Roberta A. Christie's global career path started in Germany, where she followed one of her sisters who worked as a civilian nurse in a US military hospital in Nuremberg. Roberta worked in Munich for Special Services, a part of the US Service Organization that employed women with college degrees to boost the morale of US soldiers' morale. She then taught in Majorca, Spain, and then came to Tallahassee to pursue a degree at Florida State University, eventually leading to her long-standing career history of 20 plus years at the Division of Student Affairs.

Roberta served as the former Director of the International Center (now known as the Center for Global Engagement) from 1992- 2004. She gives credit to her mentors and role models, former VP for Student Affairs, Jon Dalton, and AVP for Students Affairs, Sherill Ragans for her successful leadership at the International Center. They made it possible for her to create Beyond Borders, non-academic exchanges with the University of Costa Rica (Turrialba campus), the University of West Indies (Kingston, Jamaica), Charles University (Prague), and later in Dresden, Germany. She learned a lot from these student exchanges and she believes that the experience of the students who participated was almost invariably profound.

Roberta's' retirement in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2004 didn't stop her from staying connected with students. Her rich history with FSU speaks volumes of the impact that she made on the lives of thousands of international students who attended FSU from all over the world.

Not only is Roberta passionate about helping students academically and professionally, but she is also a talented photographer who sees the beauty of nature, landscapes, and portraits through her camera lens. She is a global citizen who has lived in Germany, Mexico, Spain, Italy and other countries. She was always keen to foster a global community through her traveling journey wherever she went. Her peers and staff members describe her as an individual who "validates and values others' perspectives." Ms. Christie's background makes her a visionary who believes in the impact that global citizenship has on our FSU community and the world.

Roberta has permanent residency in Mexico and she continues to work diligently on her Latina nature. Every single moment of living, traveling, and studying abroad has led her to recently establish the Roberta A. Christie Endowment for Hispanic and Latin American Initiatives at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University.

Your support today will open the doors for students with a strong interest in Hispanic and Latin American cultures to expand their horizons and allow the Center to provide them with academic and professional opportunities to enhance their knowledge and appreciation of Hispanic and Latin American cultures.

Thank you for making your gift. Roberta, our students, and all of us appreciate your generosity!