Name: Annelise Dahl

Type of Project: Study Abroad

Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

Through the Office of International Affairs, I studied abroad for three weeks in Montpellier, France with the “Teaching Internship in France” program. For the first week, I took classes about plurilingualism in Europe and received ESL education training. The following two weeks, I interned in a local elementary school, teaching English to French eight-year-olds.

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

I use the opportunity of studying French to learn and understand another culture, hoping to widen my world perspective. Although I have traveled abroad previously, the “Teaching Internship in France” experience was especially immersive. Situated between mountains and the ocean, the town of Montpellier is a “university town,” filled with young adults developing their self-identity. Similar to Columbus, Montpellier is a smaller city, offering a plethora of experiences, but also feeling small enough to run into a friend or chat with a local.

Throughout the study abroad, I began to understand the uniqueness of the French perspective. Comparatively small, France has an atmosphere that promotes leisure and creativity. Although still hard-working, I witnessed the French mentality of enjoying the moment. Work weeks are roughly thirty-five hours; children spend about twenty hours in school; and long weekends are frequent. While at first confused, I began to understand that this contrast between Americans and French is truly a response to the same fear: mortality. Americans see this fear and want to do everything; however, the French instead hope to take life slowly, breathing in each moment. Neither perspective is incorrect, but it allowed me to reflect on my own values of hard-work and ambition. Thinking long-term, I began to recognize the balance of work and enjoyment.

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

During my teaching internship, I lived with a French host family, speaking only in French while home. This homestay allowed me to fully integrate into a French living style. In many ways, language is the door to culture, influencing how people interact and share. Above, I shared the France’s different living style, and I primarily experienced it through the homestay. Meals lasted three hours; the television news ran vastly different stories; shops closed early; workdays were short. All these small instances contributed to my discovery.

Moreover, I spent two of the three weeks in a primary school, teaching eight-year-olds. This aspect held a different meaning for me. While the students sometimes struggled to understand me and I sometimes struggled to understand them, we eventually communicated, laughed, and learned. It added a strangely humanizing factor to the study abroad: across cultures, people were people.

Finally, the interactions I had with other Ohio State students were insightful. Most of the other students were Education or French majors, and as a Finance major, I communicate occasionally with other departments. It was interesting to take a course focused on education, giving a new perspective on how we learn. As a student, I spend arduous hours over textbooks, but rarely think of the flip-side of education: the teachers. Moreover, I loved simply forming new friendships with a diverse group of students.

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? 

This change was valuable to my life because it gave me the chance to reflect on my own habits and perspectives, comparing them to the French. Especially thinking about taking life slowly to enjoy the moment, I realized, although perhaps I always secretly knew, that the “little bursts” of life are as important as the “big bursts,” such as graduation, weddings, and so on (to quote Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge). As a twenty-year-old, this transformation of perspective is important to find and form a fulfilling and contenting life.

Below, I have included a video of the trip, filled with laughs and amazing experiences.

View of the Aegean Sea

As part of my participation in the Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP), I was given the opportunity to complete a personal project I felt would transform me personally, intellectually, and socially. I had never been overseas before, and I had never really lived in a diverse community until I came to Ohio State. For those reasons, I felt studying abroad would be the most challenging, transformative, and rewarding experience I could choose to do for my project– and I was right.

Out of all the Ohio State study abroad programs, I decided to participate in the Engineering of Ancient Greece one because the focus was engineering related. As a chemical engineering student, I wanted the program I chose for my project to be somewhat connected to my major of study. To be honest, I was not too concerned about the location of the project at first, meaning Greece was not what attracted me to the program. I just knew that I wanted to experience a foreign culture and have the chance to view the world (and engineering) from a different angle. I knew that I would have a transformative abroad experience no matter which country I traveled to.

The first part of the program was actually a week-long class on campus where me and the 10 other students each researched a site we were going to visit in Greece. We all wrote research papers and presented to everyone else prior to going abroad. Then, we were in Greece for a total of 12 days. On the mainland, we stayed in Athens and Corinth. Then we flew to the island of Crete and stayed in Heraklion and then Chania. For the last part of the trip, we flew to Samos island and stayed in Pythagorio.

On most days, we had organized tours of the archeological ruins and museums in the morning and afternoon, and then our nights were free. At each of the sites, we learned about the uses or purposes of the ancient structures, the Greek mythology behind them, and the engineering practices utilized to build them. At almost every site we visited, I was amazed at how the ancient Greeks were able to build such large, detailed structures considering the lack of technology they had back then.

O-H-I-O at the Acropolis

In addition to seeing and learning about the ancient Greek sites, I was able to experience modern Greek culture, day in and day out. I learned about Greece’s struggling economy, as well as how the Greek academic system works. From eating Greek food (gyros, coffee, bread, lamb, yogurt, and moussaka were the popular items), travelling on their public transportation systems, learning some Greek language (“Yassou!” meaning “Hello!”) and just exploring the different cities, I gained the new perspective I was looking for.

