Who are the Global Ambassadors and Dukes?
The Global Ambassadors and Global Dukes are the student voice of JMU Study Abroad! As study abroad alum (returnees), we are passionate about sharing global opportunities with the JMU community! Study abroad changed our lives in significant ways, so this is a way for us to give back and encourage others to go abroad. If there is anything we can do to help you prepare to leave for study abroad or return to campus, let us know and we will be happy to help.
Work with CGE!
Interested in helping other students study abroad?
We're hiring for two paid Global Ambassador positions and two paid Internships. See below for more information and links to apply.
Apply by 11:59 pm on Monday, April 7th to support the work of the Center for Global Engagement, gain leadership and professional experience, and encourage other students to study abroad throughout the 2025-2026 academic year.
Advising Assistant
Are you interested in advising students 1-on-1 to support them throughout the application process? In this 5 hour/week position, you'll hold regular office hours and host information sessions. Apply here.
Communications Intern
In this 10 hour/week position, you'll use your creative skills to promote study abroad while building your portfolio. Apply here.
Programs Intern
In this 12 hour/week position, you'll do it all - whether it's behind the scenes, event planning, or other programmatic support. It's a great resume builder perfect for a detail-orientated self-starter. Apply here.
Presentation Request
Would you like a Study Abroad presentation for your classroom, residence hall, or organization? The Global Ambassadors and Dukes will be glad to assist you! Email studyabroad@jmu.edu to get started.
What do we do?
As a team, we represent and promote study abroad at JMU. We assist the Study Abroad staff with events and programs throughout the school year. In addition to connecting with the JMU community, we advise prospective study abroad students and families throughout the application process program help prepare for their departure. We also host returnee events designed to reconnect study abroad alumni with friends from their program and workshops to help students leverage their experience on resumes and interviews.
Global Dukes are student volunteers who contribute to study abroad recruitment efforts and help with the smooth running of JMU Study Abroad events. Global Dukes often support specific programs or program directors, and help promote, recruit and educate within their academic departments and learning communities. Global Dukes volunteer for 5 hours per semester.
Global Ambassadors serve as paid student leaders who work with the study abroad professional staff and hold a specific assistantship, assigned to them based on their skill set, experience, and interest. Global Ambassadors lead our student volunteers, the Global Dukes, and oversee peer advising.
We are not currently accepting applications for Global Ambassador positions. Applications for Fall 2025 - Spring 2026 positions will open mid-March.
Volunteer as a Global Duke!
Was your study abroad experience transformative? Are you interested in sharing your experience with other students, growing as a professional, and working with a passionate team of study abroad returnees?
Attend our Global Dukes Orientation session this January! The session will be held at the Center for Global Enagement, Room 2001, 2nd floor Holland Yates Hall.
- 1:00pm-1:45pm, Wednesday, January 22, 2025
If you missed our training, please email studyabroad@jmu.edu for more information about how to get involved.
2025-2026 Global Ambassadors
Hana Mahyoub
Global Leadership: Spanish Intellectuals Honors Abroad in Salamanca, Spain - Summer 2024
Represented the U.S. at the INU International Student Conference in Bandung, Indonesia - Winter 2024
"My name is Hana Mahyoub, and I'm a junior Psychology major with minors in Arabic, Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations, and Honors! In summer 2024, I participated in the "Global Leadership: Spanish Intellectuals" honors abroad program in Salamanca, Spain. In January 2024, I also went to Bandung, Indonesia to represent the United States at the INU (International Network of Universities) International Student Conference. My hometown is Fairfax, Virginia.
As cliche as it sounds, my studies abroad have absolutely defined my JMU experience! Since none of the countries I've been to are primarily English-speaking, they taught me first and foremost what it means to be open-minded, fully immersed, and fully independent. Further, in my experience, it's the small moments that make a study abroad experience so irreplaceable: the friends, the conversations, and the "side quests!" My most vivid memory of Indonesia, for example, is a conversation with another student about what it's like being a religious minority in our countries-- her being a Christian in Indonesia, me being a Muslim in the United States. The world really is small, and the feeling of connection that comes from studying abroad is indescribable; both incredibly grounding and freeing."
Email: mahyouhs@dukes.jmu.edu
Tyler Paulin
Japan: Art & Business Culture - Summer 2023
Dominican Republic: Global Service Learning - Spring Break 2024
Japan: JMU in Kyoto and Tokyo - Summer 2025
“My name is Tyler Paulin, and I’m a Senior International Affairs major with minors in Political Science and Asian Studies. I was born and raised in Richmond, VA. I’ve been blessed with the ability and opportunity to study abroad three times over the course of my tenure at JMU. If there’s anything that I’ve learned from studying abroad, it's that embracing change in life can be scary but it’s necessary to mature into the person you're growing up to be. A big part of college is finding out what you want to do and who you want to be. Being abroad has seriously helped me to find new goals and aspirations. Immersion in Japanese culture and language created a love for travel and international relations, while also helping me become an independent individual, being that I was 7000 miles away from home. My abroad experience in the Dominican Republic helped to realize my passion for hands-on service work, which I have been able to bring back home with me to Harrisonburg in another organization I am a part of. If I could give a piece of advice to anyone going abroad: be adventurous and try new things. It isn’t every day that you get to explore a new part of the world, so be present and live in the moment!”
