Greetings from NAFSA Region IV! My name is Greg Wymer and I am the incoming Chair for our Region.  I wanted to take the opportunity to say hello and to encourage you all to continue to be active and engage in the Region. One of the things that makes Region IV stand out from the others is definitely the wonderful colleagues that we have. It has been noted numerous times by our colleagues at the National NAFSA office that our region is one of their favorites to visit because of the energy and enthusiasm we have in serving our students and constituents. Whether you are new to Region IV or you are a long time member, we welcome you to get involved.  Whether that be through our Network NAFSA listserv posts, NAFSA Academy, NAFSA Trainer Corp, Advocacy day, reporting trends through IssueNet or serving on the regional team, I would encourage you to connect and network through the many avenues that are provided at both the regional and national levels. Mark your calendars for October 26th – October 29th of 2020, as the regional conference will be held in Coralville Iowa… Coralville isn’t going to know what hit them as the regional conference promises to be both insightful and memorable.  This will be a great opportunity to network with new and old colleagues alike!

As a leadership team, we are looking forward to the upcoming year; we welcome you all to join us in our enthusiasm!

Advocacy Day 2020

In the spirit of International Education Week, what better way to promote the benefits of international education than by attending NAFSA’s Advocacy Day! Advocacy Day is a two-day event will be held in Washington, D.C. March 16-17, 2020. You will be briefed on the top international education issues NAFSA is advocating for and will be trained on how to discuss these issues with your elected officials. This is your chance to share the issues happening in your district, state and communities with your Representatives and Senators. It is also an excellent opportunity to network with international educators like yourself from all over the country. Last year this event SOLD OUT by the Early Bird deadline, so register soon! It would be great to have advocates from all the states in the region, as well as private and public universities, community colleges, and secondary schools represented this year.

If you are a current NAFSA member, you can also apply for a Travel Grant from Region IV! Travel grants will cover up to $1500 for your travel to D.C., hotel/lodging accommodations, and food not covered by NAFSA during the program. The travel grant is in the form of a reimbursement, however the registration is covered in advance if you are selected to receive the grant. Applications for travel grants are being accepted November 15, 2019 - December 15, 2019.

If you have questions about Advocacy Day or the Region IV Travel Grants, feel free to contact the Public Policy Representative, Desiree Waits, at dwaits@wustl.edu

Dear NAFSA Region IV!

Greetings from your soon-to-be Chair-Elect!  I am eager to join the team and follow Rebecca and Greg in the Chair Stream. I bring 25 years of experience in a variety of areas within international education to this leadership position. NAFSA, especially Region IV, has been invaluable to me throughout my career path.  From providing resources to networking with others in the field. From keeping up on policies and trends to advocating for international education (in all forms).  NAFSA has given me opportunities to learn and grow as a professional in the field. I want to ensure that NAFSA Region IV continues to be the go-to resource for international educators, continuing to provide direction and guidance in the work we do. Sometimes it is easy to feel that we are in this alone, however, we must remember that we have a strong, powerful organization and very committed members who are there alongside us. Together we can make a difference. I look forward to working alongside all of you in the next few years!

Sincerely,
Kimberly Gillette 

Region IV Spotlight:

IEM Representative: Rebecca Hanson

Institution: University of Iowa

How did you get interested in international education? 

Honestly, it was just luck that I entered into this life-changing field. I had just graduated from Iowa with a business marketing degree and took an entry-level position in "File' within the Admissions Office (back when applications were all on paper and needed to be maintained in revolving lektrievers!) A position opened for credential evaluation in a fairly new unit within the office called "Foreign Admissions." It was fascinating to see our first applications from Russia at that time!

What are your continued goals with the position? 

I would like those joining our field to have an understanding of NAFSA resources much sooner in their careers. Content and delivery of resources is always changing (in good ways), but can be daunting to keep up with unless we provide strong liaison support to feed those resources outward to busy members.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

Cappadocia in Turkey. Driving there was amazing and then getting there and seeing the unusual natural rock formations and staying in a cave hotel was magical. Not so good: Purse stolen in Bogota with my passport, phone, credit cards. Thank goodness for small group travel and not be alone when that happens.

What is something on your bucket list? 

Vacation travel throughout Northern Europe

Region IV Spotlight:

Hannah Olevson, Minnesota State Representative

Institution: Academic Programs International (API)

How did you get interested in international education? 

When I returned from studying in Spain I needed an outlet to talk about my experience. I decided to participate in API's alumni program (The Global Leadership Academy) and found that I loved helping others get abroad. When it was time for graduation and I needed a job, API happened to be growing. The rest is history!

What is your most memorable travel experience

Swimming in Cuba, rock climbing in Portugal and watching the sunset in Greece.

What is something on your bucket list? 

I would love to visit a USPS mailroom!