Скачать или смотреть Generation Study Abroad Voices Video Challenge Highlights | Winner Colette Ghunim

Congratulations to Colette Ghunim, winner of the IIE and the New York Times in Education Generation Study Abroad Video Contest!

Here's Colette's story: "While studying at Northwestern University, I decided to spend my entire junior year at the American University in Cairo in Egypt. From August 2012 to August 2013, I used a Gilman Scholarship to fund my studies . While there, I was connected with Reach the World, an organization providing a global education resource to youth in the United States. I acted as a travel correspondent and created videos for a third grade classroom in New York, conducting Skype calls about what I was learning and experiencing in Egypt. By engaging with youth that were eager to learn about the region and culture, I was also forced to reflect on my study abroad experience on a much deeper level.

This experience of living in Egypt for one year transformed my core beliefs and life perspectives. I realized there is no one correct way to live, and that I can never judge people that I assume to be “different”. Egyptians were some of the kindest people I had ever met. Their ability to be so welcoming and generous towards people they had just met really left an imprint on how I now treat others.

While in Egypt, I had unfortunately heard several stories and experienced sexual harassment, and for that reason, I returned to Cairo two weeks after graduating to start working on a documentary called “The People’s Girls” with my friend and photographer, Tinne Van Loon. The United Nations reports 99% of Egyptian women have faced some form of sexual harassment, and 65% of women here, in the United States experience it daily.

We recently finished post-production for the documentary, and we are planning to host screenings internationally. Tinne and I are also in the process of submitting the documentary to international film festivals. “The People’s Girls” is meant to serve as a catalyst to spark discussion, challenge perspectives on who is to blame and explore how to fight harassment."

Learn more about IIE's Generation Study Abroad initiative by visiting www.iie.org/generationstudyabroad