We are excited to announce that Olivia Cusimano is joining the First-Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) program as the student support specialist. In this role, she will serve as a central resource for FYSA students, providing proactive support related to their academic, personal, and co-curricular experiences. She will contribute to student recruitment efforts and guide students through their transition into the program, helping them feel prepared and confident as they begin their FYSA journey. She will also help plan and support key FYSA events and programming that strengthen community, engagement, and connection across the program.
Olivia developed her passion for international education during her time at the University of Mississippi, where she studied international studies, Spanish, and journalism. A semester exchange program in Bilbao, Spain, opened her eyes to studying and living abroad, and after graduation, she taught at a bilingual high school in Madrid for two years.
During her summers as a university student and a teacher, she led high school students at the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) at American University, University of California, Berkeley, and Georgetown University. In the various roles she held within NSLC, she facilitated leadership programming, taught academic lectures, led experiential field trips, and supported students throughout their time on campus.
When she returned permanently to the United States, she took her interest in working with students, experiential learning, and international relations to her new role as an Education Abroad advisor for the University of North Georgia (UNG). After two years at UNG’s Center for Global Engagement and a year and a half as Education Abroad coordinator in the Office of International Education (OIE) at Georgia Tech, she will continue her professional career at Tech by joining the FYSA team — a collaboration between OUESS and OIE.
Please join us in welcoming Olivia to OUESS and OIE!