[{"id":132,"date":"2019-02-07T20:34:57","date_gmt":"2019-02-07T20:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=132"},"modified":"2019-02-07T20:34:57","modified_gmt":"2019-02-07T20:34:57","slug":"happy-2019-happy-spring-semester-begins%ef%bc%81","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2019\/02\/07\/happy-2019-happy-spring-semester-begins%ef%bc%81\/","title":{"rendered":"HAPPY 2019, happy spring semester begins\uff01"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am Duanduan Yuan, from China, the first Chinese fellow in the VCU Humphrey program.<\/p>\n

Every year, January\u2014the first month of the year, always presents something special, and something new. It is the sign of all beginnings and possesses the ability to see things both past and future. We, Humphrey fellows, also, started our second semester at VCU.<\/p>\n

New things come to us all this month.<\/p>\n

NIDA Drugs and Alcohol Week <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

First, three fellows including me successfully arranged the NIDA Drugs and Alcohol Week Event at our partner college, J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College.<\/p>\n

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week\u00ae links students with scientists and other experts to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens get from the internet, social media, TV, movies, music, or from friends. It was launched in 2010 by scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to stimulate educational events in communities so teens can learn what science has taught us about drug use and addiction.<\/p>\n

Thanks to all of those who participated in our event, especially the students there. College students make up one of the largest groups of drug abusers nationwide. There are many reasons college students turn to drugs. Starting out in college brings some natural social anxiety for many students.\u00a0And alcohol is nearly always present at house parties. It is very important we do more awareness education with college students.<\/p>\n

We are so grateful to have this opportunity to meet those students, who willing to learn that knowledge and helping others in the future. Some of them were very active and asked so many questions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kemp Spangler, one of our speaker shared his own addiction and recovery story with the students. He is a newly graduated students from VCU.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We all know, approximately 21 million Americans suffer from substance abuse, and an average of 175 people a day die from an overdose. Despite the growing epidemic, there\u2019s still a culture of silence around addiction and stigma surrounding drug and alcohol abuse. So we are grateful for people like Kemp, who can speak up and provide great hope for those still suffering. Even if students in that class do not have addiction problems, they surely know someone who needs support.<\/p>\n

We know, there is much talk about stigma as it pertains to mental health issues. But what our Humphrey here can contribute to break down the stigma and share the truth in the US and our home countries.<\/p>\n

Celebrating Chinese New Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chinese New Year is the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year. Every year is represented by a zodiac animal sign. 2019 is the year of pig. And Chinese New Year 2019 is February 5, 2019. The celebration lasts from the night before the first day of the lunar year until the Lantern Festival 15 days later.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was the first time I spent Chinese New Year without family members. But I treasure this unique experience very much with my US friends in Richmond. On January 24th<\/sup>, I took part in facilitating in the Chinese New Year Celebration at Reynolds College. And several fellows also came to the event. It was a great opportunity for me to share traditional Chinese culture to my US friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chinese New Year is the most important and longest of all Chinese festivals, celebrated in Chinese communities worldwide. I shared the story of spring festival on the stage and enjoyed Chinese classic music, songs, dance and Tai Chi with other fellows.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Wishing you all have good health, happiness, and success in the coming year and always!<\/p>\n

HAPPY 2019!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am Duanduan Yuan, from China, the first Chinese fellow in the VCU Humphrey program. Every year, January\u2014the first month of the year, always presents something special, and something new. It is the sign of all beginnings and possesses the ability to see things both past and future. We, Humphrey fellows, also, started our second […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":121,"date":"2018-12-14T21:29:54","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T21:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=121"},"modified":"2018-12-14T21:33:06","modified_gmt":"2018-12-14T21:33:06","slug":"our-november-started-the-best-way-possible-the-global-leadership-forum-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2018\/12\/14\/our-november-started-the-best-way-possible-the-global-leadership-forum-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Our November started the best way possible: The Global Leadership Forum 2018!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

