International Day 2023

On Friday, February 3, 2023, Marianapolis celebrated its annual International Day. This year, the events were organized by SHIELD (Students Honoring Inclusivity, Equality, Love, and Diversity) and GLO (Global Leadership Outreach. They included an alumna speaker, senior international voices, and a mock UN General Assembly. 

Leading up to International Day, students were placed into mixed-grade groups, assigned a country and an issue, and were tasked with researching and preparing a one-minute argument that would be presented in front of the General Assembly (Marianapolis Community). Students took on different roles within their groups to research using resources provided on how their assigned country would position itself on the issue based on the country’s needs, interests, economy, government, and relationships within the international community. 

The five assigned issues were: 

• The Convention on Biological Diversity and Its Contribution to Sustainable Development - What role do individual countries and the UN as an organization have in protecting biodiversity?
• Continued Implementation of the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027) - Where do we stand in this effort and what must individual nations and the UN do to continue this work?
• Ensuring Equitable and Inclusive Access to Education - What efforts should the UN pursue to ensure that all people have equitable access to education no matter where they live and who they are?
• Digital Inclusion for Sustainable Development - What steps should individual nations and what steps should the UN take to ensure inclusion globally as we work toward the sustainable development goals?
• Achieving Gender Equality in the Context of Climate Change - What is the relationship between climate change and gender equality and what role do the UN and individual nations have in achieving such equality?

On International Day, Dr. Joseph Parodi-Brown, SHIELD Director, welcomed the Marianapolis community together and then introduced the three senior voice speakers. O. Forys, C. Azar Sanchez, and F. Kalis each shared their experiences coming to Marianapolis from another country and how their time in Thompson, CT, has helped to shape them. 

Alumna Virginia (Eliya) Aho ’10 joined the community virtually to share her story as an international student from Syria. She shared her experience applying to, enrolling, and arriving at Marianapolis and how the community supported her transition and helped her be herself by stepping out of her comfort zone. In addition, Virginia shared the struggles she faced away from her family while in college as the civil war in Syria unfolded. For nearly ten years, she could not see her family in person and rarely could connect with them, with internet access scarce. Virginia is currently a scientist with Pfizer and lives in Massachusetts with her husband. 

As advice to students at Marianapolis, Virginia said, “I wish you to be brave and to get out of your comfort zone because a lot of self-growth and a lot of fun can be had when you’re just a little bit uncomfortable. You learn new things; you explore the possibilities, and the world just opens up to you.”

Following the speaker, the Marianapolis UN General Assembly began. One student from each country presented the issue and proposal. Following all of the proposals, the Marianapolis Community voted for one presentation for each of the assigned issues. From each category, the winners were: 

• The Convention on Biological Diversity and Its Contribution to Sustainable Development - Jamaica
• Continued Implementation of the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027) - Vietnam
• Ensuring Equitable and Inclusive Access to Education - Luxembourg
• Digital Inclusion for Sustainable Development - Costa Rica
• Achieving Gender Equality in the Context of Climate Change - Nigeria

And no International Day is complete without a sprawling arrangement of international desserts. Thank you to the Mothers of Marianapolis (MOMs) for the delicious desserts and for supporting the students and faculty of Marianapolis every day.