Suzy Blough, a longtime worker in the field of international education, discusses the importance of understanding each other’s differences, actively seeking new experiences, and pursuing one’s passions.
Suzy Blough
Career: International Educator
From: Atlanta, Georgia
Education: Bachelor of Arts from Emory University, Master of Education from University of Georgia
Bucket List: “Take a stab at stand-up comedy!”
Suzanne (Suzy) Blough has spent the past 25 years dedicating her life to the field of International Education and exchange. She has worked with many universities including the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Georgia immersing herself with imparting international awareness to students across the US. She was a part of A Semester at Sea which is a floating study abroad program that travels around the world educating about the international world.
Suzy is currently assisting two former “Lost Boys” of Sudan with a documentary that shows them fleeing 1,000-mile by foot from Southern Sudan to Ethiopia and Kenya. She hopes the documentary will not only bring awareness of the plight of the all Lost Boys of Sudan, but also raise funds to build schools and health care facilities in the area.
Suzy has been married to her husband Doug, a professor at Georgia Tech, for 20 years and they have two teenage daughters.
- We loved learning about the other cultures, it was very interesting.
- You are a lovely women that thinks about others and takes care of her neighbor and I respect you for that.
- I have to say that your talk today was very interesting because surprisingly I did not fall asleep.
- You made a great impression on me about what I could do in the future regarding global health.
- Now I’m very interested in studying abroad in college.
- Everything you said opened up my eyes about the lost boys, volunteering and everything else.
- You have helped me to realize that being selfish doesn’t get you anywhere! I will dedicate time out of my life to help those less fortunate that I am.
- Everything you said was very interesting and simple to understand.
SYNOPSIS:
Suzy Blough, a longtime worker in the field of international education, discusses the importance of understanding each other’s differences, actively seeking new experiences, and pursuing one’s passions.
KEY POINTS:
-3:21-5:06: Suzy discusses how her personal background affected her choice of career.
-8:20-9:02: Here, Suzy explains why it’s valuable to be familiar with different countries and cultures.
-17:39-19:33: In this clip, Suzy shares her personal experiences and the importance of pursuing new opportunities.
-23:21-27:00: Suzy reads an inspirational passage from one of the Sudanese Lost Boys and sums up her main ideas.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
-Suzy emphasizes embracing life’s unpredictability and pursuing one’s current interests. Why is it important to be flexible? How is this related to career success?
-Why is it important to understand cultural differences? How is this related to genocide and the Holocaust?
-The Lost Boys’ story is both tragic and inspirational. Why is it valuable to be mindful of such events? How does their story help others?
-When discussing how she became involved in the documentary project, Suzy mentions that the skills she developed elsewhere helped prepare her for a completely new project. What does this say about a wide range of experiences? How is this related to studying abroad?
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