Professors Pursue Foreign Affairs Opportunity for York Students

A group of faculty and staff at York College have successfully collaborated with a government agency to create opportunities for mentees to explore foreign service and enhance their college careers.

^{Dr. George White (left) and Dr. Robin Harper (right) collaborate with colleagues to create USAID foreign service experience in Columbia for York students.}

A group of faculty and staff at York College have successfully collaborated with a government agency to create opportunities for mentees to explore foreign service and enhance their college careers.

York College students competed to participate in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) collaborative project in Columbia. As a result, two Political Science students will join the USAID Colombia Nation Builders Project.

The students will serve as environmental subject matter experts to high school students in Columbia. They will also receive credit for participating in the program through independent study with Dr. Harper.

“This is an initiative started by Dean White,” said Harper. He is always looking for opportunities for our students. Over the years, “Michael (Sharpe) has had an ongoing relationship with bringing the USAID into the classroom each semester. Without this sustained effort, there might not [have been] a connection.”

The inaugural participants are students Kimani Taylor and Anuoluwapo Senbanjo. The students were chosen by Nation Builders, a non-profit organization, following the application process.

"I am so very excited that Kimani and Anu were selected to participate in this year's USAID/Nation Builders development project in Colombia,” said Dr. White. “These students will have the opportunity to collaborate with students to present real-world solutions and present that to government officials in the host nation and international agencies in Washington, DC.”

Dr. White added that students will be under the guidance of professionals in international development, ensuring a rich learning experience. They will be able to make contacts that can help them for a lifetime. “This is one way in which our college, by transforming the lives of our students, can transform the world," he said.

The students will make a formal presentation for a work-in-progress in December, followed by a final presentation that will discuss their program and their experiences in Colombia in May 2025.