Shortly after birth, Charlie Saffian was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

His sister Eleanor was nine at the time. At first, she didn’t know what to expect of her new baby brother.

“I remember looking around my school cafeteria and thinking there are a lot of people here with special needs, and I know nothing about them,” she said. “I didn’t know what my baby brother was going to be like.”

Day after day, Saffian said she came to realize her brother’s condition, a genetic disorder where an extra chromosome is passed to a child from one of its parents, did not make him any less of a person.

“Charlie does chores like the rest of us and cheers on the Bruins like the rest of us. He beats me at Xbox every day,” she said. “Charlie will take longer to learn how to do multiplication and read, but he is going to be able to do all that on his own time.”

Eleanor and Charlie Saffian

Eleanor Saffian, now a rising senior at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C, said her lifelong relationship with Charlie inspired her to pursue a career as a genetic counselor – a job that will allow her to shed light on misperceptions about Down syndrome and help new parents with a Charlie of their own.

An Exceptional Drive

Saffian said she struggled with the demanding curriculum at Wake Forest as an 18-year old student. This had her at times doubting whether or not she would be able to make her professional dreams a reality.

She often turned to Clifford Zeyl for advice. Zeyl, an associate professor of biology, studies evolution as it occurs in budding yeast. He said he was immediately struck by her initiative and focus on the big picture. He invited her to join his lab.

“A semester of research is a low investment way of finding out if a particular area of science will enrich your education and help you beyond college,” he said. “Eleanor has a personal connection to the field of genetics that has kept her here working with me for more than a year.”

Saffian’s research for Zeyl is on the evolution of genetic systems. She is focusing on what allows a population of a single species to diversify into multiple different organisms.

“The hands-on experience has really helped me,” she said. “Professor Zeyl also takes the time to help me think about the bigger picture in terms of my future career.”

Saffian is working at Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Down Syndrome Program in Boston this summer.

Launched less than a year ago, MGH’s Down Syndrome Program is one of the only comprehensive adult and pediatric Down syndrome programs in the nation. It offers multiple clinics each week tailored to meet the unique medical and psychosocial needs of patients of all ages.

Saffian said her internship combines her knack for genetics with her love of working with people like Charlie and their families.

She is currently working to simplify the process of obtaining guardianship for adults diagnosed with a chronic condition such as Down syndrome.

She is also reaching out to patients between the ages of 12 and 25 and their families to set up focus groups to streamline the process of transitioning from a pediatrician to an adult practitioner.

“My hope is that by the end of the summer, families visiting the clinic won’t feel as confused or worried as my family did when Charlie was born,” Saffian said.

In the long term, she said she wants people to realize the only difference between them and her brother is a microscopic extra chromosome.

“My name is ‘Sheetza,’” Shanghai native Xizi Liao says when introducing herself. “It rhymes with pizza.”

With support from her professors and friends, Liao has embraced her American education and is well known around the Wake Forest campus. The senior has held several leadership positions during her four years of college, including president of the Resident Student Association. This fall, she will attend graduate school to study college student development.

But not all international students are as determined to get through the challenges of adjusting to college life in America as Liao, nor do they all find the support they need when they arrive on campus.

Liao, a business and enterprise management major, is one of 143 international undergraduate students who call Wake Forest home, and one of nearly 200,000 students from China enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities.

“From my first days on campus, faculty mentors have helped me conquer my fears and acclimate to my new environment. But it’s not the same for every Chinese student in the U.S.,” says Liao. “If you want to be immersed in the academic and social culture here, you have to speak English and learn to ask questions.”

Addressing the so-called “China conundrum”

There are significant differences between Chinese and American education systems that create challenges for Chinese students. In addition to the inherent language difficulties, the Chinese high school curriculum is designed to prepare students for the high stakes national exam where answers come from memorization. That focus lacks opportunities for critical thinking, problem solving, creative expression, and collaboration—skills that are critical for academic and social success in the U.S.

