Clare Overmann, Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA)

What was your first job in intled? 

My first job in international ed was as an intern at IIE.

I was a graduate student at NYU and had to do a practical training component, and IIE really caught my eye.

The internship had me doing all sorts of things: supporting a big roundtable discussion, collecting data for Congressional one-pagers on exchanges, helping out on a white paper. Little did I know it was setting me up for a life of being a ‘Jane of all trades’! A couple of months into my internship there was a fortuitous job opening in the department where I was interning, and I snagged it and spent the next formative 13 years at IIE. 

 Tell me about a defining moment in your career. 

In 2013, when Myanmar was opening back up to the world, but things were still fragile, I helped lead a delegation to learn how US higher education institutions might partner with and support their counterparts in Myanmar.

Needless to say, this was an eye-opening and special experience that led to a small group of us subsequently developing a training course for international education leaders at Myanmar universities. This felt like a pivotal moment for my career because I was putting together these critical pieces of curriculum development, diplomacy, partnerships, and leadership development that have continued to guide my career ever since.

What has happened in Myanmar since, both politically and with the recent earthquake, is devastating, but I hope some of this foundational work might re-emerge at some point and play some role in rebuilding, both infrastructurally and in terms of peace. 

 What about the current state of international education keeps you awake at night? 

Many things keep me up at night these days.

One aspect of the current state that really worries me is the oversimplification of what we know to be a hugely complex and nuanced world. The work we do, the lives we lead, and the societies in which we exist are not comprised of 1s and 0s; it is not a zero-sum game, and it can’t always be explained in one sound bite. And yet this is being asked of us as a society and as a field more and more these days, and unfortunately in some cases, may be part of how we survive this moment.

On a more positive note, what also keeps me up at night are the burning questions: “How do I show up for others at this moment? What can we do together? How can we channel this collective energy into something productive?” It’s an urgent feeling that helps me come to work every day and is helping shape how I approach my role. 

 What’s the most important skill(s) for someone working in international education to possess? 

For me, one of the most important skills for someone working in international education is the same I’d say for anyone working anywhere: the ability to embrace and work through the grey.

Nearly nothing we encounter in our work is 100% clean cut, clear, or comes with a manual. Timelines will be modified, environments will shift, questions will remain unanswered. The ability to productively work through that ambiguity is like striking gold in my book. 

 If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring international educator, what would it be? 

In addition to joining AIEA? I would say, find your people.

Each one will serve different roles in your life, and all are so important to have. Start building that nest of people you can go to for advice, a reference, a pep talk, some tough love, a new perspective, a trusted opinion, and a good laugh. They will be there at those moments in your career when you need them most, and they’ll also be there when you expect them the least. 

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