We are 150 Humphrey voices from over 97 different countries spread in 13 Universities around the US. “Creating a Shared future” was the topic of 2018 GLF. The GLF lasted only four days, but it felt like a really long time, not just because of our very busy agenda but certainly, because it was a huge opportunity to meet new people and especially to listen and participate in so many different presentations and group discussions! Can you imagine the richness of 100 hours of conferences, meetings, and exchange to come up with a shared vision for our common\u00a0global challenges?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Cohorts from different areas of expertise presented about some of the emerging challenges in their fields of work. Our group chose to talk about one of the major challenges for the Substance Use area – Drug Trafficking. Hanan, Marcelo and I developed a presentation\u00a0focused on explaining the complexity of this theme nowadays! It was such a delightful moment! The interaction with the audience, full of experts in so many diverse areas, was the most amazing experience!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
On the other hand, another pearl of the GBL was the regional group discussions. Over 3 consecutive days, all of us\u00a0discussed our regions emerging challenges, proposing solutions for those. This gave us a unique opportunity to know and exchange with fellows from the same region in the world. My experience in the Latin America & Caribbean region was so exciting that the exchange of ideas resulted in the creation of a forum of discussion to be continued after the GBL!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The golden key was the U.S Departement of State Reception for all Humphrey Fellows at the Departement of State’s Benjamin Franklin Room! It was such a magical ambiance, only pictures can tell:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
Definitely, those moments and memories are going to inspire us forever! The GLF will remain as an experience that is going to shape our future, for sure!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Nicola Worcman<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are 150 Humphrey voices from over 97 different countries spread in 13 Universities around the US. “Creating a Shared future” was the topic of 2018 GLF. The GLF lasted only four days, but it felt like a really long time, not just because of our very busy agenda but certainly, because it was a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":117,"date":"2018-12-12T22:13:48","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T22:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=117"},"modified":"2018-12-12T22:13:48","modified_gmt":"2018-12-12T22:13:48","slug":"kindness-is-all-you-can-see-in-richmond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2018\/12\/12\/kindness-is-all-you-can-see-in-richmond\/","title":{"rendered":"kindness “is all you can see in Richmond “"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
kindness “is all you can see in Richmond “<\/div>\n
smiley faces, friendly gestures and a welcoming reception.<\/div>\n
this beautiful city with its high mountains and colorful Autumn season gives visitors a peaceful atmosphere.<\/div>\n
for me to be part of Richmond and especially to be part of\u00a0 VCU<\/div>\n
gives me a wider experience of life.<\/div>\n
VCU is the heart of the city of Richmond, it enriches you with knowledge and skills to continue a successful career.<\/div>\n
cozy study rooms, enormous library and research facilities,\u00a0 and of course friendly faces this is what makes VCU one of the best places to start your passion for learning.<\/div>\n
By Hanan Kharabshah<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

kindness “is all you can see in Richmond “ smiley faces, friendly gestures and a welcoming reception. this beautiful city with its high mountains and colorful Autumn season gives visitors a peaceful atmosphere. for me to be part of Richmond and especially to be part of\u00a0 VCU gives me a wider experience of life. VCU […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":112,"date":"2018-10-25T19:00:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T19:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=112"},"modified":"2018-10-25T19:00:35","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T19:00:35","slug":"time-for-a-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2018\/10\/25\/time-for-a-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"Time for a Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

A retreat to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond was organized for improving teamwork with the additional aim to make the Humphrey Fellows at Virginia Commonwealth University realize their competencies and better understand each other. As usual it was a short ride, however this time it was in the sports car of our coordinator Randy, for me, and two other fellows.<\/p>\n

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens are located in the outskirts of Richmond. They are renowned for their collection of plants and are considered as one of the top botanical gardens of the world. Apart from a wide variety of plant and tree collections, it also boasts of a butterfly enclosure housing beautiful butterflies.<\/p>\n