“At Wake Forest, it’s the student’s responsibility to do much of the learning outside of class time. Discussions take place in class, and if you don’t ask questions, your professors and peers assume you know the answers. In China, students depend on the teacher for information. The teacher helps the student walk the walk. It’s a very different style.”

To help bridge the academic and cultural differences between educational experiences in their home country and those in the U.S., Wake Forest is introducing the Wake Forest Advantage program. The initiative is designed to help international students prepare for higher education in the U.S. before they arrive on campus.

Piloted and rolling out first in China, the program is designed to benefit both the students who complete the program and the institutions that enroll them.

Liao was introduced to American culture before starting at Wake Forest — attending summer programs and competitions in the U.S. But many Chinese students apply to American colleges and universities having little or no understanding of English and American culture.

Chinese students sometimes struggle academically and socially once they arrive in the U.S., in part because admissions offices lack the information or validation they need to choose among Chinese applicants. In addition to language and cultural barriers, challenges arise from a significant number of falsified application documents, letters of recommendation and high school transcripts submitted by prospective students.

Wake Forest Advantage is the only program of its kind to address the challenges higher education faces in determining which international applicants are prepared for study in the U.S. and which may have trouble adjusting.

Wake Forest Advantage highlights

The goals for the curriculum, designed by Wake Forest faculty and developed collaboratively with EdisonLearning, are to help improve oral and written English skills while increasing students’ awareness and understanding of performance expectations in American college classrooms. Sessions include lessons on academic research, writing, and speaking and provide students with practice working collaboratively with their peers. The activities include content that helps Chinese students understand American culture and history.

There are three models available to Chinese families:

The first model, the traditional Wake Forest Advantage program, is an after school supplementary model with teachers employed and trained by Wake Forest. The program runs in collaboration with partner high schools. Students and teachers meet once a week for three hours — providing Chinese students with approximately 90 hours of educational and cultural training.

The second model for the program is the embedded Wake Forest Advantage, where schools in China use the traditional Wake Forest-designed curriculum within the regular school day. These schools have their own expat instructors who are trained by Wake Forest to deliver 90 hours of training during normal instructional hours.

Finally, the Wake Forest Summer Academy incorporates much of the content and methodology from the traditional and embedded models delivered in a shorter time frame (72 contact hours). Wake Forest professors, alumni from the Wake Forest Teacher Education programs, and students currently enrolled in Wake Forest Teacher Education programs deliver the instruction.

Students in the traditional and embedded programs create a Digital Portfolio — a video-based reflection that combines student performance in class with video reflections composed by and delivered orally on camera by the student.

Created by the student in China, evaluated at Wake Forest University, and mailed directly from Wake Forest to the colleges and universities where program participants apply for admission in the United States, this validation of students’ abilities provides admissions officers with incontrovertible visual and audio confirmation about their Chinese applicants’ readiness.

Each student’s application arrives at U.S. college admissions offices in a distinctive package, with a Wake Forest Advantage logo and a gold, silver or bronze seal. Gold signifies that the student presented in the portfolio is ready for the most challenging undergraduate institution. Silver and bronze indicate progressively lower levels of readiness, but in every case admissions officers will know that the student applying has been through a rigorous preparation program and is familiar with what is expected for study in the U.S.

A global education: Why preparedness matters

In our increasingly global society, international student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities continues to increase. The more quickly international students are able to become acclimated and engaged in their education, the more quickly the campus community benefits from the global experience of international education.

In her role as a campus life residence hall advisor, Liao says she sees first-hand the communication challenges between American and Chinese students.

“American students are scared of what to say to international students, but they are definitely curious. We can build community faster if international students come to campus already familiar with the American culture. Even something as simple as responding to “What’s up?” can be uncomfortable if you don’t know that’s a typical greeting.”

“Chinese students who come to the U.S. have both academic and social challenges,” says Associate Provost for Global Affairs Kline Harrison. “In order for Wake Forest students to enjoy the benefits of a global educational experience, it is important for Chinese students to feel confident in their academic abilities and confident about interacting with American peers. Students coming to Wake Forest with the Wake Forest Advantage experience are more likely to fully benefit from their college years as true Demon Deacons and are also much more likely to reach their potential as sources of enrichment for the university community as a whole.”

