Step Reflection

Javier Melendez-Galinsky

I used my STEP money last spring to travel to Europe on a study abroad trip with Dr. Jesus Lara of the City and Regional Planning program. I am a City and Regional so this trip was very informative and exciting to me. The purpose of the trip was to explore sustainable urbanism in various European cities. The main cities that we visited on our trip were Copenhagen (Denmark), Hamburg and Berlin (Germany), and Amsterdam (Holland). While traveling it was our job to critically analyze certain locations within each city and evaluate them based on our understandings of the various principles of sustainable urbanism.

Seeing these countries and cities helped me better understand some really important principles of urban planning that we are lacking in The United States. What makes cities like the ones listed above so great is in large part due to their density. In the United States, many of our cities and communities are built up in a way that planning theorists like to call “leapfrog development”. This is a pattern of sprawling development where some lots are developed and others nearby remain undeveloped while speculators wait until the perfect time to develop them. This further enhances the problems of urban sprawl, which are so familiar to us in the U.S. The key to healthy urban areas is Density and traveling to these cities really allowed me to see this. Density is viewed as a benefit in these cities. It allows residents to interact with neighbors, local business owners and many other aspects of their neighborhoods in much healthier ways. I was also struck by how convenient bicycling is in many of these cities. Copenhagen and Amsterdam are two cities in particular where it is extremely useful to have a bike. The amount of bicycle traffic is higher than amount of automobile traffic in many of these cities, which is amazing; especially considering how cold most of these places get during the year. But even in the dead of winter, it is normal to see people opting to bike around the city rather than drive. I believe that interacting and exploring these cities has made me better able to grasp the concepts of healthy urban planning methods and has made me even more excited about my career path.

There were many interactions and relationships that I built on my trip that helped me grow and learn. First of all, I felt that I really got to know my professor, Dr. Lara, a lot better because of this trip. Dr. Lara has been to the cities we visited many times and has even lived and studied in some of them. He had many connections throughout the cities and we were lucky enough to be introduced to some of his professional connections in these cities as well.

Secondly, we were lucky enough to have two professionals in the planning field that accompanied us on the trip. One was from OHM advisors and the other was from MKSK, two planning, architecture and engineering firms in Columbus. Traveling with them was great because they helped us understand what was really at the heart of successes for these cities. In addition, going on this trip was a great opportunity for me to invest in getting to know my fellow planning classmates on a more personal level.

In almost every city we visited, our professor Dr. Lara knew architecture and urban planning professionals who we were lucky enough to meet with. This gave us as students the opportunity to learn about current initiatives that were going on in the different European cities we were visiting firsthand from the planners and architects who were actually overseeing and responsible for designing them. Since many of these cities were very easy to bike through, these planning professionals also led us on bicycle tours of some cities like Copenhagen, Berlin and Amsterdam. This allowed us to experience the cities from the perspective of their residents. It also gave us a local perspective to these cities and we were able to see many different neighborhoods and hidden gems that we may have never seen if it weren’t for them.

I feel that participating and traveling in this trip also allowed me to continue to grow on a personal level. Traveling is always a learning and growing experience and this trip allowed me to grow on a personal level as I traveled. Once on Europe, I traveled around the continent with people who I did not know before the trip began. There were also assumptions I had made about some of these cities that were challenged and proved wrong when I visited these cities in person. Berlin for example was a very interesting city to me in many different ways. One of the first things I noticed about Berlin when we arrived was how diverse of a city it is. You can see the diversity of Berlin almost immediately because of how frequent and popular Middle Eastern food is in the city. As soon as we stepped off the high-speed train in Berlin’s Hauptbanhof (central station) I knew we were in a different kind of European city. There is a pretty large population of Turkish people who immigrated to Germany that live in Berlin. There are also decent numbers of African people who live in Berlin and Americans who migrated from the U.S to this city. This came as a surprise to me. Before traveling to Berlin, I didn’t really know anything about the city besides its history pertaining to the Berlin Wall and its destruction during World War Two. Something else I saw and experienced in Berlin was how the old divisions that used to exist between the eastern and western portion of Berlin are still visible in many ways. Although the wall once divided the city between east and west is no longer standing, the influences that shaped the two sections of the city in terms of architecture and urban fabric can still be seen quite easily. Berlin is also a young city with neighborhoods made vibrant by young people and immigrants. Some of the most memorable neighborhoods we visited in Berlin were also the most diverse neighborhoods, filled with young working people, immigrants and delicious foods.

