The ELI Student Spotlight series is designed to honor students who demonstrates outstanding commitment and enthusiasm in ELI courses. 

Meet Egle Klekere! Egle was nominated by Professor Kathrine Colpaert for her work in ELI 534: Discussion and Oral Argumentation. Professor Colpaert wrote, "Egle has not only demonstrated excellent discussion skills in our course, but she has also proven to be a skilled leader by stepping up as a discussion facilitator and excelling in the role. She makes her peers feel included and heard by continuously seeking their opinions using various strategies that go beyond language and communication skills; it is clear that she also genuinely wants to see her classmates succeed and learn about their different perspectives and cultures. She is an example to us all for how we can be more mindful and inclusive in our interactions with those around us who come from different backgrounds." 

Name: Egle Klekere

Hometown: Riga, Latvia

Degree Program: Master of Public Affairs

What inspired you to take a class at the English Language Institute? I have always valued high the power of communication. As a public policy student, I genuinely believe that ability to express and defend your ideas is essential to lead positive change. I applied for the Discussion and Oral Argumentation class to practice different rhetorical strategies and discussion formats as well as get to now graduate students from other programs around the University of Michigan.

What have you enjoyed the most about your class? Why? I enjoyed how hands-on this class was. In every single lecture, professor Katherine Colpaert shared worthy recommendations for public speaking and academic discussions. We had plenty of opportunities to practice, and the diversity of the group - people from many different countries and academical fields - made our conversations especially rich and educational.

What do you hope to do after graduating from Michigan? After completing MPA, I will continue to develop my consulting company, as well as new ideas in the areas of regtech and fintech.

What advice would you give to other international students at U-M? Be socially active, choose classes, meet students, and attend events not only in your faculty but all around the University of Michigan. It makes the experience here in Ann Arbor even more exciting and inspiring.