To learn more, visit the Wake Forest Advantage website.

Rows of brightly colored desks lined the Magnolia Quad on April 16 as Wake Forest students painted them for local elementary school students.

More than 60 students from Old Town Elementary came to campus for the annual D.E.S.K. (Discovering Education through Student Knowledge) event. They watched as their desks were painted, played games led by campus organizations and had their faces painted. Some children even grabbed a brush to help.

“Having my own desk will help me concentrate more on my homework and studying,” Natalee, a fifth grader, said as she picked up a paint brush and filled in pink flowers on the side of her bright blue desk. “Plus it has all of my favorite things.”

D.E.S.K. was established in 2004 after Wake Forest students identified a lack of workspace in the homes of students they tutored. The event pairs each child with a participating campus organization. Representatives from each group met with their student last month in order to design and paint the desk according to the child’s interests. Many children chose to have their desks decorated with their favorite cartoon characters, sports and hobbies.

This year’s co-chairs were seniors Meredith Browne and McKenna Begin. The theme was Madagascar so each child received a Madagascar-themed book and t-shirt.

“D.E.S.K. is a unique event because it brings elementary school children to the Wake Forest campus and teams them up with a student group,” Browne said. “We encourage their academic studies by providing them with school supplies, a desk that is uniquely theirs and a book. I love this project.”

Dr. Steven and Becky Scott have committed $6.5 million to further the education of first-generation college students through Wake Forest’s Magnolia Scholars program.

The majority of the gift will fund scholarships for students who are the first in their families to attend college. It is the second largest commitment to scholarships by individuals in Wake Forest’s history.

President Nathan Hatch announced the gift on campus April 3.

An earlier gift from the Scotts was instrumental in the establishment of the Magnolia Scholars program in 2009. The program, created to provide first-generation students financial and academic support to attend Wake Forest, has helped more than 120 students. The first class of Magnolia Scholars will graduate in May.

“Wake Forest has long been a place of opportunity, as many of the students who attended the Old Campus were the first in their families to attend college,” said Dr. Scott. “Today Becky and I are proud to honor that tradition and continue our support of first-generation college students through the Magnolia Scholars program.”

“Inspired by his own experience as a first-generation college student, Dr. Scott has shown particular interest in opening doors of opportunity to young people with considerable potential and few resources,” President Hatch said. “Through their prior commitments and now because of their transformative leadership gift, the Scott family has made it possible for even more first-generation students to experience Wake Forest. Those students who come to Wake Forest will benefit from financial aid, mentoring opportunities and assistance in their college transition.”

Aaron Colston, a junior English major and first generation student from Roanoke, Va., expressed his appreciation for the Scotts’ generosity and described the difference the Magnolia Scholarship has made for him.

Magnolia Scholar Aaron Colston (’14) gives his remarks in Reynolda Hall in honor of the Scott family.

“For me, personally, the Magnolia scholarship allowed me to come to Wake Forest,” Colston said.  “Thank you to the Scotts on my behalf but also on behalf of my family. In my family, the bar has been raised and college is an option. It has opened my family’s eyes to a whole different concept of what opportunity looks like.”

Students from North Carolina to the U.S. Virgin Islands with various ethnic and religious backgrounds have become Magnolia Scholars. The Magnolia Scholars program focuses on early involvement with students to ensure they have the knowledge of and access to the educational and career opportunities Wake Forest provides. When they arrive at Wake Forest, they are assigned faculty mentors, but they also meet regularly with the director of the Magnolia Scholars program, Nate French.

“I think the gift is extremely important because it allows Wake Forest to highlight, financially support and more fully engage first generation students,” French said. “All of these first generation students have strong academic preparation and tremendous motivation to succeed. What distinguishes the Magnolia Scholars program is the student support programming. It enables us to provide a more complete, enriching experience for students.”

