September 24, 2020

In August 2020 I became a mentor for Community Refugee and Immigration Services. We had a training session about suicide prevention. We learned signs of someone having suicidal thoughts, what to tell someone who is contemplating suicide, and who to tell if someone we know is experiencing this. Some of the warning signs that we were told to look for include isolation, changes in eating or sleeping habits, trauma, and untreated depression. One of the most important signs that I learned was if someone who has been depressed or suicidal for awhile is suddenly really happy. This can mean that they have finally decided to commit suicide and they’re happy that they have a way out now. Something else that really stuck out to me is that if you think someone is having suicidal thoughts, it’s okay to ask them if they are. It won’t put the idea in their head and it won’t make it worse. It is better to be upfront and ask them if they are thinking about killing themself than to not say anything and regret it.

I think it is important for everyone to be educated on the warning signs of suicide. It’s a difficult topic to discuss, but could save a lot of lives. We need to work on breaking the stigma around talking about suicide and mental health in general.

September 29, 2020

I attended the Third Party Education Abroad Programs Information Session. This session was led by Jenny Kraft and she described the four different kinds of study abroad opportunities available to me as an OSU student. The first kind is a staff-led education abroad trip where a professor from OSU leads a 5-6 week trip with pre-determined credits that you will earn. The second kind is the third party program which allows for a longer time abroad enrolled at a foreign university or taught by teachers hired by the program. The third kind that she described is the more independent direct enrollment into a foreign institution where you would be an international regular student at the school. Finally, the fourth kind is the most independent kind of trip. The exchange program is for third and fourth years only and you must be abroad for at least a semester. 

This information session mainly focused on the second kind of education abroad: third party programs. There are many benefits to going through a third party program instead of one of the other types of trips. A third party can provide more structure to your trip while still allowing independent studying and living. It is also a longer trip than going with a staff member and is a very immersive experience. 

This session provided a lot of good information for me since I want to study abroad at some point during my college career. As a Spanish major, I want to go to a Spanish-speaking country. I don’t know which country or which type of trip I want to take, but this information session has given me a lot to consider. I think it is important for everyone to spend time in a different country learning about a new culture and language. It can expand your horizons and increase acceptance all different kinds of people in our world.