ELC Students Attend United Nations 2019 ‘Global Engagement Summit’
Guest writer Ana Elisa Ramos Magalhães is a student in the English Language Center’s intensive English program. She is from Brazil and is currently studying food engineering at UNICAMP in Campinas.
On February 22, I attended an international event, the 2019 Global Engagement Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. I was invited by a committed friend from Yemen, Mohammed Bin Hamdain, who has done work related to global development and was invited to speak during the event. In this place, I had the opportunity to meet influential people from all over the world, all of whom shared their knowledge and opinions about critical issues that are affecting many countries currently. Throughout the entire day of the conference, we discussed global conflicts and tensions that are concerning many people, such as the delicate situation in Yemen, female empowerment, human rights, hunger, climate changes, and sustainable development solutions.
Attending the UN Global Engagement Summit was a wonderful chance to put into practice all the skills I have been learning since I arrived in the United States.
Ana Elisa Magalhães, Brazil
At the event, I faced situations that are similar to the ones I will encounter in the future, such as long and dense lectures, varied vocabulary, and people speaking English with different accents. For sure, the classes in ELC provide their students an essential base of knowledge, but our improvement will be much greater if we seek complementary experiences. Moreover, in my opinion, as global citizens, everyone should go to events like this summit at least once. Being aware about human issues is the first step for achieving human rights and building a world where we can live more peacefully. In addition to being inspired at the conference, I was able to take a trip around New York, where I spent a fun time exploring immense museums, parks and historical places. From these two experiences in the same place, I was able to not only practice my English skills and experience a new city, but also learn more about world issues and my place in them.
