Global Leaders
Global Leaders is a year-long academic living-learning experience that builds on the Global Village, offering selected students the opportunity to deepen and apply their learning. Designed to examine how gender shapes lives globally—particularly in relation to access to education—this program challenges students to explore how educational opportunity varies locally and globally, and to connect these dynamics to their own academic disciplines and career aspirations.
About
Students take two 1.5-credit courses—one in the fall and one in the spring—held on Mondays from 5:40 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The program emphasizes experiential learning and culminates in a student-designed final project that bridges research and real-world action. A signature component is a fully funded service-learning trip in early January, which has included destinations such as Mexico, Kuwait, South Africa, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and others.
This competitive, invite-only opportunity is open exclusively to students who have successfully completed the full Global Village program, which includes both the fall and spring 1.5-credit courses in their themed house, as well as the associated co-curricular and community engagement requirements. Eligible students are invited to apply for a limited number of spots.
"A fantastic experience that clarified my goals. I plan to continue learning about colonialism's effects through academic research or working at a non-profit, NGO, IGO, or governmental organization."
- Emily G., Global Leader
Meet our Global Leaders Team:
Get to know the dedicated staff leading the Global Leaders program. Learn more about their expertise, commitment to student success, and passion for fostering transformative global learning experiences. Together, they guide students through a year of academic growth, community engagement, and immersive opportunities—culminating in the program’s fully funded January service-learning trip.
Kelly Andrade (she/her)
Kelly Andrade is a first-generation Brazilian American scholar-practitioner and Ph.D. candidate in Higher Ed at Rutgers University. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, she draws on her experiences navigating questions of identity, belonging, and access to advocate for equity. Her research examines how financial aid policy and communication shape the college experiences of Latine students.
Sheila Marie Feliciano is a first-generation graduate student and working practitioner in the language education sector. Raised in Long Island, NY, and Aguada, PR has guided her journey toward decolonizing language education, focusing on the strengths of multiculturalism and multilingualism. At Rutgers, she is a Ph.D. student at the GSE in the LCID program, specializing in language education.