Epidaurus Theater

Some parts of the trip were personally challenging. Navigating through the airport with just one other student, staying in hotels very different from American ones, trying new types of food, and attempting to understand the currency system along with overcoming language barriers were all personally transformative situations. I feel like I learned so much about how I react to and operate in cultures different from my own, and I feel more confident about traveling now. Some situations made me appreciate my life in America, yet others made me so happy that I chose to explore another part of the world. I do feel that I have a more global perspective on engineering and society in general as a result of studying abroad.

I know this experience will influence my future professional career and how I choose to develop as a professional. The Lavrion Technical and Cultural Park, for instance, was a perfect example of how different engineering research can be between cultures. This technical park is currently conducting research on the water system in Greece, so I was really intrigued by their engineering processes and the explanation of their work provided by one of their engineers. I would definitely say visiting this modern research facility was intellectually transformative – I swear some of the topics we learned about came right out of my chemical engineering textbook!

In regards to my social transformation, I gained a whole new set of friends, some of which I grew very close with. Now I have an awesome experience to share with others, whether those be future STEP students, other engineering students, my friends from home, or my family. I am eager to talk about how a study abroad experience transformed me and my views of the world in efforts to convince others to challenge themselves in the same way. If it were not for STEP, I would not have chosen to embark on this journey. I am so grateful for this experience of a lifetime!

Last Standing Column of the Temple of Hera

Rachel Pastor

Type of Project: Education Abroad

STEP Reflection

An international experience symbolizes an opportunity to see, to taste, and most importantly to live in a world previously unknown to oneself. From May 8^th to May 28^th, in hopes of engrossing my senses during an exploration of a foreign lifestyle, I travelled with approximately twenty additional Ohio State student’s on the International Affairs Scholars Program’s May Study Abroad to Mexico’s historical Yucatan peninsula. I had the opportunity to experience a culture like no other. I initially set out in hopes of seeing an ancient civilization’s ruins, tasting famous indigenous dishes, and experiencing the culture of the Yucatecan populace. In reality, I was able to achieve all of my hopes for my education abroad trip and more.

While experiencing and achieving in the Yucatan peninsula, I was able to develop a further understanding of myself and the Mexican world around me. I personally developed as an academic through my research regarding different facets of the Mexican economy as well as the societal impacts that play into the economy. In addition, my opinion of the Mexican economy and society changed. I initially believed that the level of globalization was not as large until I arrived in Mexico. Continuously studying and immersing myself in a culture that was not my own, this particular education abroad experience was even more of an enlightening opportunity than I expected. With my academic peers by my side, I was able to observe the striking similarities, differences, and interconnections you have encountered between the Yucatan peninsula and the United States of America. This opportunity to travel to the beautiful and historically-rich Yucatan peninsula provided me with the chance to compare the region to the United States of America.

Surprisingly, I encountered some notable interconnections, similarities, and differences. I found an example of the cultural interconnections on one of the first days of in the region. On May 10^th, I was afforded the great opportunity to listen to native anthropologic professor, Francisco Fernandez-Reppetto, lecture on the topics of Mayan culture and the effects of different types of tourism in the Yucatan peninsula. Professor Fernandez-Reppetto enlightened my peers and I that “approximately seventy-five percent of tourist are from the United States of America” (Fernández Repetto).

Even though my research on the tourism industry had indicated that Americans had made up a large proportion of travelers to Mexico, I was surprised by truly how great the American population contributed to the Mexican tourism industry, especially in the Yucatan peninsula. Constructing upon the professor’s statistical based argument regarding the United States of America’s vital role in the tourism industry, I found additional interconnections between the two North American super powers in my free time. I had the opportunity to visit a Walmart Superstore in Merida and to study the amounts of Americanization and globalization in the retail industry. Even though the Walmart Superstore stocked a large amount of Mexican products, the majority of the products originated from American companies. I also observed the same pattern of an interconnection of American and Mexican consumerism in other stores within the peninsula such as, Oxxo and other stores in areas that were populated by tourists including Playa del Carmen and Cancun. Together, the lecture and my experiences in the retail industry provided me a great opportunity to see the interconnection between Mexico and the United States and further contribute to my academic view of the Americanization and globalization of Central and Latin America.

One area that I observed similarities and differences between the two North American super powers was discrimination. As a group, we studied how the current Mayan populace is discriminated against for speaking their native language, their past and current socioeconomic statuses, as well as their outward physical appearance. In comparison to the United States of America, the current African American populace is also discriminated against for their culture, past and current socioeconomic statuses, and their outward physical appearance. However, in contrast, in the Yucatan peninsula the people exploit the ancient Mayans for profit and continue to discriminate against the current Mayan population. For example, at the Hacienda Sotuta de Peón the current owners still employed the Mayan workers who once were practically enslaved on the proper as current, low-wage laborers on the farm. Additionally, at the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, our tour guide also solidified the point that current Mayan populations are discriminated against while ancient Mayan populations are embraced. In the United States of America, the African American population was not a native populace, nor is their ancient civilization embraced.