They have a treasure trove of information on vegetation found throughout the world and provide vital inputs to botanists and nature lovers. The gardens have beautiful surroundings with a lake which has been very well landscaped. There are play areas for children which makes it an interesting place where they learn about the plants and trees while playing and having fun.<\/p>\n

The restaurant and a garden shop also complete the picture by providing the people visiting the place with comforts. Our retreat was organized in a separate hall booked for the purpose.<\/p>\n

The assistant coordinator, Heather Ashton, gave us initial inputs and we started with various team building exercises planned by her.\u00a0 Activities were structured around how to plan as a team, assign roles to each member to achieve a successful outcome of the plans prepared together. It also gave an opportunity to understand the difficulties one faces in decision making as a team and how with collective planning better outcomes are possible. If there is a consensus on execution and the roles are properly assigned, each member will understand and contribute to the team goal.<\/p>\n

The next exercise concerned was interesting in the sense that three teams were formed and provided plastic and Styrofoam glasses, plates, and paper sheets, thereafter teams were asked to build stable towers so as to achieve maximum height. We thought that it was an easy task but then realized that the best of our abilities and imagination was required. As a team, we all were able to put up a good show, though only one of the teams won. The exercise was to foster a belief that when each team members ideas are consolidated, it leads to better planning and implementation of the plan. Constant adjustments and improvements to the original plan are required throughout the execution so as to improve performance, however, a poor plan can lead to failures and disappointments.<\/p>\n

The third exercise was to find whether we could improve as a team when faced with similar problems. When the process was done individually the scores were compared with a standard and then as a team consensus was achieved, final differences were calculated. The learning outcome here was that we need to decide on the best course of action and come to consensus quickly. So here too one of the teams could not complete the exercise and it gave a lesson that when being part of a team one has to learn to compromise and take the most prudent action or decision without procrastinating on the problem forever. On a lighter note, the exercise ended up with participants deciding whether a bottle of 160 proof of rum is important or a transistor radio, with most of us being proved wrong. In this exercise, it was apparent that decision making as a team improves, we also improved our understanding of the challenges involved in decision making in groups.<\/p>\n

Soon it was time for some lunch and refreshments and the restaurant at the botanical gardens provided the cuisine for a refreshing lunch.<\/p>\n

As the next session allowed us to further build upon our challenges and how we faced them while applying and coming for the Humphrey program, it became clearer that all of us had to make great effort sacrificing settled lifestyles and leaving behind our loved ones to come and participate in this program. It also gave us a solemn moment to dwell upon the fact that we need to make most of the opportunity, giving our best to expand our knowledge in chosen fields and also contribute fruitfully to various programs in our respective countries. The discussion then veered to what was the most noticeable departure that fellows had observed in the United States since their arrival. The feedback said it all, fellows had found different facets of life as something which they treated as strange and unlike their cultural and social practices back home. The freewheeling discussion ranged from the difference in the educational system, teaching methods in the US, and to why dogs are the favored pets in the US.<\/p>\n

The post-lunch session saw the coordinator taking over and getting feedback on improving the program and what information needs to be shared with the fellows before their departure from home countries. \u00a0We also discussed what modifications were required for sessions during orientation weeks after arriving in Richmond. A discussion followed on the utility of as to how the different orientation sessions were scheduled and \u00a0I can bet that so many different views were provided that coordinators were left scratching their heads while trying to make out what to do!!<\/p>\n

Overall it was a refreshing day for us to be nestled in between the picturesque surroundings of Lewis Ginter botanical gardens. As we traveled back I could see that we all had a memory to look upon in future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A retreat to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond was organized for improving teamwork with the additional aim to make the Humphrey Fellows at Virginia Commonwealth University realize their competencies and better understand each other. As usual it was a short ride, however this time it was in the sports car of our coordinator […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":79,"date":"2018-09-28T17:25:36","date_gmt":"2018-09-28T17:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=79"},"modified":"2018-10-25T18:45:55","modified_gmt":"2018-10-25T18:45:55","slug":"humphrey-fellowship-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2018\/09\/28\/humphrey-fellowship-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Humphrey Fellowship Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

