Global Education Office celebrates graduating student workers

As the academic year comes to a close, the Global Education Office is saying goodbye — and thank you — to several graduating student workers who have supported study abroad advising, global travel safety, and the day-to-day work of helping Hokies explore the world.

Through their service, curiosity, and care for fellow students, these graduates helped strengthen the office’s mission of connecting Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff with meaningful global experiences.

Nada Arif

Nada Arif served as a global safety student assistant, supporting some of the behind-the-scenes work that helps Virginia Tech travelers prepare for safe and successful experiences abroad.

During her year with the Global Education Office, Arif helped maintain the Global Travel Registry, which allows the university to track where Virginia Tech travelers are around the world. She also created hundreds of emergency contact cards for faculty-led programs, provided guidance to travelers about health and safety considerations at their destinations, and helped Elizabeth Morrison, associate director for global safety and risk management, acclimate to a new role within the office.

This summer, Arif will begin working full time as an HCM compliance associate at CAI.

Nele Heide

Nele Heide brought a truly global perspective to her work as a peer advisor.

Her first trip to the United States was to attend Virginia Tech. While enrolled at the university, she also studied abroad for a semester in Singapore. Those experiences gave Heide a unique perspective when advising students as they considered their own study abroad plans.

After graduation, Heide plans to travel before returning to Europe to begin her career.

Ciara Henriques

As a peer advisor, Ciara Henriques drew on her semester at the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, where she participated in the European Affairs study abroad program.

The experience strengthened her appreciation for global interconnectedness and cross-cultural collaboration, values she carried into her work helping other Hokies consider their own journeys of discovery abroad.

Henriques will study for the LSAT before applying to law school.

The Global Education Office congratulates all these students on their graduation and thanks them for the many ways they supported students, faculty, staff, and colleagues. Their work helped make global education more accessible, personal, and possible for the Virginia Tech community.

Gwen Lee

As a peer advisor, Gwen Lee brought her own study abroad experience to conversations with fellow Hokies considering international opportunities.

Lee studied abroad twice, first through Virginia Tech’s faculty-led Business and Culture in Europe program and later in Tokyo through a monthlong photojournalism program with CIEE. Those experiences helped her encourage students from a variety of backgrounds to imagine their own journeys overseas, while also reflecting on the ways study abroad pushed her outside her comfort zone.

After graduation, Lee plans to travel before beginning her career in the Washington, D.C., area.

CJ Pacholke

CJ Pacholke served as a peer advisor after spending his junior year abroad in Ireland, where he played basketball for his host university and visited 15 countries.

In his role with the Global Education Office, Pacholke helped fellow Hokies explore study abroad opportunities that fit their academic needs and personal goals. His own experience gave him a strong understanding of how global learning can shape both a student’s education and sense of possibility.

Pacholke will attend Wake Forest Law School before pursuing a career in law and policy.

The Global Education Office congratulates all these students on their graduation and thanks them for the many ways they supported students, faculty, staff, and colleagues. Their work helped make global education more accessible, personal, and possible for the Virginia Tech community.