See Yourself at GSU is a special Honors College series that uses real student stories to understand common student experiences. Here, we sat down with one Honors alumna who shared how GSU, the Office of International Initiatives and the Honors College helped her gain global perspective. Check out the tips section at the bottom of the article to learn how students can pursue similar global opportunities.
By Armida Yee-Muñoz (B.A. '26)
ATLANTA — When Naomi Garcia-Hector (B.S. ’25) first heard of Georgia State University, it wasn’t through a brochure or a planned tour. A family friend mentioned the university in passing, but it was enough to spark curiosity in a student eager to see more of the world.
Growing up in Tampa, Fla., Garcia-Hector longed for a place that felt bigger. She wanted a city where cultures converged, where opportunities stretched in every direction and where she could begin building the global perspective she craved. Atlanta felt like the right place to start.
“I wanted the kind of college experience that let me live and work in a city,” she said.
The Presidential Scholarship made Georgia State possible, but it was the Honors College community that made it feel like home.
Garcia-Hector was inspired by the Honors College’s core values of belonging, curiosity, connection and growth. These values would shape every step of her journey and, as she would soon learn, extend outward into the city, the country and eventually the world she would get to travel.
Garcia-Hector, left, and GSU students in front of Scienes Po Lille, the university where she studied in France.
Studying in France
That early sense of welcome and possibility emboldened Garcia-Hector to look beyond Atlanta.
By her junior year, her curiosity led to a study abroad exchange program in Lille, in northern France.
Mentored by her Honors adviser and supported by scholarship funding, Garcia-Hector embraced the discomfort of being far from home. Living in a place where her native language wasn’t spoken transformed how she viewed community, communication and culture.
“Once you’ve been somewhere you don’t speak the language, you develop deeper empathy,” she said. “It gives you so much respect for people who are multilingual and for anyone trying to find their footing in a new place.”
That empathy reshaped how she saw Atlanta’s diverse communities when she returned, noticing languages, including French, spoken among West African families downtown and near campus.
“It reminded me that language connects people,” she said. “And that connection is everywhere.”
This realization pushed Garcia-Hector toward her next global experience, a service opportunity in her home city.
Service That Bridges Cultures
Back in Atlanta, Garcia-Hector’s broadened worldview led her to seek opportunities to support local refugee and asylum-seeking communities. Through the Honors College, she began volunteering with a group that had recently fled Afghanistan following the country’s 2021 political upheaval.
“They came with just what they could carry on their backs,” she said. “They were courageous and incredible.”
What started as a donation drive became evenings spent sharing Afghan tea, trading stories and building trust. These relationships deepened her commitment to language-centered service and expanded her understanding of global displacement.
Her work continued through Georgia State’s Intensive English Program and English-learning initiatives on Georgia State’s Perimeter College Clarkston Campus.
Through these experiences, Garcia-Hector learned that worldliness is not defined by distance traveled but by empathy, connection and the willingness to learn alongside others.
“It’s one of Georgia State’s greatest joys that doesn’t get talked about enough — helping refugees, immigrants and recent arrivals learn English,” she said. “That’s community in action.”
Garcia-Hector interned at The Carter Presidential Center from August 2024 to May 2025.
Learning From Atlanta’s Global Institutions
As Garcia-Hector’s understanding of global issues deepened, she sought ways to engage with them professionally. The Honors College’s encouragement to find, start and launch futures — paired with Georgia State’s uniquely urban location — led her just up the road to a role as a U.S. elections intern at The Carter Center, a world-renowned institution focused on democracy, peace and human rights.
“For Georgia State students, The Carter Center is literally 8 minutes up the street and that’s a huge value add,” she said. “People move across the country to intern here. We’re right next door.”
At The Carter Center, she worked in election monitoring and democracy protection, applying her global empathy and policy knowledge to real-world challenges.
Starting a Career in the Nation’s Capital
Today, Garcia-Hector works in Washington, D.C., as a program associate at Dream.org, a bipartisan nonprofit focused on criminal justice, climate and tech policy.
She’s quick to note that her Honors College mentors helped her get there.
“Dean Sarah Cook sat down with me in my last semester and asked what I wanted to do. Then she connected me with people in D.C. who became mentors,” Garcia-Hector said. “That’s what makes the Honors College special. They don’t just prepare you academically, they care about where you’re going.”
Naomi Garcia-Hector in front of the Arizona Capitol Building while conducting meetings with legislators about housing policy.
Steps to Get Started Globally
- Take advantage of GSU’s Free Passport Program.
- Talk to an adviser about finding a study abroad program, exchange or internship. These are exciting ways to gain experience and build an international portfolio.
- Explore GSU’s internal and external scholarships to support study abroad at Funding Your Trip - My Study Abroad | Georgia State University.
Not ready to commit to a study abroad? Start here:
- Pursue courses that earn a Global Scholar Distinction.
- Enroll in courses that integrate virtual exchange, which allow students to collaborate with peers at international institutions. On the search page, select "Virtual Exhange Course" from the Course Type section drop-down menu.
- Become a Global Ambassador and connect with international students during Summer Institute at GSU.
- Find internationally themed events on campus through the Panther Involvement Network (PIN) and connect with country-specific student organizations.
Check out other “See Yourself at GSU” articles:
- See Yourself at GSU: KeyShawn Phillips Balances Life, Work and Getting to the Train on Time
- See Yourself at GSU: Jenni Kiljala’s International Journey
- See Yourself at GSU: How Emily Witt Became a Legal Trailblazer by 22
- See Yourself at GSU: Salem Mutata’s Success Outside the Classroom
- See Yourself at GSU: Caleb Gustavson’s Community Organizing and Advocacy Journey
The Honors College at Georgia State University is a destination for high-achieving students who embody curiosity, take pride in their work and dream about how they can make an impact through their studies and careers. Its mission is to serve students in a welcoming space by engaging students’ curiosity, empowering them to achieve their highest potential and inspiring them to find their place in the world. Its students form life-long friendships, participate in community service, perform research, excel academically, explore their interests and chart their career paths.
Story By
Armida Yee Muñoz (B.A. '26)
Armida recently graduated from GSU and the Honors College, where she was a student reporter for Honors College Communications.