COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 23, 2019 – On Friday, the Columbus Council on World Affairs (CCWA) led more than 600 Central Ohioan business, civic and academic leaders in a celebration of cultures and global fluency as part of its annual International Awards Ceremony. The program, hosted by WBNS 10 TV anchor, Angela An, honored more than 200 high school students who received their Global Scholars Diploma as part of the event as well as CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, which was recognized as the International Company of the Year.

An set the stage for the event with her opening remarks, which described her childhood as an American born to immigrant parents and her trips back to China and Taiwan to visit family or on vacation to other parts of the world where she saw people living in modern day, but in squalor. She shared, “I realized then how important it was to appreciate what we have… and give back to the greater good — even if they are halfway around the world…It’s our job – as a human race – to bridge this gap. To change attitudes and educate people on other cultures, so they can navigate the challenges and opportunities that are shaping our society today.”

Those inspiring opening remarks were followed by brief overviews of several of the Global Scholars Diploma graduates on their Take Action projects, which was the culmination of their three years in the Global Scholars Program. The Global Scholars Diploma brings global fluency (the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to be best prepared for global success and working cross-culturally) to the region’s high school students through experiential and project-based learning, which helps the graduates gain skills in cross-cultural communication, explore global careers and take action on pressing global issues. The graduates shared with the audience their solutions for vast global issues, including putting an end to domestic abuse, conquering plastics pollution and encouraging more women to get involved with STEM beginning in elementary school.

As part of the annual celebration, CCWA recognized the International Company of the Year – CAS. As noted by President, Manuel Guzman, many Central Ohioans remember CAS fondly for their lawn as the backdrop for Picnic with the Pops, but they are so much more than that for Central Ohio and the world. CAS provides scientific information solutions and is dedicated to the ACS vision of improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry. For over 110 years, CAS has been collecting, organizing and extracting insights from global scientific information. Scientific researchers, patent professionals and business leaders around the world rely on solutions and services from CAS to enable discovery and fuel innovation. The company employs a diverse team of scientists, technologists, business people and other professionals across the globe, and is proud to call Columbus, Ohio home.

For more information about CCWA and its public programs, including Global Fluency Training and the Global Scholars Diploma, or to get involved, please visit ColumbusWorldAffairs.org.

About the Columbus Council on World Affairs

The Columbus Council on World Affairs (CCWA) is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1975. The Columbus Council on World Affairs aspires to be the leading nonpartisan, globally-focused organization in the Columbus region. The Council fosters a community that is well-informed about critical international issues as they affect the world, nation, and local region and whose citizens utilize this insight to make effective decisions in our global society.