1. Who are you, and what makes your organization unique?
My name is Missy Gluckmann and I’m the founder of Melibee Global Education Consulting. My organization is unique because it offers programming and consulting services for international educators that are designed to meet the ongoing needs that I felt were lacking when I directed study abroad offices and served as an international student adviser. I often felt that innovative programming and ongoing professional development were lacking at conferences, universities, and other organizations. I took my own “wish list” and turned it into a business.
2. What are your goals behind your blog & where do you draw inspiration for stories?
My blog is meant to create dialogue and inspire creativity. We often get so wrapped up in the day to day of our busy work and personal lives, stifling our ability to get out of our own heads and to think beyond the academic year cycle of boom and bust. What if you went to work each day and your boss said “start your day by reading something that challenges and inspires you to be better at your job?” That is what I wanted in my career – dialogue about issues in the field of international education and global citizenship. This was often lacking or expected to happen at regional conferences once a year, so I created a blog that encourages professionals in the field, students working toward a career in the field, or the average person who interacts across cultures to browse through my writing, ask questions and hopefully to inspire action. My stories are based on what moves me – a love of other cultures, addressing issues and approaches to our work that feel stagnant to me (re-entry is my latest issue,) meeting people who inspire me to put fingers to keyboard. Sometimes the posts are reflective, other times they’re just free and fun training tools. That is the beauty of my work at Melibee – I don’t have to follow a required schedule – when something inspires me, I write!
3. What have been some of your favorite stories?
Great question! I’d probably need a lot more time to properly reflect on this, but my introduction to the 30 mosques project and my own personal learning about Islam through this project have moved me deeply. My writing about the politics of study abroad comes to mind too because these posts address thoughts that are often shared by colleagues who are employed by others, but because they fear speaking up (whether it is simply human nature or worry about job security/promotion/tenure in a difficult economy) they do not ruffle feathers.
Some of my favorite stories also relate to interviews that I’ve done in person or via skype. Everyone has a story or book in them – few take the time or have the strength to share it. My favorites tend to be what people respond to (positively or otherwise.) One of my favorites posts talks about “the sprint vs the marathon” of the academic year. People who work in academia know exactly what this means and really appreciated being acknowledged when they’re at the end of the marathon but feel they won’t last another 1/2 mile to get to commencement day. When you connect with others and build a bond, it always feels positive and encourages me to write another day.
4. Do you follow other blogs in the space (study abroad, travel, volunteer abroad, etc)? If so, what attracts you to those?
Running Melibee sometimes feels all encompassing – but it is important for me to know what is happening in our field, so I do follow many organizations on Facebook and Twitter. I’m particularly intrigued by tangential service providers (interculturalists, 3rd party providers – both not for profit and for profit), entrepreneurs and the young and hip folks who are coming into their own in the field. It is beautiful to watch this next generation finding their voices and sharing so eloquently.
5. What’s your favorite part about keeping a blog?
That’s an easy one: My ability to share my voice and perspective and not worry about how others will respond to my opinion and experience. It is incredibly liberating! I wrote a blog posting about “Guns and Study Abroad” after Gabrielle Giffords was shot and the post was somewhat controversial. Two educators thought it was really out of line and didn’t hesitate to email me to say so. I really appreciated hearing from them because the blog is meant to be about creating communication. There is not always a “right” answer – we can agree to disagree.
6. What suggestions would you give to blog writers out there?
I would suggest that they take the time to consider what makes their blog unique. What is the purpose of the blog? How is it different from the hundreds of thousands already out there? I would also suggest that they be authentic and trust their voices. Finally, I’d suggest that they save each draft and read it an hour later before posting (ideally) to ensure that the message and invitation to communicate is clear, inviting and worth your readers’ time.
