Two Maine Students Named Inaugural CIEE and Mitchell Institute International Fellows

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Each year, CIEE and The Mitchell Institute select two exemplary, globally minded current or alumni Mitchell Scholars to participate in an innovative diplomacy internship during the summer.

Portland, Maine (PRWEB) June 13, 2012

CIEE and The Mitchell Institute are proud to announce the winners of the inaugural CIEE and Mitchell Institute 2012 International Fellowships: Amanda Hall of Farmington, Maine, and Spencer Traylor of Brownville, Maine. In the next few weeks, Hall, a Yale University rising junior majoring in American Studies, will travel to Belfast, Ireland, and Traylor, a Colby College rising sophomore with an interest in Middle Eastern Studies, will travel to Amman, Jordan. Both students will participate in the unprecedented opportunity of examining firsthand the public diplomacy and peace process in two of the world’s most contentious regions.

As CIEE and Mitchell Institute Fellows, Hall and Traylor will study the elements of conflict resolution and international peace efforts by meeting with local experts and government officials, attending lectures, exploring local communities and culture, and engaging with faculty participants of special CIEE International Faculty Development Seminars. Few skills are as important to our world today as the ability to bridge cultural gaps, increase understanding, and foster mutual respect, and these fellows will gain hands-on global experience that will aid them in meeting their future academic, career, and personal goals.

According to Hall, “I'm most looking forward to the chance not only to apply my studies to a non-American context, but also—on a more personal level—to experience something so incredibly unique, culturally and academically. For these reasons, I could not be more grateful for this opportunity.” Traylor echoes that sentiment, stating, "This opportunity is a dream come true! It has been my strongest desire to go to the Middle East to see firsthand the region that I have been studying and now I get a chance to do so! I am hoping to use this time to reflect on my own hopes for peace and figure out what it is that I'll be able to do to help the process in any way that I can once I return."

The CIEE and Mitchell Institute Fellowship Program celebrates the collaboration of CIEE, the leading provider of international and cultural exchange programs for U.S. students and faculty, and The Mitchell Institute, an organization working to expand and improve the opportunities for higher education for young people in the state of Maine. Each year, CIEE and The Mitchell Institute select two exemplary, globally minded current or alumni Mitchell Scholars to participate in an innovative diplomacy internship during the summer. Fellows are chosen based on an essay that describes the student’s objectives for participating in the program, how the student expects to benefit personally and professionally from the experience, and how their academic major, and work and personal experiences have led them to their interest in the fellowship of international diplomacy.

Amanda Hall, Yale University
As a rising junior at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, Hall is majoring in American Studies with a concentration in Politics and American Communities. In particular, she is focused on studying marginalized populations and how they interact within the U.S. During the summer of 2011 she worked as a scheduling intern in the Washington, D.C. office of Maine Senator Olympia J. Snowe and will return this summer to work as a policy intern. Hall’s ultimate professional goal is to work for the State Department in issues of civilian security and democracy.

Spencer Traylor, Colby College
Traylor is currently a rising sophomore at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Spencer was awarded the Mitchell Scholarship at his 2011 graduation from Penquis Valley High School in Milo. Since then, he has been working with the Mitchell Institute to develop ways to help other Mitchell Scholars overcome the barriers to studying abroad. Currently undeclared, Traylor is planning an independent major of Middle Eastern Studies with the future goal of facilitating dialogue with future leaders of the Middle East and helping to foster an understanding of conflict in the area in the hopes of creating lasting peace beyond the capacities of political treaties.

About CIEE
Established in 1947, CIEE is the world leader in international exchange. For 65 years, CIEE has helped thousands of students, professionals, and educators gain the knowledge and skills necessary to live and work in a globally independent and culturally diverse world by offering the most comprehensive, relevant, and valuable exchange programs available.

About The Mitchell Institute
Since 1996, The Mitchell Institute, Maine’s premier foundation promoting access to higher education and research, has created scholarship and grant programs that recognize Maine’s best and brightest students.

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