Additionally, I was able to personally develop an ability to function effectively within the region despite some obstacles. While on the education abroad trip, I encountered some obstacles that afforded me the opportunities to adapt to the culture and eventually function effectively in the Yucatan Peninsula. I possessed hidden condition, a brain cyst. This past year I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain cyst that causes severe migraines as well as changes in speech and concentration. Even though I take medication to control the migraines and other side effects, the prescription affects the condition of my stomach and dietary habits. However, on the education abroad trip, I tried to embrace the Mexican cuisine to the best of my ability despite the meat, dairy, and egg heavy Yucatecan dishes. I attempted to the best of my ability to embrace the cultural experience of the meal. In addition, the language barrier was an opportunity to adapt to the culture. In high school, I had studied the Spanish language for five years. Yet, when I went to college, I did not take a Spanish class. When I arrived in Mexico, I found myself to be pretty darn rusty. The International Affairs Scholars Program’s May Study Abroad to Mexico’s historical Yucatan peninsula provided me an opportunity to improve my Spanish speaking skills and learn more about the culture through the language.

In the end, on the International Affairs Scholars Program’s May Study Abroad to Mexico’s historical Yucatan peninsula enriched my academic and personal experience as a student of the Ohio State University. Reflecting back upon my education abroad trip, I do not believe I would have been able to fulfill my academic and personal goals without this experience. Thus, I am forever thankful to the host institution, coordinators, and the Ohio State University for this opportunity.

Uxmal

Chichen Itza

Climbing a Mayan Pyramid

Isla Mujeres

Name: Molly Potoczak

Type of Project: Environmental Sustainability in Costa Rica Study Abroad

1. For my STEP Signature Project, I took a 2-week long Earth Science class at Ohio State, then I traveled to various cities in Costa Rica for 10 days to learn about the vast topic of sustainability and how Costa Rica focuses very heavily on it. On my trip, we visited wind farms, learned about sustainable food/beverage production methods, and hiked through tropical rainforests. I learned quite a bit about the physical makeup of Costa Rica through my in-class portion of this project.
2. My view of the world dramatically changed while I was on this trip. As I mentioned before, sustainability was our main focus and that is not in my realm of study, so I never thought much about it. However, going on this trip really opened my eyes to how important being sustainable actually is. I am an economics minor, so I was always very supportive of trying to build up businesses and expanding the economy, but I never realized how much of a toll that took on the environment. Going on this trip and seeing how much of a connection that Costa Ricans have with their land really helped me to realize how important nature actually is. Since returning to the U.S., I have become a huge proponent of preserving the environment in any way possible, even if this means scaling back on economic progress a little bit.
3. One activity that led to my worldview change was going to the wind farm. When we were there, I got to see a wind turbine up close for the first time, and there was something about that that really got me thinking about the environment that we have been blessed with. It truly is something incredible and we are ruining it little by little every single day without even thinking twice. If we keep living the way we do, our grandchildren might not have the same luxury of walking outside and breathing in fresh air. At the wind farm, we discussed how growing the economy is deteriorating our environment. I always thought economic improvement was the most important thing, but it really is not when it is ruining our very Earth. Being able to see a sustainable energy source up close helped me to better understand how necessary they really are.

A key relationship that helped me with my transformation was that with my professor that accompanied us on the trip. I had never met him until our on-campus lectures, but I could instantly tell that I was going to like him. He made the material interesting for me (I typically am not too interested in earth science) and he always related it back to Costa Rica and sustainability, which made me excited for the trip. While in-country, you could see how passionate he was about preserving the planet and doing things in a sustainable way, which really made me want to be like that. He seemed so fulfilled from living a sustainable lifestyle and showed how easy it is to do.

Finally, my interactions with locals was the most important factor in my transformation. Being able to witness firsthand their profound respect for the environment was moving. A common thing in Costa Rica is to build a very small house on your plot of land, so you have more land to protect and take care of. That fact really hit me hard because it is the exact opposite of America. Here, people build houses that are way bigger than they need, just to show off their wealth. Experiencing Costa Rica showed me that true wealth can be found simply in nature. Experiencing how an entire culture was built off of respect for land and the environment is enough to make anyone realize its true importance.

4. This change of mindset is significant for my life because it changes how I complete everyday tasks. Now, I take the bus to work everyday instead of further polluting the air by taking my own car. I make it a point to recycle, take shorter showers, and not leave unnecessary things plugged into my wall. Even if they are little things, they add up to make a big difference in both my life and the environment. Also, in the profession of accounting, (my future career and current internship) quite a lot of paper is used. Recently, I was asked by my senior to print out something that was 432 pages long. I thought that was absurd, so I asked him if there was any way to cut that down. I ended up skimming the statement and picking out the most important information and cutting it down to only 80 pages. That is still a lot, but I knew that I was making an impact by saving those other 352 pages. I plan to keep up this technique in my future and hopefully be able to make it a complete computerized system by the time I am well into my career. Therefore, that shows just how much of an impact this study abroad trip had on me and how it will make significant positive impacts in my future.

Here is a link to my blog about the experience 🙂

http://u.osu.edu/potoczak.3/