This week, we are sadly saying goodbye to three of our employees: Abby Fowler, Bailey Shafer, and Ondrea Li. We are grateful for the time, hard work, and effort these three have put towards supporting international exchange!
Abby joined our team in May 2021 and has worked as the Communications Coordinator. She will be graduating from the University of Iowa with majors in International Studies with a business focus and Japanese Language and Literature, as well as earning a Museum Studies Certificate. Despite being an involved and dedicated student on campus, Abby cites Global Ties Iowa as the single-most impactful experience of her undergraduate career. “The experience allowed me to build a strong resume and network with people from around the world, many of which I still connect with today,” she said.
As the Communications Coordinator, Abby liked being challenged with a lot of responsibility that helped her to grow immensely as a professional. Some of Abby's favorite memories were developing friendships with everyone in the office and attending Coffee & Conversation with the first and only Japanese delegation we hosted during her tenure.
After graduating, Abby is off to Tokyo, Japan where she will do a six-week internship with Tokyo Broadcasting System's (TBS) Global Business Division. After her internship, she plans to travel around South Korea and Japan. Upon returning to the United States, Abby with be moving to Washington, D.C. to join the Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation as a Public Affairs Specialist.
Bailey, our Program Coordinator, joined our team in October 2021. She will be graduating as a double major in Finance and Accounting, as well as earning a minor in Spanish. Over her three years with us, she says it was incredible to witness the progress that our organization has made. Though she will no longer be in the office, Bailey is excited to see how Global Ties Iowa continues to grow after her departure!
Bailey credits Global Ties Iowa for significantly helping to improve her communication skills; she became a lot more comfortable networking and talking to new people, especially at the National Meeting in Washington, D.C. Some of Bailey's fondest memories are from our office, sitting and talking to everyone, sharing goals, plans, and dreams. “I feel like our crew is very inspiring in what they want to do in life, and it aligns with my desire to explore the world and do cool things,” she said.
Upon graduation, Bailey will be backpacking throughout Europe, visiting an impressive list of countries: France, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, and Greece. After returning, she will be studying for the final three sections of the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (CPA) exam. She will also start working at Padgett on tax and other bookkeeping tasks.
Ondrea worked as our Social Media and Storytelling Intern since May 2023 and will be taking the next year to study for the LSAT before graduating next year from the University of Iowa with majors in International Relations and Journalism. Throughout her time at Global Ties Iowa, Ondrea appreciated having the opportunity to explore working in communications and sharpening her writing and brand strategy skills.
Ondrea says she would strongly recommend a job at Global Ties Iowa to others, as Amy and the staff make it a positive environment to work in the organization and explore areas of interest. One of her favorite parts of working as the Social Media and Storytelling Intern was interacting with the delegations and having gatherings with the Global Ties Iowa community. Upon graduation, Ondrea plans on pursuing a future in law and this summer, she will be traveling to Seattle to visit Olympic Park.
We are so grateful for all the hard work and dedication our staff members gave during their time at Global Ties Iowa. We wish them all the best as they continue into their next chapter!
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