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For Antonia James, a true international educational experience began in the classroom at ������ý����.

A senior majoring in leadership and management through ������ý����'s College of Continuing Studies, she was recently chosen from a pool of 5,000 applicants from 49 countries to attend the X-Culture Symposium 2017 Miami.

“When I decided to come to ������ý����, going to school at night and working full time, I don’t think I ever envisioned this opportunity," James says. "To be chosen from so many students is an achievement I am particularly proud of."

In its initial form, X-Culture partnered students from other countries to work on business projects in international virtual teams. Today, participants devise creative strategies for real-life challenges while learning best practices of international collaboration.

Participants for the X-Culture symposium in Miami were chosen through a tiered selection process filtering down from 40,000 applicants who have participated in the program over the last seven years. From the 1,000 students who were invited, 450 applied, with 150 chosen.

Attendees of the symposium, which was held in Miami from July 15-20 and sponsored by Johnson and Wales University, were given the opportunity to attend panel discussions, workshops, tours and group gatherings. They were also tasked with developing a marketing plan for Hard Rock Café that targeted millennials. Among James' team were women from Columbia, Mexico, Russia and Italy.

James, who is originally from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, is a recipient of the prestigious Charlotte Newcombe Scholarship for second career women who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need. She had worked as a manager for Dragonfly Farms for 21 years but is now operating her own event decorating business startup, K’s Event Decorations. She is scheduled to graduate this spring, and her goal is to continue at ������ý���� for a master’s degree.

James was inspired to apply to the X-Culture Symposium by a global business group project in her international management class. That project kicked off a journey and an appreciation for different cultures and served as a lesson of the importance of diversity in business — lessons the University is keen to deliver.

Study abroad and global experiences are cornerstones of ������ý����'s Engaged Learning Program, which not only encourages but requires students to study abroad or have other global, multicultural or intercultural experiences as undergraduates.

"We truly believe that discovering new cultures and exploring new places is crucial for students as they are developing a greater understanding of the world," says Sara Young-Singh, director of ������ý����'s Center for International Education. "It's those experiences that form a foundation for our students to become global leaders as they progress through their careers."

In the fall of 2017, ������ý���� celebrated International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to create awareness about the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.

James' experience in Miami reinforced those benefits. “X Culture taught me that if you are going to succeed in the global world, you need to work and respect other cultures," she says. "The importance of diversity was the greatest learning experience in this program.”