Dr. Scott served as a member of Wake Forest’s Parents’ Council from 1993 to 1997 and previously served on the Schools of Business Board of Visitors. Two of his five children, Rob and Marc, are Wake Forest graduates. Rob earned an MBA and medical degree from Wake Forest in 2000. Marc earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wake Forest in 1997 and played on the basketball team.

Dr. Scott is the chairman of Scott Holdings, LLC, a medical investment company. He founded Coastal Physician Group (later named PhyAmerica), a physician-staffing agency, and led Vista Health Plans of Florida before it was sold to Coventry Health Care in 2007.

He is also a member of the board of directors of the Duke University Health System.

The Scotts now reside in Boca Raton, Fla.

The “Big Tent,” a collaborative community art project between Wake Forest students and local high school students, was set up on Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus for the first time on March 27 outside the Z. Smith Reynolds Library.

The tent event was held as a part of the University’s yearlong Faces of Courage celebration. Student groups came together to showcase the tent and to encourage their peers to think about diversity and identity on campus through art. Some of the projects and activities around the Big Tent included:

Not just one color

Members of Delta Xi Phi, Wake Forest’s multicultural sorority, helped students mix paints to create colors to match their skin tone. “We wanted to show that skin color is not just black or white. You might need to add a little yellow, purple or red,” senior sociology major Jessica Smith said.

Differences can connect

Senior religion major Sarah Hinshelwood, a member of Delta Xi Phi, passed out slips of paper to students at the event and asked them to write down what makes them unique. She then connected the individual pieces to make a chain, showing that our differences can connect us.

Not just one race

“Ambiguity in Race: The Haziness of Social Lines” by senior anthropology major De’Noia Woods and first-year student Tai Hensley uses photographs to deconstruct ideas about race. “It addresses the concept of being mixed race and being stereotypes because of a small feature, like a nose or mouth,” Hensley explained.

Music brings people together

Gerson Lanza, a senior history major, and Lee Gan, a sophomore finance major, perform tap steps as members of the Setting the Groove Tap Dancing Club. The club represents how it is not only race and ethnicity that make students unique, but also their diverse interests and talents.

Stereotypes can break people

“Unraveling” by senior biology major Mary Alyce McCullough and Mt. Tabor High School student Jon Cunningham is made from wire, fabric and windows. The piece deals with stereotypes of culture, ethnicity and race. The broken windows represent the violence that can come as a result of racism. The fabric represents the assumptions that can contribute to race relations.

Whether it’s Owen Wilson on the set of “You Are Here,” or Michael Landon Jr. filming his upcoming movie, “The Ultimate Life,” Winston-Salem has become a hot spot for North Carolina’s thriving film industry. And from a student-run film festival to a graduate program in documentary film to an undergraduate film studies program, Wake Forest is part of the “action.”

Scene 1:  The Reynolda Film Festival

Since 2008, the student-run Reynolda Film Festival has evolved into a weeklong series of speakers, panel discussions, workshops and film screenings for aspiring writers, directors, designers, and animators who dream of a career in the film industry.

Ed Burns

The keynote speaker for 2013, Ed Burns, is an Academy Award-winning actor, producer, writer and director. Festival staff chose him for his “dedication to low-budget filmmaking.” His work includes: “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Brothers McMullen” and “The Fitzgerald Family Christmas.”

In addition to Burns, Wake Forest graduate Curt Beech (’94), an Academy Award-winning art director whose credits include “Lincoln,” “The Help” and “The Social Network,” will discuss setting the scene in film.

Screenwriter Josh Olson, known for his work on “A History of Violence,” will discuss the art of storytelling.

The event includes a student film competition. More than 60 films were submitted this year, including films from Spain, Canada, Afghanistan, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Twelve of these films have been named finalists — three films in each of four categories: narrative, animation, experimental and documentary. Finalists were selected by panels of peer and professional judges, and one or more will open each of the feature films and events, giving each filmmaker an opportunity to be shown in front of leading industry professionals. The four winners will be announced and screened on the final day of the festival.

