It’s that time of the year again when the FIGT community thanks and gives our fond farewells to outgoing Board Members. In this post, we share a parting message from Matilda Criel-Ewoldt as she reflects on what her time as Scholarship Director has meant to her.

As Scholarship Director, I’ve had the honor to welcome into our community new thoughts and experiences, through the Pollock Scholars. That has been my main, and most cherished, role in FIGT. 

This has been quite the journey. My term was right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, from October 2019 to October 2021. I needed to re-think what the scholars look like in a virtual format and provide them with a new platform to work from. In doing so, both the role of the scholar and their engagement within FIGT grew. Scholars have an increasingly important role in our community, as we come to expand our knowledge of intersectionality. 

One thing FIGT board members rarely share is how much work the board positions require. We all put our souls and hearts into this work. We believe in this mission: bridging families, providing for and embracing global individuals. I will never forget that I have been a part of FIGT in a moment of monumental growth. 

The passion, the work, the camaraderie, the friendships, the community – I would do it all over again. I am so honored to have been Scholarship Chair and I will honestly miss it dearly. I am so glad that I am being replaced by the most qualified person and friend, Adam Geller. Good luck. 

What’s next for me? I don’t quite know. At the same time I was serving on the FIGT Board, I completed my doctorate. FIGT helped me comprehend the global individual, on a psychological level. I would not have been able to complete my dissertation without your input, for that I thank you all! I have decided to take a year off to travel and think of new ways to help people; simultaneously embracing my international, intercultural identity and rekindling my love of travel and novelty.