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Growing up in Petersburg, Virginia with her mom, her aunt, and a sister, Azaria Mosby says her church and her faith were very important to her and her family. She was active in the church choir and served as president of the youth ministry. From an early age, she was also interested in the world beyond her hometown.

Azaria attended high school in Richmond Virginia at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, where they accepted students from different cities to focus on rigorous coursework in government and international studies. There she took advantage of the history and language offerings and learned to speak both Spanish and Italian.

“Fun fact about me – I want to go to Italy so bad, and maybe live there one day,” she exclaims.

Azaria is now a 20 year-old sophomore at Hampton University in Virginia, enrolled in a five-year master’s program in Architecture. Studying abroad is a requirement for graduation for her 5-year architecture program, and Azaria is looking forward to that experience in the summer after her third year. “I’m not sure what country we’re going to, but I’m just excited. I love interacting with people from different countries.” 

Last year, during her first year of college, Azaria was selected as a team leader of the Content Creation Lab cohort that designed courses aligning with the theme of “Careers for a Just and Sustainable World.” Her multi-age, cross-national team selected architecture as their topic, a perfect combination of Azaria’s most fervent interests. The group explored the cultural and historical significance of built structures through the lenses of belonging, accessibility, sustainability and justice.

This year, Azaria moved up the leadership ladder to become an intern coordinator, a part-time position responsible for coaching and supporting the team leaders working on a new environmental justice program. “I’ve learned a lot about the experiences of people in different countries and cultures. I’ve also become used to the time differences and connectivity issues- with team members in South Africa, India, Turkey, Italy – meetings can be a bit of a challenge. It forces you to be flexible and compromise.”

Azaria says the support system of her peers and the Global Nomads Group staff has been a huge help in navigating these challenges. She also appreciates the professional development and networking opportunities that have been part of her experience. These include traveling to New York for a presentation on the architecture curriculum to a room full of leading professionals for architecture, real estate and construction industries, who gave her enthusiastic feedback and encouraged her to stay connected with them as she launches her career.

To young people interested in joining the Content Creation Lab, Azaria advises “It is educational – but not in a school way. It’s a fun way of learning about the world. You get to play teacher while also learning about other people, about history and culture, and how people perceive things in other countries. You also develop leadership and organizational skills that prepare you for the professional world. It sets you up for success.”