“I’m passionate about creating conversations around the arts,” says senior Rebecca Moberly, who is co-organizer with junior Connor McCarthy.  “And this year promises an amazing group of speakers.”

“For students and members of the Winston-Salem community interested in gaining experience and information about working in the industry the Reynolda Film Festival is a great way to get inspired,” says McCarthy.

The Festival is co-sponsored by WAKE TV, the Department of Communication, the Film Studies Program and the Documentary Film Program.

A complete schedule of films, panel discussions and speakers is available here.

Scene II: The Wake Forest Documentary Film Program

The Documentary Film Program (DFP) expresses Wake Forest’s motto, Pro Humanitate, through passionate storytelling. The program, originally the nationally acclaimed Documentary Institute at the University of Florida, moved to Wake Forest in 2010.

Offering students the option of an MA or MFA in documentary production, the DFP produces award-winning and socially significant documentary films.

DFP students tell local stories and raise awareness about community issues such as the challenges refugees face (“The One Who Builds”), immigration (the “Where are you From” project), and the importance of art as a form of healing for teens (“Ink From My Soul”).

“The DFP has a definite place in the regional community,” says professor Peter Gilbert, whose documentary “Hoop Dreams” was nominated for an Academy Award. “And synergy will continue to develop as students filmmakers tackle tough issues that raise awareness and encourage conversation.”

Regional film festivals like the RiverRun International Film Festival held annually in Winston-Salem, offer DFP filmmakers a unique chance to have their films screened and recognized, if they’re accepted. This year, five DFP student films will be shown in RiverRun’s North Carolina Shorts category. The program features the best short films received from N.C. filmmakers.

Professors in the DFP program continue to make films while they teach, giving students opportunities for hands-on professional work. One example: The Imagination Project. Five teams, each made up of third-year DFP graduate students and an undergraduate student, are making five different films on artists of the Holocaust. “They are gaining the experience of working for a client, Yad Vashem in Israel, and the short films they create will become part of the museum’s exhibit—gaining the students and Wake Forest worldwide attention,” says Gilbert.

Scene III: Film Studies Program

There are 40 students in film studies at Wake Forest. The interdisciplinary program started in 2004 and continues to grow in popularity, as has the number of students in the communication department interested in media studies.

“We seem to increasingly live busy, over scheduled lives. Films become a great escape from those lives, where we set aside two hopefully uninterrupted hours to enjoy a complete, exciting and engaging story,” says Woodrow Hood, director of the film studies program. “We have reactions to watching films, and some of us want to know why we reacted in the way we did. Film studies helps give us answers to that ‘why’ question. Studying film is ultimately a process of self-discovery in many ways.”

Courses from departments and programs across campus including East Asian languages, art, communication, English, humanities, Romance languages, sociology, theatre and dance, and women’s and gender studies offer an interdisciplinary approach to film study. Students work with expert faculty and filmmakers who share their passion for film and production and encourage creative, critical and theoretical thinking about film.

High in the steeple of Wake Forest University’s iconic Wait Chapel, students in a physics of music class collect sound spectra while sitting among the 47 bells that make up the University carillon.

With the help of a sound meter, microphones, laptops and software, they measure the vibrations that travel through the bell tower when University Carilloneur Ray Ebert plays a note.

The carilloneur controls the ringing of the bells in a room directly beneath them and behind the upper part of the clock face. Ebert uses wooden levers and pedals to activate clappers hung at each bell. When he strikes a key, the clapper strikes the inside of the bell at the ideal point to produce the bell’s tone.

“Bells have unique acoustical properties,” says music professor Stewart Carter, who co-teaches the class with physics lecturer Jack Dostal. “Any musical note, with very rare exceptions, has several other tones sounding with it. The ear hears more than one note but doesn’t notice the other tones because the fundamental tone is louder.”

A bell rings when the carilloneur depresses the corresponding wooden peg on the keyboard.

