SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, February 27, 2024 — Paul Quinn College freshman Stephen Carter has been selected by The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN) for the 2024 Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship. Carter will join 14 other high-achieving students participating in an eight-week international internship program combining academic study and real-world work experience in Dublin, Ireland.
The Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship Program is a collaboration of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, the African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN), and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) designed to honor two iconic leaders in the global movement for freedom, equality, social justice, and economic mobility by preparing students from diverse backgrounds for future and career success.
Over 300 students applied from hundreds of prestigious institutions of higher education, including Ivy League schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), private colleges, and flagship public universities.
The 2024 Douglass-O’Connell Global Interns are:
Carter is one of fifteen high-achieving students selected for this prestigious award, chosen based on their commitment to pursuing a better, more inclusive world and their demonstrated interest in gaining real-world work experience in Ireland.
A history major, Carter was selected for the Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship program because of his academic excellence, entrepreneurship skills, and commitment to the betterment of others. “Frederick Douglass and Daniel O’Connell fought for fair treatment and strived for freedom and justice no matter the risk. They never conformed to the pressures of their nations,” Carter said in his application. “An internship abroad will help me to see international issues in a global context and build a more accurate perspective.”
Leading Change in Study Abroad – “Radical Access”
In addition to supporting the 15 Douglass-O’Connell Global Internships, CIEE will award the 35 semifinalists a $5,000 President’s Merit Grant to participate in a CIEE Global Internships in one of nine international cities during summer 2024. This new $175,000 in grant funding is part of CIEE’s Pledge to Lead Change in Study Abroad, designed to increase access to transformational international experiences for all students from all backgrounds.
About the Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship Program
The Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship Program is a fully funded scholarship for students from diverse backgrounds to gain practical work experience, develop an international network of professional contacts, and expand their understanding of Irish history and culture. The program is named in celebration of Frederick Douglass’ transformative visit to Ireland in 1845 during which he met and was profoundly influenced by the famous Irish reformer Daniel O’Connell who expanded Frederick’s worldview and commitment to advancing social justice for all. The program will introduce the legacy of both men as life-long leaders of social change, extraordinary communicators, and successful businessmen.
“These students, who will literally be following in the footsteps of Frederick Douglass, will gain an appreciation of the importance of reaching across borders, boundaries, and barriers to bring about positive change in a variety of contexts,” said Dr. Christine Kinealy, author of Frederick Douglass in Ireland: In His Own Words.
“Building on the legacies of Douglass and O’Connell, they will learn that we are stronger when we work together.” Douglass-O’Connell Global Interns are selected from a highly competitive pool of exceptional students and receive full funding for their internship placement, academic coursework, housing, and airfare, as well as a living stipend.
During their eight weeks in Ireland, the 2024 Douglass-O’Connell Global Interns will intern with a host company that aligns with their skills and career goals, attend lectures on Irish history and culture, and participate in extracurricular and networking activities in Dublin, Cork, and Belfast.
“The Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship program is an important part of our mission to build diverse and inclusive bridges, understanding, and opportunity between Ireland and America,” said AAIDN Founder and Chairman Dennis Brownlee. “We are excited to partner with Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and CIEE to offer this life-changing experience to these dynamic and talented students who will be among our next global leaders.”
Global internships are one of the most impactful study abroad experiences available, allowing students to develop the problem solving, intercultural communication, and self-leadership skills most valued by employers in today’s globally interconnected workplace. Research shows that these critical skills are best developed through real-world work experience where students receive coaching and feedback that promotes such growth. Students who participate in international internships stand out to U.S. employers and build a network of international contacts – personal and professional – that expand and accelerate career paths over the student’s lifetime.
Douglass-O’Connell Global Interns will choose from dozens of rich internship placement opportunities in Ireland, with examples like writing, editing, and publishing articles for one of Ireland’s leading media companies; analyzing data-based trends to optimize urban transportation for a cutting-edge transportation tech startup; or advocating for the human rights of those living in chronic poverty. The interns will grow professionally and contribute to the important work of their host companies as they work alongside Irish colleagues.
“The program will inspire young professionals to draw inspiration from the lives of Douglass and O’Connell, gain wisdom from their immersion in Irish history and culture, and expand their professional networks, all of which will provide advantages when they return to America and continue their academic and professional careers,” said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., President and CEO of CIEE.
About CIEE’s “Radical Access” Initiative
The Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship (formerly known as the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship) was launched in 2017 as part of CIEE’s commitment to increasing access to study abroad by students in underrepresented groups. Today, it serves as the cornerstone of a broader effort to lead change in the field of international education by providing “Radical Access” to hundreds of students who might not otherwise have the chance to study or work abroad.
