As part of our Ambassador Program—a program in which 800 past students volunteer to share their study abroad exerience—we award the IES Abroad Ambassador of the Month title to two Ambassadors who show exceptional dedication to international education by taking part in a variety of outreach activities on campus and online.
Our July 2015 Ambassador of the Month awardees are Renata Leach (Sydney Direct Enrollment - Macquarie University , Spring 2014) and Julia Mastrangeli (Rome - Study Rome: Rome Language & Area Studies, Fall 2014). 
Renata Leach is currently a student at Texas Lutheran University, and works regularly with her study abroad office to promote education abroad opportunities. Renata has taken an active role in organizing several study abroad related events on her campus and in her community. She also enjoys attending study abroad fairs and other campus events where she can share her insights about life in Sydney. Renata has reached out through social media and email to further engage students considering studying abroad in Australia. You can learn more about Renata’s time abroad in her featured GoAbroad alumni interview here.
Renata says this about her work as an IES Abroad Ambassador, “It gives me the ability to share my experience abroad while helping other students who share the same passion of mine...I have been able to relive my experience studying abroad and I have also been able to expand and utilize my communication skills that will continue to help me in my future. I enjoy being an Ambassador because it fills my heart with happiness knowing that the students I get to help may or may not have thought about studying abroad before college, but knowing that they HAVE made the decision to go is amazing itself.”
Julia Mastrangeli works to promote study abroad on Purdue University’s campus through working as a peer advisor at her study abroad office, and attending study abroad fairs and events on campus. This past spring, Julia gave several presentations to Greek organizations and student groups at Purdue. Additionally, Julia has assisted with social media outreach and has emailed students from universities nationwide about international education.
In Julia’s words, “I enjoy being an Ambassador because I am able to inspire others to explore and study the world during their college years and beyond. Studying abroad in Rome gave me the opportunity to explore my heritage while simultaneously evoking a greater appreciation for cultural differences. As an Ambassador, I am able to share my global appreciation with other students seeking an unforgettable study abroad experience”
The IES Abroad Ambassador Program is designed to connect our future students with our past students. There are currently over 800 active Ambassadors representing the IES Abroad Consortium membership and our 120+ programs worldwide. Visit our IES Abroad Ambassadors page to learn more.