And so, it begins\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 with an unexpected and wonderful airport welcome from my friendship family and James River Hiker Members.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The whirlwind journey begins the next day with a packed schedule of orientations, tours and all types of SHOPPING! Plus, we meet many kind and generous people who made it a very enjoyable experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The walking tour of the Monroe Campus and Environs with the happiest tour guide ever\u2026and his favorite shop.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Orientation at Dr. Balster\u2019s House…<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Everyone dress up, it is picture day!!!!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Walking tour of MCV Campus by Dr. Balster<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Seminar by the Governor of Virginia<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Visiting the State Capital Building<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hiking tour of the James River, next to downtown Richmond<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The great blue heron came out to say \u201cHello\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Going Nutsy at the baseball game<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Classes begin and the Adventure will continue\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And so, it begins\u2026 \u2026 with an unexpected and wonderful airport welcome from my friendship family and James River Hiker Members. The whirlwind journey begins the next day with a packed schedule of orientations, tours and all types of SHOPPING! Plus, we meet many kind and generous people who made it a very enjoyable experience. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":81,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":70,"date":"2018-01-30T17:51:26","date_gmt":"2018-01-30T17:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=70"},"modified":"2018-01-30T22:06:49","modified_gmt":"2018-01-30T22:06:49","slug":"life-as-a-humphrey-fellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2018\/01\/30\/life-as-a-humphrey-fellow\/","title":{"rendered":"Life as a Humphrey Fellow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My name is Alireza Bayat and I am a Humphrey Fellow from Iran.<\/p>\n

Being a part of the Humphrey Fellowship Program can be a good opportunity for anyone who wants to make a change in his\/her community. As a Humphrey Fellow, I\u2019ve had many new experiences. Each day I learn more about other people\u2019s lives. I\u2019ve meet new people from around the world. I am learning how people can be different, but they have many things in common as human beings. This perspective helps me to respect other people and understand how we can make peace in our world. Now I can say that I have many friends all from different countries with different languages and religions. I like them because they are my best friends.<\/p>\n

Also, as a participant in the Humphrey Fellowship Program, I have access to the best academic resources. I have participated in many different seminars, workshops, and field trips. During the seminars and workshops, we focus on evidence-based prevention programs, team work and develop leadership skills. I will also have the opportunity to take part in a professional affiliation as a Humphrey Fellow. During this time, I will work with an American organizations for 30 days. Of course, I am very excited for rest of my program because I have many plans for improving my skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  My name is Alireza Bayat and I am a Humphrey Fellow from Iran. Being a part of the Humphrey Fellowship Program can be a good opportunity for anyone who wants to make a change in his\/her community. As a Humphrey Fellow, I\u2019ve had many new experiences. Each day I learn more about other people\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":51,"date":"2017-12-19T21:40:45","date_gmt":"2017-12-19T21:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=51"},"modified":"2017-12-19T21:46:11","modified_gmt":"2017-12-19T21:46:11","slug":"america-the-other-side-of-coin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2017\/12\/19\/america-the-other-side-of-coin\/","title":{"rendered":"America: The other side of coin!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Being an exchange student was my dream since I read, \u201cJannat Kay Pattay,\u201d a novel by the Pakistani novelist, Nimra Ahmed, in which a girl got selected to go on a cultural exchange program. However, this current blog is actually from the lens of an international scholar. You may agree or disagree with my observations, as this is my fourth month as Humphrey fellow. So far my journey has been bumpy and yet I want to enjoy and experience more out of it. A few observations that I have made might be helpful to you and can serve as a guiding tool for students\/ professionals who are planning to be part of this journey in coming years, especially from Asia, and specifically, Pakistan or India. My observations can be categorized under individual, family and societal levels as a whole.<\/p>\n

