Right after attending the Education Abroad Expo on Thursday, September 12, 2019, I headed to the Glass Classroom of Smith-Steeb to listen to a presentation by Jacob Caponi on the horrific events of the Rwandan genocide.

Last year at the University of Akron, I took a class called Contemporary Global Issues in which we discussed this tragedy, so I was somewhat familiar with the topic already. However, I learned a lot from listening to Jacob, and one of the many things that shocked me about this presentation was my realization of the lack of coverage American schools provide on genocides other than the Holocaust. As Jacob said, other countries teach their students that two genocides have occurred in America, that of Native Americans and that of African Americans. In high school, from my experience, emphasis was placed on the Holocaust, and never on United States’ role in these events. This lead me to ponder on why we focus so much attention to the mistakes of other countries, but not of our own.

About the actual topic at hand, Jacob explained that the genocide began as a result of an “Us vs. Them” mentality spurred by the colonial period. The killings started on April 6, 1994, and continued until July 16, 1994. The Hutu majority targeted the Tutsi population, which led to a million deaths and 250,000 women raped in just 100 days. Jacob also placed emphasis on the rehabilitation of the perpetrators and criminals associated to the genocide. He described the process of being introduced back into society after serving their sentences in prison. What was strange, was that he told us how those who are returning from jail would be welcomed back into their communities. He used the phrase “Forgive but never forget.” This gave me chills, as I have used that quote personally to get through troubling times.

Learning about major events around the world is an essential part of being a member of International Affairs. It’s what we are all about. Being exposed to situations that would normally not be mentioned in the classroom is really important to me. It expands my knowledge about the world, and provides me with a new perspective on life in general.

On Thursday, September 12, 2019, I decided to attend an expo dedicated to informing students on the many study abroad opportunities on and off campus. What I did not know, was the extent to which OSU offered these trips and experiences. Walking into this event was nothing short of overwhelming. I was accompanied by my friend Jack, who is also majoring in Business, as we explored the many different tables and booths in the Archie Griffin Ballroom of the Ohio Union.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to travel. Although I haven’t been out of the United States (yet), exploring new places and cultures has always peaked my interest. I wanted to find a study abroad trip that balances aspects from both my major and my curiosities about traveling. However, after arriving at the expo, I didn’t even know where to start. There were tables specifically for students in the Fisher College of Business, where I learned about the different types of global programs. For example, global labs are typically 1-2 weeks while global internships are 8 weeks. I was more focused on the short term ones (for now), so I visited the Global May table, where a peer explained to me her personal experience with visiting Spain for a month. Having taken 3 years of Spanish, I talked to her for a while about the culture and life in Madrid. She inspired me to take a closer look at the program. In my “About Me” section on this portfolio, I mentioned how I want to study abroad, and this opportunity has gotten me one step closer to achieving that goal.

Clearly, this event relates to International Affairs in multiple ways. Not only would a study abroad trip expose me to different perspectives on global politics, issues, and events, but would also prove the importance of learning about others experiences in an unfamiliar environment to me. I have some time to weigh my choices and to get some questions answered, but I can’t wait to see where my decision takes me.