When I first came to college I already knew I wanted to study abroad because I love travelling, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures. My first and second years at Ohio State flew by and before I knew it, I was a junior and only had two more years left. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to study abroad, I researched programs through the College of Engineering and found the Culture and Engineering in India May session. It was the perfect opportunity for me because Indian culture is significantly different than American culture and this program allows me to meet fellow engineering students as well as many people throughout India. I am so excited to leave in just a few days and am now looking forward to the trip even more because I have the privilege of talking to some of the incredible people of Barefoot College. Learning their stories and seeing the impact the college has had on them will be such a worthwhile, priceless experience. I feel so lucky to be able to travel to this amazing country and interact with these people for even just a short time. I am sure I will never forget these conversations and will carry some of the knowledge of these people with me throughout my life. Barefoot College is an incredible organization that I am fortunate to see a quick glimpse into and I hope to share many of these experiences with the rest of the world through this blog. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy learning more about the people of Barefoot College!
Alison Younts
The Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines engineering as “designing and creating structures, new products, or systems by using scientific methods.” For me, engineering is not just about creating a new product. Engineering is about improving the lives of people. Whether this means a software engineer creates a new application, or a mechanical engineer designs a rapid-fit, high-quality prosthetic limb, like the Jaipur Foot, engineering is about helping people.
As a chemical engineering major at OSU, one of my goals for myself as I continue my education is to help others learn and grow. I am currently an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Fundamentals of Engineering for Honors program where I have the privilege of working with students and helping them get closer to accomplishing their goals. Another one of my goals as an engineer is to become a global citizen and to increase my global awareness. I am a participant in the Global Option in Engineering. Through this program and through study abroad, I hope to increase my global competency and prepare to work in a global environment.
The Engineering and Culture in India study abroad program combines all of these goals. I would be able to explore cities and meet people with backgrounds that are much different than my own, and see some of the greatest engineering feats such as Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. I am most looking forward to visiting and volunteering with the Barefoot College. This would allow me to truly interact with and give back to the community. I look forward to hearing the locals’ stories and sharing a few of my own. I most look forward to those small moments of connection and shared culture. The engineer in me is also looking forward to visiting fabrication facility of Jaipur Foot and visiting with the engineering students of MNIT.
Studying abroad in India will help me become a better engineer. It will help me continue to develop my global competency and awareness and will allow me give back to the community and truly interact with and get to know its residents.
Gabriella Nicolosi
I grew up in a town that was never very diverse. It was a typical white, middle class small town, where everyone knows everyone. Then, when I decided to come to Ohio State, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to meet diverse groups of people. I knew that I would want to do a study abroad program and I kept looking for the right program to fit what I wanted. I wanted to be able to learn new things, while also being able to experience a new culture and be of service in the place that I would go. Then, someone showed me the Culture and Engineering in India study abroad program, and even though I am not an engineer, it looked like something I would be interested in. I am very interested in prosthetics, and we will have the opportunity to learn about the Jaipur Foot while on the trip. We will also have the opportunity to meet many different people throughout India. One of the opportunities that I am most looking forward to is getting to be at Barefoot College. I cannot wait to visit the college and see what a big impact it has been having on people’s lives, and to hear about the college from the people that it has affected the most. It is going to be incredible to see the profound impact that the college has had on people’s lives, and being able to document that impact in this blog is going to be a great opportunity. I am sure that the experiences that I have while in India will be ones that I will never forget, and will hopefully be just the beginning for me learning about other cultures of the world. Thank you for reading and I cannot wait to share about Barefoot College with you through the blog!
Nate Timpe
This can also be an area to write about our experiences as we travel around India.