Anna Cloonan is considering a career in diplomacy or NGO service.
Anna Cloonan developed a wider perspective as a Creighton University Global Scholar.
The Indiana-born Coloradan is earning a major in international relations and a minor in cultural anthropology, two disciplines that reflect her profound interest in the wider world and the people who inhabit it.
“Because I had the great privilege of being a part of the Global Scholars Program, I aspire to and plan on pursuing a career in which I work abroad doing diplomacy work or working through an NGO,” Cloonan says.
The Global Scholars Program is designed to blend international study and travel into a four-year curriculum aimed at building global citizens.
Students live and study among a variety of cultures and people, study languages, complete specialized coursework and research, and participate in internships while experiencing the unique social and service life of each location.
Cloonan traveled to Sydney, Australia, during her freshman year as a Global Scholar, and then to the Dominican Republic in the summer of her sophomore year.
“In Australia, I volunteered at two sites called Our Big Kitchen and Two Wolves,” she says. “It was through those experiences that I met remarkable people, some of whom I still contact today, and gained an appreciation for service.
“I was also a full-time student at the University of Sydney where I was introduced to the Australian university system, which challenged me and helped me grow academically.
“In both Australia and the Dominican Republic, I gained so much experiential knowledge that helped me understand the world around me, which I was not familiar with while living in the United States.”