Galloway, N.J. – The Office of Global Engagement (OGE) attended the 2025 Biregional NAFSA Conference held Oct. 14–17 in Philadelphia. Team
members Patricia Sagasti Suppes, Diana Strelczyk, Matthew Birch and Jocelyn Gray participated
in sessions and networking opportunities with international education professionals
across the region and around the world.
Strelczyk, assistant director of Education Abroad at Stockton, was recognized with
the Region X Rising Professional Award. The honor is presented to NAFSA members who
have worked in international education for fewer than five years, have demonstrated
commitment through professional or volunteer activities, and are active in regional
or national NAFSA initiatives.
The recognition was a complete surprise to Strelczyk. She shared, “I did not know
my colleagues from Stockton and Prairie View A&M had written letters for my nomination
and kept it a secret for months. It is always rewarding to be recognized for my hard
work and accomplishments, but it would not be possible without the support of my colleagues
in OGE and collaborators from around campus. I want to thank the team for all their
help along the way.”
Why is global learning important for students, even if they don’t study abroad?
Diana Strelczyk:
🌎I have worked in higher education for almost 20 years, with the last 14 here at Stockton.
During this time, I have served a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, administrators
and community partners in my roles with Athletics & Recreation, Service-Learning,
Continuing Studies & Adult Education, and now Global Engagement.
In my experience, education abroad is the most impactful experience a student can
have in their undergraduate career. As a high-impact practice—and in an ever-connected
global world—education abroad provides an opportunity for all Stockton students to
experience life-changing growth personally, academically and professionally. My only
regret is that I wish I had known about the opportunity to study abroad when I was
an undergrad. Now I have made it my mission to inform all Stockton students of their
potential to do so.
When asked which international education initiative on campus has felt the most meaningful
to her in light of this recognition, Strelczyk said, “I am most proud of my ‘Certificate
in The Standards of Good Practice in Education Abroad’ from The Forum on Education
Abroad. This specific certification has allowed me to better advise students on study
abroad opportunities, train faculty and staff in advocating for education abroad programs
through our ‘OGE Champions Program,’ and to update various internal systems such as
administrating Faculty Led Programs. While I have achieved this credential, it will
serve the university community in a much broader way.”
Sagasti Suppes, director of the OGE, taught a NAFSA CEP (Core Education Program) workshop
at the conference titled, “Risk Assessment and Crisis Management in Education Abroad
Programming.” As a certified member of NAFSA’s Trainer Corps, she teaches workshops
about once a year.
“There are seven workshops I can teach, and this is one I’ve done several times. The
workshop takes participants on a deep dive through a scenario, and they analyze what
should have been done differently and how education abroad programs need to be structured
to mitigate risk,” Sagasti Suppes said. “Teaching this is helpful for me to review
our own risk management practices at Stockton. We are currently reviewing and updating
our procedures, so having had this recent review of best practices as I was preparing
to teach the workshop is very timely.”
Additionally, Sagasti Suppes co-presented in an interactive session called “I’m Still
Standing: Telling Our Stories as International Educators,” which used storytelling
to reflect on the presenters’ career journeys.
“Since this is a volatile time in higher education, and especially in international
education, my co-presenters and I felt that it’s a good time for colleagues to take
a pause and see where they are and how to prepare for anything that comes along,”
she reflected. “We had a lot of positive feedback, with colleagues thanking us for
helping them take an opportunity to pause and reflect in the middle of many sessions
that are mostly focused on dealing with current challenging situations.”
Sagasti Suppes also noted that the Office of Global Engagement is still in a post-pandemic
rebuilding phase, with a focus on amplifying participation in education abroad and
developing stronger programs to support international students.
“We are also increasing engagement with scholarship and with supporting the faculty
in their international endeavors. Now that the university’s strategic plan has been
published, we are working on completing our strategic plan,” she said.
“One thing we’re really looking forward to is International Education Week, which
is the week of Nov. 17-21, so keep an eye out for upcoming announcements,” Sagasti
Suppes added.
Reported by Mandee McCullough
Photo submitted