Hundreds of high school students gathered at the University of Nevada in Reno Tuesday to learn about opportunities to study in countries around the world. Northern Nevada International Center Executive Director Carina Black says the "Everything is Global" summit gives students a glimpse of the world outside of northern Nevada. "When you are in high school you can study abroad, when you are in college you can study abroad, when you are done with college, you can work abroad. That's the nature of the international world these days," Black said.
Students at the summit seem to recognize that the future will be different for them. McQueen freshman Cameron Cobb has already thought about studying abroad. "I want to go to China because Chinese is the most spoken language in the world. Over a billion people speak it and it would be a great way to connect with the rest of the world, especially for business," he said.
Galena High School senior Jessica Cohen has already been to Russia and eventually wants to work for the CIA. "I went to Russia because I applied for a scholarship through the State Department and it was fully paid for," she said.
Students also had a chance to learn about scholarship opportunities from people who've traveled before them. Misha Grenado was representing the Fulbright and Gilman international scholarships. "The opportunity to study abroad is amazing. I'm a Fulbright fellow and completed my fellowship in Barbados. So after I finished college I went to Barbados for a year and was able to study what I love; public health. And it absolutely transforms you," Granado explained.
And in our new global economy, it might prepare students for the jobs of the future. "Our companies are global. No matter whether it's McDonald's or International Game Technology or Tesla, so our workforce has to be prepared to work in a global economy," Black said.
Kids were able to meet international students and learn from others who've stepped out of their comfort zone. "It's a great experience. You get to go out there, learn new languages, learn about new cultures, meet new people and the memories last a lifetime," said Cohen.
Several speakers also told their stories of traveling, studying and working abroad. The NNIC hopes today's students will become the next generation of global leaders.
