Final Project & Reflection

Final Project Overview:

The activity that I chose to describe is the final research project in the FAES 4580. The activity is focused on drawing out the knowledge that we acquired during the study abroad program. The final paper allows students, specifically me, to look back and cultivate an international issue or topic and formulate a focus related to the study experience that I had. The activity itself allows students to compare the countries that they have visited if it is more than one. In this specific activity, for me, my role is more than just being a student. I imagine myself as a ‘world traveler environmental analyst.’ As I am taking this role during the formulation of my topic, I realized that I had learned so much from my study abroad trip in both Australia and the Dominican Republic. As a student, I wanted to spread some news that I do not think are new news to people. I think many people have dealt or heard of these issues in their lives in some way shape or form and if not, I will gladly share the information to spread more awareness. The water quality degradation in the ocean is a global problem, and I believe it is necessary for people to know that these problems occur on a huge scale.

Final Project Reflection:

As I was working on my final research paper and even in my other research paper from my other classes, there are top 3 takeaways that I had, especially during the activity.

  1. Environmental problems in one country are most likely also occurs in the other. I believe this statement to be true. In my final research paper, I compared both countries that I have been to –Australia and in the Dominican Republic. I tried to compare and contrast both countries. The other one is industrialized, while the other is a developing country. I was aware that both are experiencing the same problem, which is water degradation problem, but at the same time, I wanted to explore more what is the specific difference when it comes to the sources of the pollution? The experiences will allow me to think outside the box and explore more of the possibilities that I can use in my future career.
  2. Study abroad expands your way of thinking drastically. Although I do believe that you do not need to study abroad to expand your perspective and growth, I also believe that study abroad is sometimes necessary to realize that seeing the things that you might have read or seen on the television is the reality. And these realities are critical to experience and burn your passion that you never thought you had before. I do not intend to stop my global journey here. With my study abroad experiences, I know that this knowledge will help me grow as a person and in turn will guide me on the right path for my future.
  3. Being open-minded opens so many possibilities that you never thought will. Environmental problems are very difficult to solve. Can we solve environmental problems? I think not, but I do believe there is something we can do as humans to alleviate these negative impacts that we brought to our natural environment. I believe that being open-minded to ideas, new knowledge, discoveries, and expansion are all critical to do so. Being open-minded is very important, and this characteristic will help me seek and knock many doors and will open many opportunities that will guide me into the path where I can help ocean creatures flourish.

The activity impacts me in so many ways, and it made me realize so many important things I would have missed if I have not taken this class (e.g., FAES).

Global Option Final Reflection/ Accomplishments:

I think I have accomplished my goals for Global Option. The main reason why enrolled in the Global Option is to enhance and polish my understanding by applying the principle knowledge I gained during my study abroad program. Overall, there were a variety of things that I learned. I took the self-assessment twice and got to explore my Cultural Intelligence CQI results. I first took the CQI when I finished my Australia study abroad during the summer and the second CQI was from when I finished the Dominican Republic study abroad. I was able to compare both results and realize how accurate the assessments. I reflected on what were the drivers for my desire to study abroad, my knowledge in the country, the strategies I used while I was in the country, and some actions I took. I got to know myself more and explore my strengths and weaknesses in the process. Aside from the CQI, we also did some weekly discussions, and sometimes we were required to make some short video messages. At first, I was embarrassed, but as time passes, it was fun. I was able to communicate my thoughts in a very short time without needing a script or being embarrassed. I also updated my resume including my international experiences, and because of all the reflection that I was able to do, I was able to describe my international experiences better and realized that I did more than I thought.

In my final reflection paper, I also described the top three takeaways that I had. In this case, I want to describe the top three things I gained through this program that I think is important as a global professional and why these things are important. First, I think it is important to be patient. There are so many things that need to be learned and discover. However, we are humans that have limited capacity, time, energy, resources, and sometimes we cannot have it all. We need some patience because there are just some things that take time. We also have to accept the fact that humans have the limited capacity and although it is good that we want to learn it all, it is also just as important to know our limits. That is why it is more desirable to specialize in something that we truly love because it is more efficient to all of us. At the same time, being generalist are also recommended in some parts of our life. Second, understanding cultural lens. This is very important if you want to travel or engage in any global career. A person cannot just assume that everybody or each country see or feel the same. There is a reason why there is ‘cultural knowledge.’ We all came from da different cultural background and it is very crucial for one to understand that concept. Some people might think or wonder why some people do things differently. We all have the unique environment and we adapt to those environment accordingly. The same as when a person travels to a country without technology, they have to adapt on some things that are not accessible and make use of the situation to understand what locals do in the country. All I can say for the second one is, NEVER ASSUME. Lastly, I think the most important of all is love yourself. If you love yourself, you also have trust in it. It is the most important and the most critical thing to have for a global professional. You love and trust yourself enough to be vulnerable in a different environment. You expose yourself in so many ways including your weaknesses. I know I did a lot of times. There are times when you do not know the language. However, if you believe in yourself enough, you are not going to let a language barrier stop you from exploring the world around you. I kept mentioning explore a lot of times because that is what we do in our life. We explore places, new faces, knowledge, experiences, feelings and more. So, if you love yourself, you only do what you think is best for you and if you can love yourself, you can give some of that love back to others as well.

Everything that I have gained in this program is all important and critical for my growth as a person. I intend to apply all my knowledge and experiences as I write this reflection paper and as I continue to walk down the path that I am destined to go. For my fellow Buckeyes that are planning or intending to participate in the Global Options program, I would say go for it! This class will help you in so many ways, and that includes revisiting and reshaping your international experiences.