IVLP Alum Named in CNN Top 10 Heroes List

In February 2017, the World Affairs Council hosted a group of 22 emerging leaders from 22 different countries from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to Uganda for an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) entitled "Education and Activism for Young Women." IVLP is the U.S. Department of State's premier professional exchange program for young professionals from around the world in a variety of fields and we are proud to host up to 600 IVLP visitors annually in Seattle. One of the participants on this IVLP program in February, Ms. Abisoye Abosede Ajayi, was recently named one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of the Year for her work empowering girls in underserved communities in STEM fields through training and mentorship. While Ms. Ajayi was in Seattle she met with several organizations working in the same field, such as IGNITE (recently awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math, and Engineering Mentoring), Seattle Girls' School, and Young Women Empowered. She also participated in a networking event hosted by the Center for Women and Democracy and further engaged with our local community by having dinner in the home of a local community member. They also met with members of the Seattle Women's Commission and Get Engaged, a program of the YMCA to place emerging young leaders on 18 different public boards and commissions each year in Seattle. We are honored that Ms. Ajayi's journey included a stop in Seattle to meet with these amazing organizations and community members for a reciprocal exchange of knowledge, best practices, and global community building.