The 15 Douglass-O’Connell Global Interns will be awarded a full scholarship for a summer global internship program in Dublin, plus a $2,500 living stipend. In addition, CIEE will provide two additional grants to applicants so that more students can participate in global internships and develop the real-world work experience and personal networks that are highly correlated with future career success and economic mobility.
The 35 semifinalists for the Douglass–O’Connell Global Internship will be awarded a $5,000 President’s Merit Grant that can be applied to a 2024 or 2025 CIEE Summer Global Internship in nine different international cities, including Dublin, Prague, Rome, Lisbon, Monteverde, Santiago (CH), Amman, Cape Town, and Sydney.
The 250 other students who applied for the 2024 Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship (those not selected for the program or as semifinalists) will be awarded a $1,500 Douglass-O’Connell Scholars Grant that can be applied towards any of CIEE’s 20+ Summer Global Internship programs in 2024 or 2025.
In total, CIEE has committed $700,000 in financial aid to support access to an international internship for ALL 2024 Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship applicants.
“As part of our pledge to lead change in study abroad, CIEE has committed to dramatically increasing access to transformational international experiences for all students from all backgrounds,” said Dr. Pellow. “It is fitting that we’re kicking off our “Radical Access” Initiative by providing financial support that will help a significant number of the stellar students who applied for the Douglass-O’Connell Global Internship make their dream of an international internship a reality.”
For more about the Frederick Douglass-Daniel O’Connell Global Internship in Ireland, visit ciee.org/fddo
Coach Keldrick McKinney is a native of Dallas, Texas who enters his third year as the Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach at Paul Quinn College. After serving one year as Associate Head Coach under the leadership of Coach Maurice West; Coach McKinney was given the opportunity by Paul Quinn’s legendary Athletic Director James “Zip” Summers.
The program has quickly grown from 3 to now 25 student athletes under the leadership of Coach McKinney. In the second year of competing at the Red River Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships, the Paul Quinn Tigers placed two athletes in the Top 10.
Coach McKinney received his bachelor’s in Kinesiology from Prairie View A&M University. After graduation he then opened a training facility where he trained hundreds of athletes. This provided the background and experience for Coach to thrive at the next level. Coach McKinney’s student-athletes not only excel on the track but also in the classroom as well. Coach McKinney’s team maintains over a 3.0 gpa.
Coach Michael Delgado has been coaching at the collegiate level since 2009. He began his coaching career at Howard Payne University, shortly after starting his time there as a collegiate soccer player. He began as a student coach and after graduating with a degree in Spanish Education, became an assistant.
In 2015, Coach Delgado moved back to Dallas to form the Men’s and Women’s Soccer program at Paul Quinn College as the assistant coach and became the head coach of the Women’s team in 2017. From 2015-2021 he was also the Men’s assistant coach.
In 2021, Coach Delgado took over the Men’s program and led the team as the #3 seed (highest in school history) to the USCAA National Championship for the 3rd year in a row, with a 3rd place finish.
Coach Delgado is a Dallas native and graduated from Mesquite Poteet High School as a district MVP & All-State. He holds his Master’s degree from Concordia University in Coaching & Athletic Administration. He resides in the campus neighborhood of Highland Hills and lives daily by his motto, #AlwaysRefuse2Lose.
Brandon Espinosa starts his fourth season as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Paul Quinn College.
Last season, Coach Espinosa and the Tigers had a historic 19 game turnaround from the previous year going from 7-25 to 26-2 (12-2 RRAC). Coach Espinosa led the 2021-2022 Tigers to the school’s first USCAA Men’s Division I National Championship and the 3rd overall national championship in school history. The Tigers also won the Red River Athletic Conference West (RRAC) regular season title for the first time since joining the conference in 1998. The Tigers finished the 2021-2022 season with the most RRAC wins and highest winning percentage in a season in program history.
The Tigers were the No. 1 seed at USCAA Nationals and had a dominant showing with 3 double digits wins. The championship game featured seven ties and ten lead changes. After trailing by four at half, 38-34, Bryant & Stratton led 67-65 with 6:33 left in the game. Henry Hampton hit a jumper a minute later to give Paul Quinn the lead to highlight a 10-0 run to seal the victory for the Tigers. Ja’Mare Redus led PQC with 18 points while Hampton finished with 17. Spencer McElway added 12, Ja’Mere Redus came off the bench and scored 11, and Steven Tynes chipped in seven points and nine assists.
