The Global Fellows Program has helped me develop many of the soft skills that are often talked about in career development.

I built on my organizational communication skills with my team of Global Fellows throughout our efforts organizing Global Engagement Nights as well as cross-cultural communication skills through language partners and English Conversation Club. I’ve learned that communication must always come with a prerequisite of respect. And while communication implies talking and writing, I would argue that listening is sometimes the most important part of effective communication. As a Global Fellow, I’ve discovered when to center my voice in a conversation and when to take a step back.

Teamwork was especially relevant throughout the planning process for Global Engagement Nights. Distributing tasks according to individual strengths and bandwidth was central to the success of these events. Professionalism and technology skills were also essential to be flexible during the event and adapt to changing situations. For example, during our first trivia night, we had a higher turnout than expected. However, thanks to the diligence of our team, we were able to have a very enjoyable and successful night.

The NACE Competencies of a Career-Ready Workforce are far from separate from each other. Competencies like equity and inclusion are essential to incorporate into communication, teamwork, and leadership. Equity and inclusion in particular is a skill that is central to the Global Fellows Program. Centering this tenant of equity and inclusion was essential to build relationships, interact with meaningful conversation, and feel connected as a team and global Duke community.

I feel confident that the Global Fellows Program has pushed me to cultivate essential career competencies that I will continue to develop, refine, and apply throughout my Duke and professional careers.