It’s the first day of spring break, and 20 U-M students are scurrying across the Detroit airport. They’re about to set off for a week-long excursion of professional development as part of the pilot Global Career Launch program. A WhatsApp group is pinging with frantic excitement, practically jumping off screens. For many of these London-bound students, this is their first flight. They don’t know what’s ahead, but it feels like the start of something big.
The program began in the States with intensive in-person classes, which involved students learning about personal branding, self-leadership, and the basics of networking. The curriculum, shaped by PICS Lecturer Tina Sula, focused on storytelling, speaking to personal brand, and enhancing professional presence. In the words of Sula, “networking isn’t about who you know, it's about who knows you.”
As far as programming is concerned, Global Engagement Project Manager Janelle Pangilinan has been the mastermind pulling everything together. Between logistical coordination and outlining the structure of the program, there’s been no shortage of things to do. But as a first-generation student herself who studied abroad and organized another short-term immersion program at a different institution, both in London, she feels a particular passion for seeing this initiative take off.
The course, launched by the Office of the Provost and organized by Pangilinan, with support from Associate Vice Provost for International Engagement Amy Carey and Global Engagement Project Assistant Manager Aileen Ash, aimed to address the global and civic engagement impact area established in Autumn 2024 as part of the “Year of Global Engagement.”
The Global Engagement Team’s goal was for this pilot program to be small but high-impact. They set out by learning from other institutions that run similar programs, such as Ohio State University, Washington State University, and the University of Kentucky. Funded by the President's Office for the inaugural phase, they established the course’s mission: career readiness. The intended participants? First and second year first-generation students.
"With this program, we wanted to give students a chance to take what they learned in the classroom and apply it on an international stage,” said Amy Carey, associate vice provost for international engagement. “By traveling to a global city like London, students can truly expand their horizons and build the cross-cultural skills necessary in today's global workforce. Our goal is for them to return home with the start of a global network and the self-assurance to stand out in any room—giving them the confidence to pursue even more international experiences throughout their careers."
With initial planning underway, the Global Engagement Team began accepting applications for the one-credit course, which included a fully-funded international experience. Open to U-M Ann Arbor and U-M Dearborn students of all fields of study, 169 applicants applied. It was a highly competitive process with only 20 slots open, but the team felt the cohort that came together complemented one another in a well-orchestrated way.
As for the location, London was a no-brainer. There’s a strong alumni network of approximately 1,500 people, no language barrier, short flight, and a diverse global hub. Most exciting of all, the UK offers a High Potential Individual (HPI) visa for graduates of U-M. This means that alumni can move to the UK for up to two years without needing sponsorship from an employer.
The Alumni Association and the Office of University Development’s International Giving team worked with Global Engagement to make alumni connections and coordinate site visits. Their detailed data and trusted relationships made it possible to translate big ideas into action. True to the spirit of networking, relationship-building wasn’t just a theme of the program; it shaped every step of the planning process.
Upon landing, the cohort hit the ground running. The week consisted of Q&A sessions, office tours, informal networking opportunities, and local excursions. A few visits included the Kaufman Group Insurance Company and Lloyd’s of London; Neal’s Yard Dairy, a British and Irish cheese company that partners with ethical farmers to produce dairy products; Bank of America; and Google. With confidence-building being a core goal of the program, student leaders were assigned each day to navigate to meetings and tours and introduce the group. Each student also conducted two informational interviews with alumni. The week culminated in an alumni reception at the Royal Ocean Racing Club, attended by LSA Dean Rosario Ceballo, who met with the participants and expressed her commitment to first-generation students.
First-year pre-med student, Rima Patel, described her experience by saying, “What once felt intimidating quickly turned into genuine, comfortable conversations. I realized that connection doesn’t come from titles or achievements, but from shared experiences, whether that’s navigating college, facing uncertainty, or figuring things out along the way…Beyond networking, this trip pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, ask meaningful questions that I may have been too afraid to ask, and think more intentionally about my future.”
The global aspect is a unique and vibrant feature of this program. Sula and the Global Engagement Team want to challenge the idea that traveling abroad may be an extra, unnecessary, or costly endeavor. “Our values aren’t real unless they’re tested. Being in a different culture allows you to test your values, learn who you are, and build trust in yourself,” says Sula. ”It’s important for students to ask themselves, how can I show up in the world as my truest self?” To learn more about Sula’s networking ideology, you can view her recent TEDx talk, Do you have a networking mindset?
As the week went on, student participants felt their confidence growing. Networking can feel unapproachable, especially when not in your home turf. But the cohort had learned to enter interactions with an open-minded curiosity. Upon their return, students reported that they had a better understanding of themselves, built a community with one another and alumni, and held a firmer grasp of the global career paths available to them.
For anyone looking to go abroad, Pangilinan would like to offer the first step: lean into that feeling. Then take action. U-M offers a plethora of resources for students of all majors and levels. A few resources to start with from the Global Engagement Team include Go Blue Go Abroad, a three-part workshop and scholarship; Passport Day, which covers the cost of obtaining a passport; and the First-Generation Education Abroad Scholarship. And, of course, the Program in International & Comparative Studies offers a variety of financial awards to go abroad. The International Institute also provides several funding awards for research abroad, international internships, and the study of less commonly taught languages.
The Global Career Launch Program will be offered again next year, thanks to a generous donor. The team hopes to expand the course to include other cities and sections in the future, but for now, they’re in the ideation stage. The team believes going abroad is a life-changing experience for anyone with even an inkling of desire, as global confidence transcends into other aspects of personal and professional development. An application open date has not been announced, but interested students should keep an eye on M-Compass in the early fall semester.
All images and video content included in this article are credited to Nolan Bona
