VIPP Cultural Ambassador Michael LoPorto: A foot in two worlds

The Visiting International Professional Program at Michigan State is proud to host our annual summer programs. The Global Summer School, German Fulbright Summer Institute, and Agribusiness Summer Institute are immersive experiences for short-term visiting students from around the world to participate in specialized courses and explore the heart of Michigan.

These visiting students have the unique opportunity to engage directly with MSU’s own students, VIPP’s Cultural Ambassadors, who help lead the summer programs.

Michael LoPorto, 2026 Cultural Ambassador, shared his reflection from interacting with our global visitors this past summer.

“Through helping with the summer programs, I gained a deeper understanding of different cultures and formed many lasting friendships,” LoPorto said. “I witnessed and eventually became part of a collective community that stood out as remarkably different from the more individualistic American society surrounding us”.

LoPorto is a third-year student with James Madison College studying Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, as well as Spanish, originally from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. With an interest in international law, LoPorto joined this summer’s ambassador team to experience global conversation and cultural exchange firsthand.

“I noticed knowledge gaps in topics that I had never thought to question before, and through conversations and personal research, I was able to teach myself more about subjects I thought I already understood.”

“By the end of this three-week journey, I felt like I had a foot in two worlds: the one I grew up in and the one I had the opportunity to learn about and become a part of,” LoPorto continued.

From classroom projects, to field trips around Michigan, to game nights in the dorms, LoPorto felt pulled into the multicultural community the summer school students organically developed in just a couple weeks. He observed their willingness to help one another, across borders and across languages.

“Overall, this experience has opened my mind and encouraged me to think about things that were previously unfamiliar to me,” LoPorto said. “Going into this job, I wanted to become a better “Citizen of the World”; while I do think that my knowledge has expanded and my ignorance has decreased, I feel that this is only the beginning of a longer journey of cultural exchange.”

Learn more about VIPP’s Summer Programs and apply today!