSU Outstanding Thesis Award recipient and two CSU Outstanding Research Award recipients.

SJSU Outstanding Graduating Senior (highest recognition an undergraduate student can receive from SJSU)

  • 2016 | Erin Enguero (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2013)
  • 2016 | Anna Santana (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2015)
  • 2013 | Travis Lopez (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2012)
  • 2011 | Andrew Ingram (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2010)
  • 2011 | Mojgan Mohammadi (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2010)

SJSU Outstanding Thesis Award (highest recognition a graduate student can receive from the university)

  • 2015 | Sarah Aghazadeh (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2012)

CSU Outstanding Research Award (highest recognition a graduate student can receive from the CSU System)

  • 2015 | Mary Okin (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2013)
  • 2011 | Darci Arnold (SJSU Salzburg Fellow 2006)
CSU Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar
  • 2014-2015 | Mary Okin (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2013)
  • 2012-2013 | Sarah Aghazadeh (SJSU Salzburg Scholar 2012)

See the full list of current and former Salzburg Scholars.

Pat Lopes Harris contributed to this post.

SJSU Cultural Showcase Highlights Student Performers

More than 100 people attended the 2016 Third Annual SJSU Cultural Showcase in the Student Union Ballroom on April 21. The event was founded three years ago by a group of SJSU Salzburg Scholars upon their return from a summer global seminar. The students sought out a way to connect the diverse student performing groups on campus while also highlighting the multiculturalism of the campus community.

Student performers auditioned this year for a panel of judges consisting of professors, a student representative and a staff representative with expertise in dance, performing arts or cultural affairs. This year’s event featured Pride of the Pacific Islands, Grupo Folklorico Luna y Sol de SJSU, Akbayan SJSU and a solo performance by Shivangi Agarwal who danced to a traditional Indian welcome song. In addition, guest artists were invited to perform this year. They included Nyantara Narasimhan on violin and Arvind Bhamidipati on tabla drums, who performed a south Indian song, and Mariah Miller (known as Unique Praiz) who performed mime to a gospel song. Following the performance, guests were invited to mingle with the artists at a reception with cultural food.

Students Celebrate Culture at SJSU Showcase April 21

The Third Annual SJSU Cultural Showcase will be held Thursday, April 21, at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. The event will feature cultural performances followed by a reception. Tickets are on sale now: $3 with a student ID or $5 for the general public. The event was originally founded in 2014 by Salzburg Scholars. The students, who attended a Global Alliance Seminar in Salzburg in summer 2014, were charged with promoting global citizenship upon their return. They coordinated the planning and execution of the event in its first and second year. Below are some photos from the 2015 SJSU Cultural Showcase event, which featured dozens of performers, an art display and cultural foods.