During the class, Dostal hollers down the open trapdoor to Ebert, asking him to ring the A minor bell. Students aim their microphones, which are attached to their laptops, toward the bell and record the wave pattern using audio editing software. The group can see in real time the strength and duration of the wavelengths, but the recorded tones are saved on their computers for classroom analysis later.

The physics of music class covers the physics of waves and sound and their application to musical instruments. “We hope our class is of interest to music majors, physics majors, and everyone in between,” says Dostal.

The course includes basic background on oscillations and information on the ear, hearing and human interpretation of sound. Students study sounds formed by brass, woodwind, percussion and string instruments and learn about musical spaces and how a building’s construction affects room acoustics.

The class also explores the physics of the human voice. At the Center for Voice Disorders at Wake Forest University Medical Center, students can watch the motion of their own vocal chords using a camera on the end of a cable that goes up the nose and slightly into the throat.

“To learn physics, it helps to have interactive class engagement,” says Dostal. “Small group discussions and peer instruction help. But, in our class, we also get out of the classroom and experience physics and sound in the real world, not just theoretically.”

Cowboys and fairytale princesses were common sights on Wake Forest University’s campus as this year’s Project Pumpkin festival turned Hearn Plaza into a world full of Halloween fun.

The 24^th annual event brought more than 1,400 Winston-Salem area children from local agencies and organizations to campus for an afternoon of fall celebrations.

Sponsored by the Volunteer Service Corps, Project Pumpkin is one of Wake Forest’s largest community events. Nearly 1,000 student volunteers dressed as their favorite Disney characters and accompanied children around the festival. Children from area schools and organizations enjoyed snacks, carnival games, trick-or-treating, and live entertainment. The Lion King’s “Pride Rock” and a spooky haunted house were popular attractions.

“Project Pumpkin is special because it grants local children an opportunity to experience something different from their everyday routine,” said Anne Mason, a senior on the steering committee of the event. “Their excited faces show how much they enjoy the opportunity to experience something new and fun. Those smiles are what make all the long hours of planning and funding the event worth it.”

Started by a Wake Forest student in 1988, Project Pumpkin is organized by students who recruit volunteers to sell T-shirts, schedule entertainment, organize carnival game booths and make creative decorations to transform Hearn Plaza into another world for the children.

For junior Colby Moore, connections he made in Wake Forest’s Wake Washington program this summer led to an opportunity closer to home – working behind-the-scenes with CNN at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and getting a first-hand look at how a television network covers a national political event.

Moore, a politics and international affairs major from Greensboro, is among dozens of Wake Forest students and faculty benefiting from the convention’s convenient location in North Carolina.

Students in Allan Louden’s political communication class were invited to write blogs, provide commentary and assign grades to convention speeches for The Charlotte Observer.

“The students are constructing blogs, knowing their words will reach actual voters, opinionated critics, and even delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte,” Louden said. “This requires ownership, inviting students to ‘read between the lines.’  Writing blog posts also gives the students a feel for the time pressures of reporters, how to write for quick-moving audiences and what it takes to move beyond assumptions.”

Taylor Harvey discusses President Obama's speech in Allan Louden's class.

Taylor Harvey, a senior politics major in Louden’s class, said he appreciates the chance to have a voice. “Students and young people in general are a demographic that is often undervalued, although that has begun to change due to their high turnout and activism in the 2008 election. Our generation’s values and opinions are solidifying right now, so savvy campaigns would be wise to listen up, take notes and tailor a campaign message that is relevant to us.”

Meenu Krishnan, editor of the student newspaper, Old Gold & Black organized a team of reporters, got media credentials and headed to Charlotte to cover the issues most relevant to young voters. On their news pages, they have been blogging, tweeting and photographing the convention. “We approached the convention from a student-centric angle, analyzing parts of the national Democratic platform and the convention speeches that apply directly to students such as health insurance and college loan rates,” Krishnan said. Although its more distant location meant she could not travel to Florida for the Republican National Convention, the newspaper is also analyzing the Republican platform from a young voter perspective.

