By International Ambassador Lauren Elliott<\/p>\n
Entering into the International Ambassador (IA) weekend retreat, I\u2019ll be honest, I wasn\u2019t too excited.\u00a0 Between missing my final day of work, traveling alone with baggage that weighed more than my entirety, and completely lacking in sleep, I found it difficult to muster up any great level of enthusiasm.<\/p>\n
Once we had settled in at the retreat center, it was clear that the ISSA staff had one goal to attain by lunchtime: have everyone learn each others’ names.\u00a0 Three name-games later, we were finally allowed to sit down for lunch.\u00a0 That is the first time all the IAs united as a team.\u00a0 As clich\u00e9 as it may be, the opportunity to sit down for a meal provided more than just physical sustenance, it truly united us as a team for the first time.\u00a0 The barriers of nationality, language, age, etc. were all broken down by one commonality \u2013 we were all hungry and exhausted.<\/p>\n
Following that first meal, the International Ambassadors continued to increasingly become closer over the weekend.\u00a0 According to Robert Jackson, president of Magnovo Training Group, LLC, \u201cStudies show time and time again that employees involved in corporate team building events come back to work noticeably more productive, enthusiastic, and overall happier.\u201d\u00a0 In my experience, this mantra proved true.\u00a0 The IA retreat truly enhanced the experience of International Orientation by allowing the IAs to communicate more effectively, improving team morale, and improving our problem solving skills.\u00a0 The weekend provided each IA with the opportunity to trust other ambassadors and understand that the best way to work was to work together.<\/p>\n
Beyond a successful orientation, the effects of the IA retreat will extend into the rest of the academic year.\u00a0 This sense of unity will allow for the IA program to grow into a strong one \u2013 the program itself is only two years old; it is still developing and defining itself and its role here at Notre Dame.\u00a0 Looking back, I can\u2019t believe that I was so unsure going into the retreat experience \u2013 it truly was one of my best here at Notre Dame.\u00a0 I came out of the weekend having gained so much: new friends, a more unified IA team, and a stronger (and yet more global) connection to the Notre Dame family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By International Ambassador Lauren Elliott Entering into the International Ambassador (IA) weekend retreat, I\u2019ll be honest, I wasn\u2019t too excited.\u00a0 Between missing my final day of work, traveling alone with baggage that weighed more than my entirety, and completely lacking … Continue reading