Alec Koppes, Eunice Kwak, Rachel Beery, Craig Bossley (not pictured: Imnet Arega)
Meet the 2017-2018 GLI Executive Board
Imnet Arega
VP of Public Relations
Year: Senior
Major: Political Science
Minors: Organization Communication; English
Hometown: Metu, Ethiopia
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I speak 3 languages and enjoy exploring new things.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I believe it is crucial to be aware of the differences in the world and also the similarities because everyone is different and shaped by his/her experiences but when put under one umbrella, we are all the same.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
It will allow me to learn more about different cultures, strengthen my leadership abilities and give me the resources to be involved in more globally tailored tasks.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
Learning new cultures and increasing my global awareness.
Rachel Beery
VP of Membership Development
Year: Senior
Major: Geography and International Studies
Minors: Geographic Information Science; Spanish
Hometown: Chillicothe, Ohio
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy traveling, drinking coffee, eating lots of different foods, going for runs, and exploring nature. Last summer I interned at National Geographic with their education department. Currently, I work at the Columbus Zoo as a Camp-In Counselor and Animal Handler. I’ve held lots of baby animals but my favorite was a baby lion in Mexico.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Ohio State is an amazing university where peoples from all over the world come together from all over the world to study at this university. In this process amazing things happen where people interact every day and share their culture with others whether intentional or not. Through the mixing of cultures and ideas I believe this connection will solve many of the world’s issues. For me, I believe that if others are ignorant to an issue or don’t have empathy for an issue it is because they haven’t experienced or communicated with someone who has experience in this issue. With a more informed and open minded public the generation of students graduating from OSU will work all over the world spreading their ideas and knowledge to others.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
The whole mission of GLI is to develop future leaders that realize their role as a global citizen. Knowledge is what drives a person’s actions, and to me a leader is someone who acts on issues or conflicts that arise that they truly understand and care about. Furthermore, so far in GLI I am realizing more about others and about myself as I change and develop throughout college. GLI has given me skills I will need to be an informed, passionate, and fulfilling leader. Now on Executive Board for GLI, I look forward to sharing my experiences as a cohort member last year and assist all of the members in whatever they need to succeed this year.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
GLI energizes me to work hard and accomplish my goals. Some things I am most excited about are the monthly dinners where we will have the opportunity to network with very successful professionals, and I’m also really excited to see everyone in the GLI Fam every week, and creating social outings and activities to learn from one another and grow closer together.
Craig Bossley
VP of Marketing
Year: Third Year
Major: Human-Computer Interactions
Minors: Design; Chinese
Hometown: Floyds Knobs, Indiana
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I love thinking outside the box, asking hard questions, all things design, and have a soft spot for Taiwan and East Asian culture.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
From the Internet to air planes to trade pacts to big cities, the trend of technology and communication is from a world of isolated communities in adversity towards a cooperative global village in which every person is connected into being part of a bigger mutualistic ecosystem. With this mindset, it is important to involve every member of a big and diverse world in creating a welcoming places for those from other places and other ways of thinking.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
GLI has profoundly affected my mindset, interactions, and aspirations. Meeting and communicating with GLI members from cultures and lifestyles different from my own has inspired me to seek partnership and relations with those outside of my bubble and comfort zone. Working together through thick and thin over the course of a year truly humbles you to be a better communicator, team-player, and leader. Making new connections and hearing the viewpoints of prominent people in the global and Greater Columbus community always makes me rethink my own inhibitions, define my motivations, and broaden my horizons. Something I’ve learned is that for every one perspective and method, there are 2 more different ones just as equally worthy of attention.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I am excited to help in advertising and see the events planned by the cohort members come to fruition in the Spring semester. It’s always hard work but the results will be amazing and fulfilling!
Alec Koppes
VP of Projects
Year: Junior
Majors: Finance; Political Science
Hometown: Plain City, Ohio
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: I enjoy campaign work and exploring my surroundings with friends and family. I also played piano for 11 years, and my favorite show is “House of Cards.” Outside of GLI, I am on the Business Scholars Leadership Council and am a page for the Ohio House of Representatives.
Why is being globally minded important to you?
Being globally minded is crucial to understand the world we live in. We live in an inter-connected world where borders are increasingly becoming irrelevant. Thus understanding is necessary to be a true global citizen. Moreover, I have found more meaning in my life as I broaden my perspectives and horizons beyond my small world.
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I believe that it is the GLI cohort itself that will truly prepare me to be a future leader in the global community. The cohort is so diverse and unique, and I look forward to developing lasting relationships with all of the members. Of course, the project and the workshops are fantastic, but it’s the personal relationships with such a diverse group of people that makes GLI so special.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
The personal relationships that I will develop is what I truly look forward to. I’m also excited about the opportunity to develop a project around a theme of social equality that has become so special and so personal to me through my time at Ohio State. Putting this passion into action and change is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Eunice Kwak
VP of Communications
Year: Senior
Major: Health Sciences
Minor: Biology
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Interests/Hobbies/Any fun facts: Traveling, eating, camping, and spending time with my friends and family and my dogs. My favorite color is orange, and I prefer tea over coffee. Fun fact: I have lived in three different countries (Korea, Japan, US).
Why is being globally minded important to you?
I think with the influence of (social) media, the world is becoming more globalized. As globalization becomes more prevalent in our society, it is important to learn ways to work with people who are different than you are. I believe that this idea applies to Ohio State as well, as our campus continues to become more diverse, it is important that we learn to work together to make significant impacts on the community (big or small).
How does GLI prepare you to become a future leader in our global community?
I think GLI will help me learn about/from people who come from different backgrounds, and working with these people will help me grow as I go outside of my comfort zone. Through the development of the projects, GLI will help me become a better (global) leader. I am also looking forward to hearing from different speakers that are invited to our meetings and hoping to gain from them.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming year with GLI?
I’m really excited to meet fellow GLI members and the members of the eboard! And definitely looking forward to the food at the one and only faculty club!
Also be sure to meet our Program Advisor!
Megan McCarthy is the program manager for Global Engagement at The Ohio State University and received a B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in African Studies and Political Science before receiving her M.A. from OSU in African-American and African Studies.