Freshman with global worldview ready to tackle her next adventure at Mason

Mariam Aburdeineh — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 00:05:00 +0000

Freshman with global worldview ready to tackle her next adventure at Mason Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 08/26/2020 - 20:05

Celine Apenteng aboard a boat moving through Hamburg, Germany. Photo provided.

Celine Apenteng may only have one biological sibling, but she regards nearly a dozen people from around the world as her sisters. This “extended family,” as she calls them, and Apenteng’s travels abroad, have had a profound impact on her view of education.

“There’s always something for you to learn,” said Apenteng, whose family has hosted exchange students from France, Moldova and Germany since she was 10. “Even if it’s not something new, the way somebody says something could impact how you think about it.”

The incoming freshman from Silver Spring, Maryland, said she is looking forward to continuing her learning and growth at George Mason University, where she will be a member of the Honors College and a University Scholar majoring in conflict analysis and resolution with minors in intelligence studies and data analysis.

“I’m interested in seeing the different perspectives that people bring to the table and how that will shape me into my future self,” Apenteng said, adding that she hopes to work for the FBI or with Homeland Security.

Why conflict analysis and resolution?

“I’ve seen that a lot of new jobs today that are looking for people who know how to deal with conflict,” she said.

Part of resolving conflict can involve navigating cultural differences, and Apenteng has had experiences that could help position her for success, such as her participation in an exchange program to France in 2016.

Apenteng (left) with exchange student Mia Ola enjoy time in a park in Cella, Germany. Photo provided.

Most recently, Apenteng was awarded a scholarship in her senior year of high school to attend the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Program, a U.S.-German exchange program hosted by the U.S. State Department.

“Being in Germany not only taught me different perspectives and different ways of thinking, but also different ways of solving problems that you don’t see in the United States,” she said. “That, and being able to make friends in different languages and understand people.”

The 11-month program where Apenteng was learning German (she also is fluent in French) was cut short by a couple months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even so, she said it was worthwhile.

“I never thought that I could do what [the exchange students we hosted] were doing,” Apenteng said. “I learned I’m more resilient than I think.”

In addition to learning from her degree program at Mason, Apenteng said she is looking forward to being part of the virtual learning communities, and experiencing all the university has to offer.

“I’m happy to be at Mason,” she said. “I’m really glad I applied, and I can’t wait for the school year to start.”

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Undergraduate takes her passion for peacebuilding to new heights at Mason

Mariam Aburdeineh — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Undergraduate takes her passion for peacebuilding to new heights at Mason Mariam Aburdeineh Wed, 02/19/2020 - 00:00

Junior Lily Krietzberg is studying abroad in Oxford University to learn about trauma healing for post-genocide communities, and intercultural interpretations of justice and reconciliation. Photo provided.

Lily Krietzberg has been passionate about interfaith dialogue since high school. After joining a youth group focused on interfaith work, she said she started her own service project, where she promoted dialogue, peace, cooperation and tolerance among middle schoolers.

“I believe in the power of dialogue to help people overcome their differences,” said Krietzberg, a junior in George Mason University’s Honors College who is studying conflict analysis and resolution.

The New Jersey native who spoke to the middle schoolers at assemblies said she aspires to join the Peace Corps. Her culture’s history motivates her to work toward peaceful solutions, she said.

“There’s so much conflict, especially among the Jewish population and other populations, that I wanted to be a role model,” Krietzberg said. “[I thought], if we can make it work here with these teenagers, we can make it work anywhere.”

Krietzberg with her cohort of Peacebuilding Fellows.

While at Mason, Krietzberg is seizing every opportunity to build up experience for a career in international work or peacebuilding.

This semester, Krietzberg is studying abroad in Oxford University to learn about trauma healing for post-genocide communities, and intercultural interpretations of justice and reconciliation. She is also a School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Ambassador, has been a Peacebuilding Fellow who interned with the nonprofit MetaCulture, and honed her dialogue facilitation skills as a Dialogue and Difference Project intern. Krietzberg also received a Undergraduate Student Travel Fund Grant from Mason’s Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) to present her research on “Supporting First-Generation American College Students in the Senior-Year Transition” at a 2019 NASPA conference, which connects student affairs administrators in higher education.

“Going outside of your comfort zone is one of the most crucial things that you can do for your own development,” Krietzberg said, adding that this mindset fuels her go-getter attitude.

Each experience has provided tangible skills she can use moving forward, she said, such as learning how to facilitate a dialogue with people who disagree.

Krietzberg presents her research on "A Trauma-Informed Approach to Gun Violence Safety Training" as a Dialogue and Difference Project intern.

And her classroom experiences have been just as rewarding, she said.

“[S-CAR is] one of the best schools for conflict resolution in the country, if not the world,” Krietzberg said. “There have been so many professors who have been mentors and supporters,” she added, such as Thomas Flores and Patricia Maulden.

“The sky’s the limit for a student like Lily,” Flores said. “With her talent and drive, I can envision Lily working in international development, being a real leader for people around her.”

Overall, Krietzberg is grateful for her education.

“Conflict analysis and resolution is one of the most important and crucial things that you can study,” Krietzberg said. “Even if you don’t want to go into peacebuilding, conflict is everywhere, and we need more people who know how to handle it better in the workplace, in families, in divorce courts.”