Sixteen student leaders of color have been selected for a fully funded leadership program in Ireland

PORTLAND, Maine, March 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, a fully funded international leadership program for students of color that is set in Ireland and focused on peace, social justice, and conflict resolution.

The 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows were selected from a record number of outstanding applicants based on their demonstrated leadership and communication skills, and their commitment to agitating for positive social change.

The Government of Ireland and student exchange provider USIT Ireland will co-sponsor the 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows in honor of the meeting between 27-year-old abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the great Irish reformer Daniel O'Connell in Dublin in 1845. While in Ireland, the Fellows will explore the life stories, leadership styles, and legacies of Frederick Douglass and Daniel O'Connell as they engage in a comparative study of peace and conflict resolution through the lens of Ireland, the Middle East, and South Africa.

The following high-achieving students were selected for this prestigious award:

• Audrey McNeal – Barnard College
• Luiza Vilanova – Columbia University
• Lauren Baker – Grand Canyon University
• Ryan Doan-Nguyen – Harvard University
• Nicolas Dominguez Carrero – Harvard University
• Tyler Smith – Howard University
• Shira Nash – Northwestern University
• Justin Babu – Providence College
• Jamal Sayid – Rice University
• Jahaad Shairi – Rochester Institute of Technology
• Masaki (Mark) Okuda – Soka University of America
• Kamayah Scruggs – Spelman College
• Disha Ganjegunte – Texas Tech University
• Brennan Connell – The New School
• Nicole Mora – UNC Chapel Hill
• Jhohanna Perez – University of Pennsylvania

You can hear from all 2022 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows in this video.

"The 2022 cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows is an extraordinary group of students, representing a rich diversity of backgrounds, universities, academic majors, and personal stories," said James P. Pellow, president and CEO of CIEE. "These leaders of tomorrow will be transformed through their experience in Ireland, as was Frederick Douglass in 1845, returning home with a global perspective on how to agitate peacefully for positive change in their communities and in our world."

"Ireland was so special to Frederick Douglass," said Nettie Washington Douglass, chairwoman and co-founder of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, and the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. "The welcome and respect with which Frederick was greeted across his tour of Ireland affected him profoundly. I can think of no better place for these exceptional young people to hone their leadership skills and prepare to be agents of change."

The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was launched in 2017 as part of CIEE's commitment to increasing access to study abroad by students in underrepresented groups. In addition to funding the 16 Fellows, CIEE will provide all 700+ students who applied for this year's fellowship a $1,500 Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant towards any CIEE study abroad program within the next year, committing more than one million dollars in grant funds to help diverse students study abroad.

The CIEE Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant has been matched by more than thirty college presidents who are champions of international education, reducing the cost of studying abroad even further for their students. CIEE is proud to partner with these global leaders to open doors for all students from all backgrounds and significantly increase diversity abroad.

To learn more about the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, visit ciee.org/FDGF.

About CIEE
CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. We help young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at ciee.org.

Media contact: Leslie Taylor, (207) 553-4274.

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SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)