In these ways Berlin challenged my assumptions of what European cities are or can be. Before visiting Berlin, I had the idea in my head that all European cities were built up of ancient, renascence and Victorian era buildings following winding narrow cobble stone streets and roads. However, Berlin is not this at all. It is a city that in many ways is still being reconstructed from the rubble that it was after world war two and the rigid division that partitioned it during the cold war era. Because of this, the urban fabric of Berlin is closer in appearance to that of a Midwestern American city than to that of a historic European city. This is most noticeable because it has wide roads oriented for automobile instead of pedestrians in many parts of the city (particularly the former soviet controlled part of the city). Despite the tumultuous history of Berlin, it is nonetheless a diverse and cosmopolitan city with young working professionals, vibrant diverse communities and distinct neighborhoods. Berlin challenged my assumptions of what a European city is and can be and is a city I hope to return to in the near future for these reasons.

Taking this trip also allowed me to grow on an academic and professional level. By traveling through these European cities I realized that our field of urban planning really is a profession that must be viewed as a tool and method to improve, shape and analyze the delicate complexities of our urban communities, social and physical environments. Urban planning in Europe seems to be broader focused and projects that are undertaken in European cities seem to be aimed at improving peoples lives in a multitude of ways. So much thought is put into the designs of parks, for example, whom they serve and how they will benefit the communities they are targeting.

In summary, the opportunity that was given to me in traveling to these various European countries and cities was one that I was extremely grateful to be a part of. I learned a lot about sustainable urban planning practices and came away from the trip with a better understanding of how I may be able to one day improve the health and vitality of many American cities and communities through work as an urban planner. I’ve always been fascinated by the problems our cities have experienced because of decades of poor urban planning practices and thanks to my STEP experience I feel well set to help make a difference in how our cities work for everyone when I finally make it into the career field.

For my STEP experience I went on a study abroad trip to London called Global May Britain. I travelled throughout England for the month of May and lived in the city with 40 other Ohio State students. We took a class in the history, culture, and politics of Great Britain, and we went on excursions to places such as Westminster Abbey, Oxford University, Hampton Court, and Scotland.

When I first arrived in Great Britain, I experienced a huge culture shock. Not only had I never been to London before but I had never been to any large city before. My parents’ idea of a vacation was hiking up a mountain in some remote location in Montana, so I have yet to see New York City, Chicago, L.A., or any city larger than Columbus. I am from a very small town, and so I feel like I grew up in a bubble. I didn’t meet many different kinds of people or have a wide variety of new experiences, but London definitely changed that. The diversity in London is incredible and I had the opportunity to meet so many new people, who really opened my eyes to what else is out there in the world. Getting used to riding the tube, navigating the city, and learning to live in the flat was definitely a challenge for the first few days, and I was honestly very nervous about how the experience would go.

To my great pleasure, I found that I was able to adapt to London life with ease. This trip really helped to change my perceptions of what it is like to travel to a new place and helped me get over my fears of big cities. I think that this is the best way to learn to live in a new country, or any new place. By throwing yourself into the culture and everyday life and just working with it until it seems natural and easy, you learn the cultural norms and habits of the place that you are living in. I have wanted to travel to Great Britain my entire life, ever since I became interested in British literature and history. Being able to see the places that I had read about my whole life was absolutely incredible. I gained so much knowledge and experience from this trip, and it really changed the way that I view the world. I used to think of travelling as a big scary thing that was something I might not be able to tackle on my own. But now, I’ve discovered that I can not only have confidence while I travel, but it’s something I could do on my own, which I feel really proud of.

As I alluded to in the above paragraph, I think what helped me conquer my nerves most was the fact that I threw myself into living in London for a month and was forced to just go with it. I figured out how to navigate through the city, and it really helped that I was with other Ohio State students. Together we could learn from each other and before long, we became pros. On the first day I got hopelessly lost with two other students trying to find our way to Westminster Abbey, but after that we had a much better idea of how the tube worked and we never got that lost again. I learned that there was nothing to be afraid of- the city was full of opportunity and amazing sites.

Before this trip, I was always really uncomfortable doing things by myself. I always enjoyed having company and would never have gone off into a city to do something on my own. However while I was in London, there were always a lot of options for things to do and students were constantly going off to do different activities. This meant that there was often something that I wanted to do that no one else was interested in at the time, and so I was left to my own means. I really enjoyed being able to spend time by myself and see the parts of London and Great Britain that I wanted to. It helped me make the experience my own. One weekend I took a train by myself to Alton to see Jane Austen’s house, who has always been one of my favorite authors. It was an incredible experience and I have a lot more confidence now doing things independently.