Email: paulintj@dukes.jmu.edu
Caroline Messier
Semester in London - Spring 2025
"Hi everyone! My name is Caroline Messier, and I am a Senior Communications major with a minor in British Communications and Media. After graduation, I plan to become an elementary school guidance counselor. I'm from Chantilly, Virginia and in the spring of 2025, I had the incredible privilege of spending three months living and studying in the heart of London. This experience completely transformed and defined my college journey. My whole life, I always knew that I wanted to study abroad but was nervous about being away in another country for so long. As soon as I touched down in Heathrow, I knew that this was where I was meant to be. Living in the center of London allowed me to experience so many daily adventures such as meeting new people from all around the world, drinking lots of cider and hopping on the Underground to visit so many surrounding historical sights. Some of my favorite parts of the semester were the outings and weekend trips planned by the program to encourage us to truly experience the city and all it has to offer. The friends I made there, specifically the three girls I lived with, quickly became like family, and are now some of my closest friends. Not every day was perfect and honestly, there were some hard moments, but my roommates and the wonderful staff there supported me and always made me feel like I was at home. Some advice I have if you're thinking about studying abroad is to cherish the big and small moments equally. While I was there, I loved our grocery runs to Sainsburys, coffee shop stops at Pret, tube rides, or afternoon pub chats, because, while the program keeps you constantly on the move, it’s those quiet moments spent just hanging out with friends that I miss the most. One of the highlights of the semester was becoming a member of the University College London (UCL) Student Union. This gave me the chance to experience life as a UCL student, complete with access to their facilities like libraries and gyms, and student clubs. In my free time, I experienced London's culture through unforgettable West End shows like Hamilton and Matilda, went shopping in Notting Hill, and visited iconic sights like Big Ben, the British Museum and Buckingham Palace. My time in London was an unforgettable experience and taught me to see the world through a new lens. Take this as your sign to 100% study abroad! Say yes to every experience, get out of your comfort zone, say hi to strangers, try new foods in new places and don't take a second for granted" because it goes by way too quick."
Email: messiecr@dukes.jmu.edu
Megan Frigerio
Semester in Scotland - Summer 2024
"Hi! My name's Megan Frigerio, and I'm a Sophomore Theatre Major with a concentration in Performance, and a Music Minor. I'm from Miami, FL! To say this was a summer to remember would be an understatement. Getting the chance to explore a brand-new country and immerse myself in the food, music, culture, and lifestyle of Scotland is something that I wouldn't take back. In addition to the faculty of The University of Edinburgh and St. Andrews being just fantastic, the friends I have made on this trip I still text regularly and eat lunch with on the quad. Being thrust into a foreign country was no easy feat. But doing it with people who I knew would match my level of adventure made it all the more rewarding. Getting lost is the best part. Going down that small alleyway because I smelled potatoes or getting off at the wrong bus stop in the middle of the Scottish Highlands because it felt right are the things I'll carry with me the most from this trip. Talking with locals at the corner pub and petting their adorable dogs as they dish about the Scottish election is special. Going into a local church to watch a Gaelic song concert at 9 pm is special. Doing a spontaneous hike up Arthur's Seat in the early morning is special. Walking to the very end of West Sands Beach is special. These special moments make Semester in Scotland, and I hope that people who do this program will experience just as many as I did."
Email: frigermm@dukes.jmu.edu
Anna Colonno
Healthcare in Tarragona, Spain - Summer 2023
"Hi everyone! My name is Anna Colonno and I am a senior nursing major, minoring in chronic illness. I am originally from Albany, New York, but my family and I recently moved to Daytona Beach, Florida! During the summer 2023 term, I traveled to Tarragona, Spain where I studied their healthcare system. Studying abroad not only gave me unforgettable experiences and friendships, but also a new insight into my potential work life after graduation. Following research of the healthcare system in a classroom, I had the opportunity to see, firsthand, the workflow of nurses in the local hospital. As one could guess, there were periods of high stress and grief, but alternatively, I witnessed the internal bonds made amongst nurses and their coworkers. Their bonds are ones I only hope to create after I take my final steps to becoming a nurse. Without others alongside us it would be tough to cope with the highs and lows of such challenging but rewarding jobs. Studying abroad solidified the fact that the people truly make the place, and I will forever be grateful for the memories."
Email: colonnac@dukes.jmu.edu
Sydney Stafford
Semester in Salamanca, Spain - Fall 2023
"Hi! My name is Syney Stafford, and I'm a Justice Studies and Spanish Major with a Humanitarian Affairs Minor. And I'm from Bristow, VA! It is very hard to describe my experience abroad in just a short testimonial. My time abroad was a time I will never, ever forget and was nothing short of life changing. I know that is very common to hear about study abroad, but being in Salamanca truly changed me in many ways. Salamanca is a beautiful city located on the west side of Spain. It has so much history yet still feels like such a small town. My friends and I, from both Spain and the US, would frequent many of the local shops and restaurants and became family with many of the owners. The friendly faces are limitless, and you truly feel at home. Now of course, there are challenges along the way. I remember being so nervous leading up to my flight there, that I didn’t think I would make it on the plane. And the language barrier took some getting used to, but if you truly take the time to engage in the culture and the language, I can promise you’ll make meaningful connections that will last a lifetime. These connections have followed me all the way back to JMU. I still speak regularly with my University of Salamanca friends and stay in touch with my professors (shoutout Jesus). Alongside the connections I made, the personal and professional growth will also follow you wherever you go. The level of independence I had abroad was something I wasn’t quite used to, but it changed me for the better and I left with a new appreciation of the world and all it has to offer. My motivation for school and involvement has grown, alongside my love for learning about different cultures, languages, and perspectives. This love is something so unique to studying abroad, especially in a city like Salamanca.
If there is one thing I would recommend to any student, I would say to study abroad. Although intimidating and challenging sometimes, it really is the most beneficial experience you could have here at JMU. I have many strong and positive words for my experiences, but it truly is something you have to experience yourself. Take this as your sign, the World is waiting for you!"
Email: staffosg@jmu.edu
Madison Barker
MSC 5731
100 East Grace Street
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
