By supporting the EGL Student Society, you will better equip EGL students to engage and learn about leadership, professional development, and cross-cultural education.
How?
The Engineering Global Leadership (EGL) Student Society stands as a catalyst for multifaceted growth and development, weaving a tapestry of experiences that transcend the conventional. Our impactful societal events are the cornerstone of this transformative journey, each playing a pivotal role in shaping well-rounded leaders. In order to host these events, we depend heavily on the financial support of our community. Each one of these events were heavily subsidized by last year's Giving Blueday’s contributions. It is through your generosity that we are able to design an immersive and developmental experience for our students. Learn more below about how your contribution to these events directly impact our student:
The Chicago Professional Development Trip opens doors to real-world insights and industry connections, propelling our members into a sphere where business acumen is honed and professional networks are forged. During this time, EGL members will be able to meet and network with Companies they find interest in and experience first-hand where their paths can lead. This past year, we met with the Chicago Cubs, SpiderRock Advisors, and The Keystone Consulting Group to learn about their industries and potential career opportunities. This visit displays a gateway to tangible success. Furthermore, this visit provides an opportunity for EGL members to meet Alumni in the annual Chicago Alumni Dinner, further strengthening what EGL is for its members beyond the 5 years at Michigan. This previous year, we had a record number of 48 members attend. Due to your contributions, this trip was fully subsidized. We hope to maintain this through the upcoming years and so your continued support would be the foundation for sustainability of this trip for EGL.
At the heart of our cultural celebration is the Global Bonanza, an event that goes beyond borders. It brings together cultural organizations, offering them a stage to showcase their clubs, present captivating cultural shows, and tantalize taste buds with a delightful array of international cuisines. The Global Bonanza is not just an event; it's an immersive experience that fosters cross-cultural education and enriches the tapestry of EGL. Your donation will contribute to the preservation of this event, enabling the EGLs to continuously display their cultural and leadership capabilities during hosting and planning of Global Bananza.
EGL further extends its global education through the EGL Volunteer Abroad (VA) Program which allows students to participate in a two week culturally immersive trip - either domestically or internationally. This experience grows their leadership skills, immerses them into a foreign culture, and helps bring them closer with fellow EGL students, all while providing support to a local community or problem.
This year we are in the process of planning 4 VA trips for the 2024 year, with an expected participation of around 45-50 students. A portion of your donation will go directly towards meaningfully subsidizing the costs of each trip for the students, allowing as many EGLs as possible to participate in this incredible experience.
A current student, Jayanth Tatikonda recounts his experience working with the Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand in August 2023: “The biggest value to me was being able to address a local problem and recognize the impact we were able to have in a short period of time. Personally, I was impacted by making new connections with our local guides and fellow EGL students. Furthermore, our built-in reflection time with journaling everyday post-volunteering helped to further reinforce the lessons I learned and helped frame my goals for the remainder of the trip and beyond.”
This past August (2023), EGL set a record for VA involvement, sending 48 students to three different projects across three different continents. We volunteered with the Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand, Bru House in Iceland, and the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana.
In Montana, students volunteered in Browning on the Blackfeet Reservation. One group volunteered at the local food kitchen where they prepared meals and engaged in conversation with the residents to learn about their stories. Another group painted an entire home for an owner who was going to lose her home insurance if the house was not painted within the next month. EGLs also had the opportunity to engage in many traditional Native American practices throughout the week due to arriving during the Indian Days celebration. We attended a powwow our first night and participated in the sweat lodge, a spiritual ceremony for praying and healing led by local elders.
In Thailand, students volunteered in Phuket with the Soi Dog Foundation, working with formerly abandoned, stray, or sick dogs and cats to resocialize them. The efforts of the 20 EGL students made it so that collectively nearly 1000 dogs received individualized attention every single day (compared to once-weekly)–an activity that is crucial as they are recuperated with the intention to place them in a new, permanent home. Outside of volunteering, EGLs learned about the Bhuddhist culture by exploring temples, meditating, and speaking with locals and visited Phuket’s first ethical elephant sanctuary.
In Iceland, students volunteered in Solheimar–the first eco and sustainable village in the country. EGL students split into two groups to weed the gardens and pick tomatoes from the greenhouse. Weeding the garden delivered a positive impact and gave the community members much more space to grow produce that is used to feed the entire village. EGLs then traveled to Siglufjordur to contribute by removing dead and fallen trees and by constructing a small path through the forest with wood chips and allowing the ecosystem to thrive. Students also participated in workshops about climate change, learned the dos and dont’s of trash sorting and composting, and tried local delicacies like Puffin and Fermented Shark.
Support EGL, and you're not just investing in an organization, but you're investing in the holistic development of future global leaders. EGL never charges its members a participation fee for its societal events; EGL never allows financial circumstances to inhibit someone from participating. In order to do so, EGL depends heavily on its community to support them each year. These experiences would not be possible without your continued support, and each donation allows more EGLs to participate! Thank you! Join us in crafting a future where leadership is promoted, professional growth is inevitable, and cultural exchange is not just an event but a way of life.
Link to EGL's website: https://sites.google.com/umich...
