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Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs will co-sponsor the 2021 Frederick Douglass Global  Fellows in Dublin, Ireland, to honor the 175th anniversary of the meeting between 27-year-old  abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the Irish reformer Daniel O’Connell in Dublin in 1845. 

The Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) announced the 2021 cohort of  Frederick Douglass Global Fellows in an online St. Patrick’s Day roundtable where the Fellows were congratulated by Vice President Kamala Harris, Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister)  Micheál Martin, and Nettie Washington Douglass, the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick  Douglass. 

A Sociology major and French minor, Ayodele was selected as a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow because of her academic excellence, communication skills, and commitment to social justice. A highlight of  Ayodele’s service to her community is her work with the school board of a French immersion charter school in New Orleans. As secretary of the board’s Culture and Community committee,  she is helping the school board with anti-racism efforts, engaging stakeholders to map out the framework of the school’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.  

Ayodele is looking forward to gaining an international perspective on education during her time abroad in Ireland this summer. “Any time you step out of your regular environment, you’re going to gain insight,” said Ayodele in her application video. “Hopefully, when I become an educator, I  will be able to take what I’ve learned from this experience and bring it back to my future  students.” 

In Ireland, Frederick Douglass Global Fellows will study leadership, effective communication,  and strategies to affect positive social change as they explore the life stories and legacies of  Frederick Douglass and Daniel O’Connell.

Following the roundtable, which was attended by many of the Frederick Douglass Global  Fellows who will travel to Ireland this summer, the Taoiseach said: “I was delighted to join Vice President Harris this morning in meeting these exceptional young people. Frederick Douglass has a vital and valued legacy on either side of the Atlantic and my Government is delighted to mark the 175th anniversary of his historic tour of Ireland by welcoming 20 brilliant American students from minority backgrounds to follow in the great abolitionist’s footsteps and learn of the influential relationship between Daniel O’Connell and Frederick Douglass. Today's meeting with  the Fellows is also a great opportunity to recognize the great diversity that powers both our  countries and our relationship today.” 

“It’s fitting that this diverse group of young people will have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills in a place so special to Frederick Douglass,” said Nettie Washington Douglass,  chairwoman and co-founder of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, and the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. “The welcome and respect with which Frederick was greeted across his tour of Ireland affected him profoundly. I can think of no better place for future American leaders to gain a global  perspective and prepare to be agents of change.” 

“Frederick Douglass was transformed by his time in Ireland and returned to America in 1847 as a free man, spending the next 50 years of his life agitating for positive change in our world,” said  James P. Pellow, president and CEO of CIEE. “We know this group of exceptional students will have a similar transformative experience in Ireland and return home with enhanced skills and  passion to change our world for the better.” 

The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was launched in 2017 by CIEE to expand access to international education to underrepresented students. 

In addition to funding the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, CIEE provides all students who complete the fellowship application a $1,500 grant to attend a CIEE summer study abroad program. Known as the Frederick Douglass Summer Scholars Grant, this award is matched by many colleges and universities, making an international education experience financially attainable for many more students from diverse backgrounds. 

Ayodele is one of 14 high-achieving diverse student leaders selected for this prestigious award.  In the video you can hear from all 2021 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows: 

• Sophia Kathryn Jackson Bard College 

• Leeah Derenoncourt Emerson College 

• Carolina Jimenez Harvard University 

• Brielle Smith Howard University 

• Katherine Sanchez Lehman College, CUNY 

• Iesha-LaShay Phillips Oberlin College 

• Corinne Bobb-Semple Pomona College 

• Mikayla Tillery Stanford University 

• Paul Douillon University of Miami 

• Nikita Joshi University of Missouri - Kansas City 

• Jaylen Antoine University of Puget Sound 

• Delali Gadzekpo University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 

• Isaiah Franco Wofford College 

To learn more about the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, visit ciee.org/FDGF. 

About the Council on International Educational Exchange 

CIEE, the country's oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, transforms lives and builds bridges by promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences. To help people develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, CIEE sponsors a wide variety of opportunities for cultural exchange, including work exchange programs, teach abroad programs, and a worldwide portfolio of study abroad and internship programs for college and high school students. www.ciee.org. 

Contact: Leslie Taylor, (207) 553-4274, ltaylor@ciee.org