Hello, GSP Alumnx!
Welcome to the End-of-Spring 2025 Alumnx Newsletter! We're excited to provide you with highlights from this past term, spotlights on alumnx around the world, and exciting program updates. As our GSP Alumnx Network grows every year, we hope this newsletter will serve to keep you in touch with GSP's expanding alumnx community.
GSP Signature Events
This semester, GSP had the opportunity to spotlight the work of our first-years in their Collaborative Groups (CGs) with our international partners at the annual Global Engagement Symposium. We also hosted a retreat for our rising Peer Facilitators. Learn more about these two events below.
Global Engagement Symposium
This semester, we held our annual Global Engagement Symposium to spotlight the work done by GSP first years in their Collaborative Groups (CGs) throughout the school year. The event was informative and enriching, as students presented on their impactful work with partner NGOs and were able to learn about one another's group projects.
Thank you to our keynote speakers and GSP Alums, Gautam Korakavi (U-M '13) and Louis Albertini (U-M '13), for sharing your insights with our community.
GSP Gala 2025
This semester, our Signature Event Leads hosted our annual Spring Gala at the Rackham Assembly Hall, celebrating the year's end in the same room where we started with Welcome Orientation – a full circle moment! The event featured dancing, yummy food, and raffles. Students wore traditional cultural dress or semi-formal attire. What a fun way to celebrate all of the hard work and intercultural learning experiences that GSP students engaged in throughout this school year!
Additionally, we were excited to honor our graduating seniors, student employees, and GSP office staff. Thank you all for your contributions to our program!
Alumnx Spotlights
A few of our GSP alumnx share updates and meaningful GSP memories below. We enjoy featuring several members of our alumnx community each semester. Please look out for an email in the beginning of Fall 2025 if you are interested in being featured in our Alumnx Newsletter next semester!
This semester, some of our GSP professional staff had the chance to catch up with a group of alums who graduated in or around 2016 (see the photo below). Thank you so much to those who came out for a visit!
Evan Hall '23
- BS Biology, Health, and Society, Class of 2023
- GSP Community Member: 2022-2023
- Collaborative Group: High Atlas Foundation
After graduating from UM, Evan spent three months in Cape Town, South Africa researching and working in communities impacted by HIV. Now, Evan is completing a Masters in Global Health with a focus on Indigenous and Global Governance at the University of British Columbia. Evan will also be traveling to Gaborone, Botswana for the Princeton in Africa Fellowship to work for Baylor Botswana to support projects for HIV and adolescents.
As a GSP student, Evan learned how to dialogue with their peers on challenging issues, preparing them for a dynamic career in public health. Evan's advice for current GSP students is to take the opportunities offered to them through the program now, because you never know how they will help or support you in your future!
Malik Salman '23
- BS Interdisciplinary Physics, Class of 2023
- GSP Community Member and Peer Facilitator: 2020-2023
- Collaborative Group: We Help War Victims
Since graduating from UM, Malik has earned his Master's in Urban Data Science. He enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, exploring and learning about NYC, and has recently become an uncle!
As a resident at the International House, New York, Malik can continue to foster GSP's values alongside his peers. This is manifested in the events they organize and participate in. Some of his favorite events include Night of Nations and the weekly discussion of Fareed Zakaria's (an I-House trustee) Global Public Square on CNN. Malik's advice to current GSP students is that "there are so many potential permutations for your life trajectory. None of them are inherently right or wrong. And as long as you LIVE (Do something, every day! Say yes to things! Connect with community(ies)!), they all take you somewhere beautiful."
Student Spotlights
GSP celebrates our second cohort of GSP General Members – students who return to the program for a second or third year of membership without holding a leadership role. They take ALA 470 in the fall with Ashley, attend all Signature Events +3 additional community events per semester, and author a GSP Blog post at the end of each term.
Check out the latest publications:
Jia Hui Samantha Van's reflections on studying abroad in Ann Arbor and London in her piece, "Three Years, Two Cities, and One Grounding Community."
Sebastian Oliva and Thomas Nomura's co-authored piece, "Lessons in Silence," on their cultural orientations toward silence and how GSP expanded their understanding of its role in dialogue.
Winter 2025 Highlights
This semester, we had a wide array of opportunities for community engagement, globally focused learning, and cultural celebration here in Ann Arbor! Since January, the Residential Advisors planned 9 events, the Holiday and Tradition Leads hosted several activities, the Signature Event Leads held our annual Spring Gala, the Global Scholars Student Organization has met 15 times, and Nita and the Chai Chatter Ambassadors hosted 13 Chai Chatters as well. Learn more about some of these events and initiatives below.
Rising Peer Facilitator Retreat
We began this semester by hosting a retreat for our incoming, Fall 2025 Peer Facilitators! The Rising Peer Facilitator Retreat offered a chance for our incoming GSP student leaders to connect with office staff and junior and senior student leaders in the program. Students participated in teamwork and bonding activities, engaged in facilitation training sessions, and had fun together throughout the weekend.
Holiday and Tradition Leads
This semester, our Holiday and Tradition Leads hosted a variety of events related to different cultural celebrations, including hosting a screening of the movie "A World Without Thieves" in celebration of Lunar New Year, holding a heartwarming and reflective Iftar meal during Ramadan, and more!
Global Scholars Student Organization (GSSO)
This semester, the Global Scholars Student Organization (GSSO) held weekly meetings and hosted several events for members, many of which were focused on service and community engagement. Some highlights include making blankets for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor, hosting several cultural themed movie nights, and writing valentines for veterans.
Residential Advisors
This semester, our GSP RAs continued to promote wellness, connection, and fun within the GSP residence halls at North Quad. They hosted several engaging activities for students, including a Lunar New Year celebration and a fun Valentine's Day event at North Quad!
Ways to Give Back to GSP
Many alumnx have asked how they can support the GSP community. Here are some simple ways you can give back:
- Update or confirm your contact information with GSP. This form will also prompt you to share what kinds of alum events you'd like to see in the future.
- Share photos with us, either from your time in the program or of your post-grad activities! Not only do we love to hear from you, this helps us highlight our community members' enriching experiences of past and present for prospective students and supporters on social media.
- Email as a brief testimonial describing what GSP meant to you during and/or after your time at U-M. Help us demonstrate the value and impact of GSP in as little as 1 sentence, or more if you'd like!
- Donate to the Global Scholars Program Strategic Fund, which supports student leadership development and engaged learning opportunities for Global Scholars. In fact, this fund supported ALA 470 students' community organizing projects!
Join GSP on LinkedIn
Please request access to our revived GSP LinkedIn Group where our community shares opportunities for professional development, GSP program updates, and personal achievements in global awareness and travel. We would like to encourage you to ask your GSP friends to join the group if they have not already! Additionally, you can click on the icons below to follow us on other social media platforms or view the GSP Website.
