Samantha Cameron,
Global Partnership Manager at The Intern Group shares:

Why did your organization want to be involved in the Global Leadership League?

It seemed like a natural fit based on the sheer fact that 75% of our staff are women. Upon further investigation, we realized that there were amazing initiatives that could help our staff grow as professionals while surrounded by a network of phenomenal women in our field. We are a young organization in that many of our staff are under the age of 35, so we loved that regardless of age or role, anyone can learn and also contribute their expertise.

What inspires you in your work? 

I am inspired every day by students who want to step outside of their comfort zone and immerse themselves in new cultures. They will be our next generation of leaders which is what inspires me to get as many students abroad as possible. I am also inspired by my partners at universities across the world, it never ceases to amaze me the innovative initiatives that they come up with to make international education more accessible.

Which professional development experience/s have been most important to you in your career? 

Early in my career, I was catapulted into a position where I was without a supervisor for a few months and had to figure things out with little guidance. I had an amazing support system within my organization, however, we were all learning how to do things in my particular department and I naturally made mistakes. In my opinion, there is no course or degree you can take that can prepare you as well as simply rolling up your sleeves and leaving all your fears behind. Mistakes are inevitable and it's how you grow - just don't make the same mistakes again! 

What excites you most about the future of this field? 

What excites me is that despite anti-globalization rhetoric, there remains a huge community of passionate people pushing for the internationalization of education across the world. I think there is still a lot of work to be done to make international education accessible and inclusive, but I am confident that we are on the right path. I am excited to see recent graduates get involved in the field so we can use their perspectives and technological/marketing expertise to get more students abroad.