ASU grad pursues passions in language and culture

May 4, 2020

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2020 graduates.

Tatum James, who is first-generation student graduating this May with degrees in global studies and Spanish from Arizona State University, always knew she wanted higher education. ASU School of Politics and Global Studies grad Tatum James Tatum James Download Full Image

“It has taught me to be hardworking, determined, and, most of all, incredibly grateful for my opportunity to obtain an education,” James said.

One of her first undergraduate opportunities came in the summer of 2016 when James studied Albanian at the Melikian Center’s Critical Languages Institute. According to James, the program ignited her love of language learning and her interest in the Balkan region.

The following summer, during the second year in the institute's program, James studied abroad in Tirana, Albania.

“This was my first long term experience abroad and away from home, but I quickly fell in love with Albania,” she said.

While in Albania, James would stay with an elderly couple who did not speak English. She would go on to learn how to cook traditional Albanian food, attend weddings that lasted multiple days and travel throughout the country on class excursions.

Her love for Albania deepened further once she returned to the United States and participated in the U.S. Department of State’s Virtual Student Federal Service internship. She would work with EducationUSA preparing 25 Albanian high school students for American universities through monthly video chats.

In spring 2019, James studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, through the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Being a Gilman Scholar allowed her the opportunity to study the local language of Catalan. The opportunity is what inspired her to pursue a career in U.S. Foreign Service.

“My experience as a Gilman Scholar in Barcelona opened up so many doors for me,” James said.

Beyond the skills she learned through internships and study abroad, James wanted to push herself in the classroom as well. She joined Barrett, The Honors College at the beginning of her junior year. In addition to the exciting challenges of honors courses, she was able to access unique opportunities like serving on the Advisory Board at the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development.

“Barrett has been challenging but so rewarding,” James said.

After graduation, James will travel to North Macedonia for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. She then plans to pursue the new MA in International Affairs and Leadership through the School of Politics and Global Studies, which is a partnership with the McCain Institute.

“I think I gravitate towards this international lifestyle because I see it as a way to challenge myself,” James said. “And so far, throughout each of these challenging experiences, I have come away so much more aware, open-minded, and grateful.”

Question: What was your "aha" moment, when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer: During my first couple of semesters at ASU, I was a political science major. But I noticed that I wasn't so much interested in the material as I was about foreign affairs. So when I walked past a poster that highlighted a global studies student and her experience, I had an "aha" moment: I could major in a field that I was passionate and excited about!

Q: What's something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

A: ASU's prioritization of inclusivity surprised me. When I walked on campus for the first time, I was surrounded by so many people of different backgrounds, speaking different languages and celebrating different cultures. I only came from Fountain Hills, just a 30-minute drive away, but I was blown away to see how diverse ASU is.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: I took my first honors course, The History of Ideas, with Dr. (Peter) Schmidt. He was very invested in us and our learning experience. He wanted us to succeed, but what I appreciate most about his teaching style is that he questions and challenges his students. This was a great lesson because it overall made me work harder and be a better student.

Q: What's the best piece of advice you'd give to those still in school?

A: I would say to take advantage of every single opportunity available to you, from learning a critical language at CLI (the Critical Languages Institute), to studying abroad, to visiting ONSA (Office of National Scholarship Advisement) to learn about scholarships and fellowships that will help you obtain your educational and professional goals.

Matt Oxford

Assistant Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, College of Global Futures

480-727-9901 moxford@asu.edu

‘Home away from home’: ASU CAMP Scholars provide grads with support, mentorship

For many, attending a university is a chance to explore topics and passions and improve future career prospects. But for some students, the chance at a university experience and the opportunities that follow can seem out of reach. This can be especially true for children of migrant and farm-working families.Students who come from these backgrounds often face financial and logistical hurdles that c...

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‘Home away from home’: ASU CAMP Scholars provide grads with support, mentorship

May 4, 2020

Students who come from these backgrounds often face financial and logistical hurdles that can make earning a degree difficult. That’s where Arizona State University's College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) comes in. CAMP Project students Photo courtesy of Seline Quiroga Download Full Image

The CAMP Scholars Project, which is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education, seeks to provide social and financial support systems to students who might not otherwise be able to attend a four-year university like ASU.

“Academics is just half the battle,” said Seline Quiroga, program director in the School of Transborder Studies. “We also need to work to create a sense of belonging — that they belong at ASU, that they're a valued part of the community. It’s important for them to have the skills to very quickly be able to negotiate ASU, the largest public university, and its many layers.”

Victoria Barbosa, a double-major studying psychology and family and human development in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said that she considered the CAMP Project her “home away from home” because of the support she received through it.

“Joining the CAMP Project in my second semester really helped (with adjusting to ASU),” she said. “I could speak comfortably with professional staff in Spanish, voice my concerns to someone that I could relate to and receive the emotional support I needed.”

Seeking a solution

The CAMP Project was founded four years ago, after Quiroga learned that Arizona has the eighth largest population of migrant students in the nation. She said she wondered, "Why doesn't ASU have any programs for this population?"

“And so I went to my supervisor, Dr. Carlos Velez-Ibanez, and I said, ‘We need this.’ He graciously gave me some release time to work on the grant, which I did along with a grad student,” she said. “We went out and did informational interviews with other CAMP directors, to try to learn as much as possible, and wrote a kick (expletive) grant. We got funded the first time out.”

Quiroga said that when the CAMP Project first started, she and her staff worked hard to bring awareness to the project and to educate the community about what ASU and CAMP were.

The project provides extensive institutional and financial help for students during their first year of college and continues to mentor them as they make their way through school.

The CAMP Project facilitates an early start program to prepare first-year students for school, a mandatory study hall and regular advising appointments. After their first year, CAMP Project Scholars are considered to be alumni of the project.

“The way the grant is structured, we can provide housing awards or help people with books or buying technology, but we can not give that direct kind of support after their first year,” Quiroga said. “So we try to connect them to other resources at ASU.”

Though it’s funded to support 35 students per year, the CAMP Project’s first year of operation recruited a cohort of only 14 students. Now four years old, a total of 113 students have come through the project.

“And now we're at the point where we have a waiting list and people are coming to us,” Quiroga said.

Student impact

Like Barbosa, Juan Laguna, a senior graduating with degrees in political science and history this spring, was a member of the first CAMP Project cohort.