Raquel Dailey
She
Ethnicity - African American
Occupation - Assistant Director for International Career Development
Years in the field: 10
What global experiences have you taken part in when you were a student and/or a professional?
I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain my Junior year of college and lived and worked abroad in Germany and Belgium for 8 years.
How has Global Education impacted you and your career choices?
While studying abroad I had very difficult experiences with racism and overall anti-blackness abroad. I was baffled by the lack of preparation I had around this prior to traveling abroad and have devoted my passions and skills to helping institutions and practitioners within international education to become aware of the global landscape in terms of students of color and also identify how their practices are contributing to students of color being unprepared for experiences abroad.
What do you enjoy most about the work that you do in Global Education?
I love preparing students to get the most out of their international experiences. Global exposure can reveal a new way of living that we never thought was possible. And being in a space where I can help students take advantage of these transformational learning opportunities is what I enjoy most!
What challenges have you had to overcome as you work in Global Education?
Global Ed can seem like a very exclusive space to enter. For years prior to becoming a full-time professional in Global Ed I volunteered because I was unable to break into the global ed space. Also, with practitioners who are working hard to create opportunities for students, disrupting those systems and processes to convince practitioners what they are doing doesn't work for all students can be challenging.
How has your cultural identity impacted your experience working in Global Education?
For years I assumed that the discrimination I experienced abroad was unique to me. However, only once beginning my doctoral work and spending years digging into research on the study abroad experience for students of color did I realize the trauma I experienced abroad if very common for many students of color. That understanding of how cultural identity is not singular and can greatly influence one's experiences and outcomes abroad has greatly impacted my work in Global Education.
How has seeing other people of color/diverse backgrounds in Global Education inspired you?
It is so inspiring seeing diverse practitioners who are and have been in the field in so many capacities who are working to make Global Education a more equitable and diverse space! I believe representation matters and it also shows our diverse and underrepresented student populations that these careers are possible.
As a Kultural Kurator, what does culture mean to you?
I must share my experiences to expose others to alternative ways of experiencing life!
Self/Soul Care is important as we live our lives and do this work. How do you incorporate self/soul care into your life?
I am still working on it. Typically I would say get away, travel, experience something new. However, with a pandemic this is limited. So I am doing my best to find moments of self-care in this unfortunate new normal.
What advice would you give a future Kultural Kurators as they think about working in Figure out what is uniquely you. What gives you passion and drives you in this field. That is where you need to create your space. Sometimes it is easy to try to fit into various "boxes" of Global Ed. But just know your box may not yet be created. So find your niche, and step into it boldly!
How can others follow you on social media, website, and/or is there an email address that you'd like to share?
Feel free to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquel-dailey/