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Spotlight Series

Michigan State University's Global Youth Advancement Network (GYAN) introduces the Global Voices Spotlight Series as a next phase in GYAN's Global Voices brand, joining our Essay Contest and Webinar Series. This series provides a space for intergenerational conversation between young people and professionals devoted to meaningful global engagement and problem solving via research and outreach activities related to youth. Alongside recognizing contributions to youth-focused initiatives by members of the MSU Community in International Studies and Programs, and beyond, the interviews will include pointed advice from the interviewees to young people interested in pursuing their fields of study and career paths. Join in to hear voices from multiple perspectives on some of the world's most intractable challenges!

Eligible contributors to this series are:

  • MSU Students
  • MSU Faculty or Staff
  • MSU Alumni
  • Young Innovators
  • Industry Experts

If you would like to nominate yourself or a colleague to be interviewed in our Global Voices Spotlight series, please do so using the Global Voices Nomination Form.

In case you are between 18 and 35 years old and wish to become a youth interviewer, please fill out the GYAN Youth Volunteer Form. Or if you know of a motivated young person who would be a great fit, please reach out to gyaninfo(at)msu.edu.

Featured Spotlight: Dr. Antoinette Tessmer

In a recent Global Voices Spotlight Series interview conducted by Dani Vincent (a third-year Environmental Studies and Sustainability student at Michigan State University), Dr. Antoinette Tessmer (Associate Professor in Finance at Michigan State University) explained the differences between finance and accounting, encouraged students to consider sustainable practices in their careers, and emphasized the importance of aligning with companies committed to environmental initiatives. Moreover, Dr. Tessmer shared her transformative study abroad experience and discussed Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), which provides students with valuable global learning opportunities.


Abridged transcription of Dani’s interview with Dr. Antoinette Tessmer.

Dani: Hi and welcome to the Global Voices Spotlight Series. My name is Dani Vincent. I’m a third year student studying Environmental Studies and Sustainability. I also work in the Student Life and Engagement (SLE) Sustainability Department. Today we have a guest, Dr. Antoinette Tessmer. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Dr. Tessmer: Hello, my name is Antoinette Tessmer, and I am an Associate Professor with the Department of Finance in the College of Business. 

Dani: Would you mind describing finance to a student who might not already be familiar with the topic?

Dr. Tessmer: Finance and accounting have a lot of similarities, but are different fields of study.An accountant records financial transactions. In finance, we also work with financial transactions, but we look towards the future and forecast what future transactions may be. I like to tell my students that finance is the art of guessing—many financial decisions are made today because financial officers have the ability to estimate. 

Dani: How can students interested in finance align their career paths with sustainable practices, like green investments?

Dr. Tessmer: No matter what degree you graduate with, you have a chance to make a difference. I suggest not making your decision to join a company only on money, location, or practical matters, but also on the kind of environment you are going to join. When you interview with a company, be bold and ask them about the initiatives they claim to be taking part in, and if the person interviewing you cannot answer those questions, you’ll know the company may not really be committed to those initiatives. Your generation has the ability to make a change.

Dani: Describe your own education abroad experience. What insights did you gain regarding youth's inclination towards innovation and problem-solving?

Dr. Tessmer: I myself was an exchange student, and it was so transformative for me that I decided it was time for me to pay it forward. The experience I had as an exchange student in graduate school was so amazing mostly because there was a support network on the campus, and that network welcomed me and made me feel immediately like an insider. My way to pay it forward was by starting a faculty-led study abroad program to Belgium for business students for four weeks during the summer. I do my best to create an environment where they become immersed in a French-speaking small town and take part in a service project so that they become more like insiders rather than tourists. 

These kinds of experiences are also transferable to other places in the world. The way each student confronts the challenges while studying abroad can be carried to another international experience in the future. The students who goes through this experience once will be very willing to go a second time. 

Dani: Can you introduce COIL to us? Why do you believe COIL is crucial as a learning experience for youth?

Dr. Tessmer: COIL, or Collaborative Online International Learning,is a way to make international learning more equitable among students who may not be able to study abroad for financial reasons. This is an online collaboration between students in the classroom at MSU and students in a classroom somewhere else in the world. During this collaboration, they experience being online, talking with collaborators whose native language is not English, setting up meetings across a 13 hour time difference between the groups, and maintaining a collaboration across the world. All these soft skills are part of a rich experience that is different from the experience of study abroad, but nevertheless contributes to student growth. 

Dani: Thank you. I see that you have an artifact you wanted to share?

Dr. Tessmer: There is one item in Belgium that all the students are very excited about, so I brought one example with me. This is a Belgian chocolate and I would like you to taste it, and I’ll open one to enjoy with you. 

Dani: This is wonderful, thank you so much for sharing this! 

Past Spotlight Interviews