While the team’s collective efforts were the deciding factor in their success, several outstanding individuals led them both on and off the court. Coach Brandon Espinosa was recognized as the USCAA National Coach of the Year. In addition, senior forward Spencer McElway was selected as a USCAA 1st Team All American, USCAA All Tournament Team and RRAC 2nd Team All Conference. Sophomore forward Trevoin Shaw was voted USCAA 1st Team All American, USCAA All Tournament Team and RRAC 1st Team All Conference. Sophomore guard Ja’mare Redus received USCAA Tournament MVP as well as USCAA 2nd Team All American Honors. Sophomore guard Torron Mingo Jr. earned the USCAA Academic All American award. Junior guard Caleb Thompson received the RRAC Champions of Character award.
During his first season with Paul Quinn, Espinosa led the Tigers to the most conference victories since 2012-2013. In addition, PQC had two players receive RRAC All Conference honors; Spencer McElway was 1st Team All RRAC and Mateo Escheik received 2nd Team All RRAC honors. McElway also joined the schools 1000-point club.
Espinosa also serves as the Director of EYBL and 17U Head Coach for Drive Nation which was founded by former NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. This summer Drive Nation qualified for the 2021 Nike Peach Jam and currently has the most ESPN Top 100 ranked players in the country.
Espinosa has held coaching positions at Bossier Parish Community College, Ranger College and with the Dallas Mavericks NBA G-League affiliate, Texas Legends.
Espinosa is a native of Houston, Texas. He played collegiately for Dallas Christian College, where in 2010 they won the ACCA National Championship. Espinosa earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2011.
Paul Quinn did not compete in 2020-2021 due to Covid-19.
Camille Smith is in her first season at Paul Quinn College.
Smith was hired in early March and her most recent position was as an Assistant Coach for the WNBA Dallas Wings.
Prior to coaching, Smith played professionally for 10 seasons internationally and 12 seasons in the WNBA before retiring in 2019. Smith was drafted to the San Antonio Silver Stars in the 2007 WNBA Draft as the 17th Overall pick. Amid the start of the 2008 WNBA season, Smith was selected in the Atlanta Dream dispersal draft before being traded to the Seattle Storm where Smith played and won a championship in 2010! In 2015 Smith was traded to the Connecticut Sun, then to the Phoenix Mercury in 2017, where she finished her career.
Internationally, Smith played on multiple teams in Israel (2015 Israel League Champion) and China. She also played in Turkey, Limassol, Cyrpus, Ragusa, Sicily (2016 Cup Champion), Lebanon (2017 Arab Cup Champion), Montpelier, France, and Venice, Italy (2018 Euro Cup runner-up).
As a former student-athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Camille graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in interpersonal communications. A four-time All-ACC selection, she finished her college career with over 1,700 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists, and 250 steals. As a senior, Camille averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game along with 99 steals to help the Tar Heels reach the Final Four. Camille is ranked among the top 20 all-time scorers at UNC and was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press following her junior year. She averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds as a junior. As a sophomore, Camille averaged 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in the ACC tournament, including a 23-point game against Duke in the finals. In 2004, she was named ACC Rookie of the Year and was the only freshman selected as a finalist for Kodak All-American honor. Camille became the first Tar Heel to be named first-team All-ACC as a freshman.
In high school, Camille was named Associated Press NC Player of the Year and NC Miss Basketball (Class 3A; 2003). Camille was also awarded State Player of the Year by the Charlotte Observer and NC Gatorade Player of the Year (2002 and 2003). In 2001, Camille shared AP Player of the Year honors at Carver High School and helped her team finish with a 30-0 record and State Championship. Camille is a three-time All-State Selection and averaged 20.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game during her senior year. She holds the record of 2,168 career points during her high school career, was a McDonald’s High School All-American, and played in the 2002 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival. Camille was also named Piedmont Triad All-Conference, four years in a row, and Piedmont Triad Conference Player of the Year, three years in a row.
Camille Smith & her husband Jeremis Smith are happily married & live in the Historical Stop 6 Community.
Coach Patrick Gonzalez is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with emphasis in Criminal Justice from Texas Wesleyan University. He also has a M.Ed. in Sports Administration from Concordia University in Austin, Texas. He has coached volleyball for over thirteen years. He has coached on the high school, club, and collegiate level.
He currently coaches for 360 Volleyball Club in Arlington, Texas. Coach Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Paul Quinn College volleyball program. He served as the women’s assistant volleyball coach at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee for five seasons. While at Fisk University, Coach Gonzalez served as an Admissions Counselor and Director of International Student Services in the Office of Student Engagement. He has also worked at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and served as the Associate Director of Minority Outreach in the Office of Admissions. He most recently was selected into the Big XII Reach & Teach Volleyball Diversity Program.