Ten students and two faculty members—Katy Harriger, chair of the politics and international affairs department, and Peter Siavelis, professor of politics—were invited to a Town Hall meeting, “Conversations with the Next Generation,” hosted by The National Journal and The Atlantic during the convention. The Sept. 5 event brought together leaders from politics, media, business and social policy for a dialogue on critical issues with students and America’s young and emerging workforce. Before the event, the students had the opportunity to chat with Chuck Todd, the host of MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” who moderated the event with Chelsea Clinton. Student government president Tre Easton had the chance to ask the panel a question about why individuals and leaders don’t listen more to each other and what can be done about it.

The DNC (Courtesy of Old Gold & Black)

Taylor Prewitt, a leader in College Democrats, enjoyed attending the forum and the discussion of education and social issues and how young people can take ownership of what is happening in this country.

“The energy was crazy. We were so excited to be there,” said Prewitt, who also attended the Women’s Caucus in Charlotte. “I was 20-feet away from the first lady,” she said.

While in Charlotte, she and three other students involved with College Democrats—Emily Bachman, Easton and Grant Ferowich, were interviewed for a Winston-Salem Journal story.

When journalism program director Justin Catanoso got a call from the BBC looking for help from area college students at the convention, Renee Slawsky, who is a double major in politics/international affairs and Russian with a minor in journalism, jumped at the chance to work with the international news organization for a few days. Slawsky helped log tapes and worked with guests for a live radio program for BBC World Service.

“The energy at the DNC Convention in Charlotte was unbelievable,” she said.  “There were so many different groups so enthusiastically fighting for their cause here. It really goes to show that, while political apathy is a general cultural trend, there are still plenty of people who will really work to get their voices heard and take part in this democratic process.”

For many, the adage that today’s teenagers will be tomorrow’s world leaders is met with trepidation. But for the statesmen and professors who developed the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute (BFTF), it’s an opportunity.

Since 2006, the brightest and most driven 17 to 19-year-olds from across Europe and America have represented their countries at the month-long program at Wake Forest University.

This year, 68 fellows from nearly 50 countries took courses in civic engagement and constitutional democracy, then traveled to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., to learn about the nation’s history and meet policymakers. When they returned to Winston-Salem, they began putting their new skills to use developing arts and service projects.

Students can choose from different programs according to their interests, including radio broadcasting, environmental activism, and documentary filmmaking.

Wake Forest communication professor Allan Louden, who directs the program, said that the BFTF teaches students to critically evaluate and engage with these projects. “They have to think, ‘why do these things matter? What causes hunger? What are the real distribution needs?’” That way they will commit to programs they feel strongly about and will continue their work when they return home.

Louden’s goal for the program is to prove to the fellows “that they are actors in the world and that they can change things.”

The BFTF is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of State. The government developed the program to foster friendships between nations and to instill the values of collaboration and diversity.

“The embassy in Kosovo, for instance, tends to pick one ethnically Albanian student and one Serbian. The two groups have been enemies, but the two fellows can become best friends,” said Louden.

This collaboration is exemplified by the radio program, a new feature of the Institute. Coordinated by mentors Mladen Petkov of Bulgaria and Daniel Voda of Moldova, the program functioned as an introduction to journalism through the creation, from start to finish, of a current-events radio segment.

The 10 students in the program came from countries as varied as Slovakia and Spain, Belgium and Belarus.

Petkov says he hopes that the fellows learned about the value of challenging preconceptions and inspiring thought through researching their programs. He sees this responsibility as journalism’s addition to democracy.

At the end of their month in America, the BFTF fellows shared their passion for learning about other cultures by hosting an “Around the World Tour” for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winston-Salem.

The children, many of whom have never traveled outside of the U.S., were able to learn traditional Belgian and Romanian dances, play British games, hear the Bulgarian national anthem, and say “I love you” in Lithuanian.

Mentor and Wake Forest senior Amanda Gambill says the tour was a great opportunity. “The kids from the Boys and Girls Club are up for anything. They enjoy learning and trying new things.”