One of the first things that you will observe while stepping your feet on US land, is that the airport staff are actually cooperative and it is opposite of your expectations. They will show you respect and your conversations will consist of polite and welcoming words without racism, in general. This may not be what you expected especially if you are Muslim. On your first day of this professional journey, you will be flooded by loads of information in terms of your professional goals, technology and American history respectively.\u00a0 And your jet lag will make you feel confused and you will have hard time catching up to the pace of the time table.<\/p>\n

Soon you will also realize that people seem to be very interested in helping you. They will help you to solve your query whether it is about banking or to apply for a university ID card, etc. Another thing that caught my attention was the working capacity of senior citizens. You will see them on historical tours as guides and they can even give long speeches… that is fabulous! They don\u2019t feel pity for themselves by working to a very old age. Americans have a high sense of responsibility, which is a collective phenomenon. Everyone follow rules and I have to give them a big round of applause for their civic sense. We were told by our country representatives, during our pre departure orientation class, that \u201ctime is money\u201d and never be late to an appointment. I have found it 101% true.<\/p>\n

As a part of my experiential learning, I have spent time with my friendship families. Recently they invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner with them and I witnessed 5 generations under one roof. That was wonderful feeling!<\/p>\n

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In terms of the typical family system in the U.S., the empty nest stage can be seen in abundance. Parents usually live alone and their offspring are living on their own far away from parents, usually in pursuit of education or creating their own family as a new phase of life. Whereas, I don\u2019t appreciate this part of American culture, in fact it makes me feel sad.. Another aspect that I see as a difference between cultures, is that every member of the family has to work and earn their bread and butter. Additionally, they don\u2019t feel shame doing odd jobs and I consider this a strength. They save money and believe in recycling but still a majority have difficulty discarding trash and they hoard too much in their homes. This is the culture of me, me and me, however, my cultural expectations are we, we and we and to make a healthy balance between these two extremes is a challenge. And, I got a classic answer during my Global Leadership Forum journey as one expert referred to an announcement during a flight \u201cif there is any landing emergency put mask on yourself first before helping others\u201d(LOL).<\/p>\n

There is a big emphasis on cleaning as a common phenomenon here. So, sanitizers and wet towels are available in places like gym, around campus and also at shopping or grocery stores like Kroger \ud83d\ude42 This will keep you safe from germs in US but it can put you at risk of slight immune-compromise while going back to your country if you don\u2019t practice such habits regularly. You will not see trash in public places and it\u2019s true for majority of states.<\/p>\n

One thing of paramount importance is the health care system, which is considered one of the best across the globe but remember, it\u2019s very expensive and hard to get an appointment. My advice is don\u2019t get sick and don\u2019t go to the emergency room!!!! One very considerable fact in terms of a new experience for me is the use of technology i.e. at grocery stores you are offered self-check outs, or similarly the use of online courses through the blackboard platform. You will receive 100s of email in a week and you have to respond to them immediately and that can be draining. You have to make hundreds of accounts for your sustainability. I recommend making a back up document with all accounts and passwords with codes to protect from theft.\u00a0 \u00a0This was an additional burden to me especially in early days and for those who don\u2019t use technology regularly. One drawback of using technology is the inability to focus on your desired goal as it also brings distraction.<\/p>\n

People are found to be less anxious while standing in line this might be because they trust the system. \u00a0You will also experience repair and maintenance to happen faster than in your country. I think the concept of volunteerism is a good one. Americans have high awareness regarding their own rights. Contrary to that, they choose to ignore this if someone needs help in public. Greetings are a common phenomenon and that can surprise you. At times you also feel a robotic greeting \u201cnice to meet to\u201d from every single person. General conversations don\u2019t go around and around, instead people are straight forward, so you may find them too blunt but that\u2019s their culture. This does not mean they are rude but at the same time their polite gesture doesn\u2019t mean they are in love with you J\u00a0 . Different dialects of English are prominent across states. You will even hear lot of abuse words on streets if you are in NY.<\/p>\n

Culture Shock is real! Yes, it is real!! Don\u2019t take it light. When you are tired of following timelines and you don\u2019t have your servants\/maids and you will not be able afford them here, it will catch up with you in the fall to winter time. One unique fact for Muslims is that when they don\u2019t hear \u2018Adhan\u2019 and forget to offer their prayers, it can be of high distress, if you are practicing Muslim and exhausting as well. \u00a0In order to keep things in balance, I found a solution, by downloading Muslim Pro, a<\/strong> free application which calls Adhan. Travelling across the US will offer you beautiful sights for photography and serenity but one thing you may notice is symmetry of the general structure in America, it can bring monotony in your life. \u00a0If you don\u2019t have good company and you choose to stay at home for online courses then you are not taking full advantage of this opportunity. So go and live a life and explore this land!<\/p>\n

Written by Rabia Hanif (Pakistan)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Humphrey Fellow 2017-18<\/strong><\/p>\n

Virginia Commonwealth University<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  \u00a0 Being an exchange student was my dream since I read, \u201cJannat Kay Pattay,\u201d a novel by the Pakistani novelist, Nimra Ahmed, in which a girl got selected to go on a cultural exchange program. However, this current blog is actually from the lens of an international scholar. You may agree or disagree with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":32,"date":"2017-10-19T21:38:17","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T21:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/?p=32"},"modified":"2017-12-20T15:14:39","modified_gmt":"2017-12-20T15:14:39","slug":"august-2017-humphrey-blog-by-zaira-zambelli-taveira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/2017\/10\/19\/august-2017-humphrey-blog-by-zaira-zambelli-taveira\/","title":{"rendered":"August 2017 Humphrey Blog by Zaira Zambelli Taveira"},"content":{"rendered":"

All the joy of receiving the news that we were selected for the Program and then finding out we were coming to VCU; All the arrangements we had to get done to be away for 10 months from our jobs, our homes, our countries; All the e-mails and paperwork concerning the documents needed to get us here; All the packing, all the farewells\u2026.And here we are!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So much excitement in our baggage and you also have to add curiosity considering this new experience. For some of us, the first time out of our countries. For others, the first time in the US. For all, the first time as fellows at VCU, living in Richmond.<\/p>\n

This is the beginning of our Fellowship Program, I could say. August is over. Orientation weeks ended last Saturday. Official pictures were taken. Classes started. Individual Program Plans being drawn up.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at what we\u2019ve done so far! To get settled in our apartments (except for Tram, who is moving to her place next week), we did a lot of shopping (I mean A LOT) for house utensils, personal items, phones, computers, groceries and so on. We do want to thank all the staff and also the volunteers involved!<\/p>\n

Additionally, we\u2019ve gotten to know about Richmond, VCU and, of course, the Humphrey Fellowship Program. And we had a welcome dinner at Bob\u2019s house that was super nice.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Heather is the new assistant coordinator of the Program. Welcome, Heather! We did find out that it was her birthday and arranged a surprise party!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Heather did planned a lot of cultural activities as well for these first weeks. We\u2019ve been to the Farmer\u2019s Market, the Canal Cruise, the Valentine, the Capitol Square, the Maymont Park (where we got to watch the solar eclipse), the Virginia Fine Arts Museum. So much fun!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And we also some community service got done.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We fellows had dinner together and got to know more about each other\u2019s personal background. We also had meetings with Randy to talk more about our goals and find our common interests.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We met our program advisors, faculty advisors and (most of us) our friendship families. Guidance and support are appreciated! The first gathering for the Cookie University was a success. Thanks, Dennis!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From my point of view, we are a great group: outstanding professionals, incredible people!Much more to come! Labor Day weekend is around the corner, even though our labor has just begun.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All the joy of receiving the news that we were selected for the Program and then finding out we were coming to VCU; All the arrangements we had to get done to be away for 10 months from our jobs, our homes, our countries; All the e-mails and paperwork concerning the documents needed to get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ashtonhr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]