During the duration of the trip, we went on many excursions throughout London and England. We saw fancy downtown areas, parts of the city that were rich with culture, and areas that had seen crime and poverty. Coming from a small town, I had a very limited world view but being able to travel through a foreign city really changed how I thought about other people in the world. We had the opportunity to talk with people in the neighborhoods and on the tube, and it was fascinating to hear the life stories of people who grew up miles and miles away from me. There are so many cultural differences between how people in London live versus what I’m used to, and I loved being able to see those differences in person. By seeing differences in how people live, we can gain a better understanding of the world and work together to make it a better place.

This experience was huge for me when I think about my future life. It was my first big travel experience, and it helped give me the confidence I needed to plan more trips and charge ahead into the world. I plan on becoming a nurse, and it has been my dream to do a Doctors without Borders program. I certainly will be travelling to a variety of different places for this program, and so I think it’s fantastic that I have this experience under my belt. It also was great simply because I had the opportunity to meet so many new people, and as a nurse I will constantly be meeting new people from all different walks of life. I will carry the memories of this trip and the confidence it gave me into my future endevours and I am very grateful for that. 

Sonja Summer

Study Abroad – India

My STEP Signature Project was to travel to North Central India, to learn about the historical architecture of the northern cities of Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. My group also volunteered Barefoot College, which is a local skills development college in the village Tilonia.

I knew that going to India would be life changing for me, the culture is so different from the United States and the lifestyle is nothing that I am used to. I had known ahead of time that the country faced a poverty and pollution issue, but all the research and reading that my class did ahead of time is nothing compared to seeing it in person. I learned firsthand about some of the critical issues that India faces. We traveled in May, which is their tourist off season due to the extreme heat. The average temperature during our time there was 110° F, not only was that difficult for us but we also saw how the locals struggled through the heat. Along with the heat, there is also a water shortage in some of the areas we visited. At some points during our visit in the urban areas, it could be difficult to breath from the poor air quality. While all of this may seem very negative, I would not give up this experience for anything. It was shocking to experience this for my two weeks, but I feel that the knowledge and life experiences I gained far out way any first world inconvenience I may have faced. I feel that I have gained so much empathy and understanding for people in struggling countries, through witnessing the poverty and resource deficiencies.

While shopping at some of the markets in Delhi, our group was commonly approached by beggars. We knew it was best to wait until we left the area to give anything, otherwise word would spread of tourist with money and more people would start to follow us. It was exceptionally difficult to say no to the children that approached us or the women carrying infants. Many of the children were unsupervised and poorly clothed, you could tell from the dirt on them that they haven’t bathed in a while. You couldn’t tell if they were abandoned or if they separate from their families to cover more ground. It was also difficult to see the women with all their children with them, knowing that there was a good chance that they were raped or resorted to prostitution at some point.

While at Barefoot College, we learned about their water collection system. They used the roofs to collect rainwater and deposited it in an underground reservoir. It was incredible to see how careful the people were to not waste any of the water, since they have been experiencing a drought for a few years. At every opportunity, they minimized their need for water and reused it where they could. It is so different from here in the Midwest United States, where we have ample amounts of water and our only motivation for not being wasteful is to keep the water bill low instead of the threat of running out.

One of the most uplifting experiences on the trip was to speak to the women learning solar engineering at Barefoot. Known as the “Solar Mamas”, these women are grandmothers in their impoverished, rural communities who travel to India from all over the world to learn how to install and maintain solar lamps to light their otherwise unelectrified villages. We had the opportunity to speak to some of these women, and it was so incredible to see the pure expression of joy that they had knowing that what they were learning would directly benefit their family and neighbors. We also asked them about how this has effected them personally, many of the women told us that their confidence has increased and upon returning home plan to help facilitate changes to hopefully improve on how the women are treated.

One of the Barefoot Classrooms

I feel that this experience has given me an understanding and more insight to what real poverty can look like. Living in a first world country and eventually getting a career with my college education, I will never have to experience the kinds of struggles that I witnessed while in India. This trip gave me a much better appreciation for the comforts that I do have, and opened my mind to a small snip of what life could be like without it. I think that this trip has made me a more compassionate and understanding person, hopefully, those soft skills will prove themselves beneficial in future personal and professional interactions.

Here is a link to my groups project on Women’s Rights for Barefoot College:

https://u.osu.edu/indiawomensrights/

My signature STEP project was a study abroad trip to Australia and Fiji this past May. This adventure taught me more about leadership theories and styles. It also allowed me to explore a different part of the world with a great group of people.

Being from Lake Villa, IL (a small suburb of Chicago), I grew up with limited view of the world, mostly the influences of television and books that made the world seem like pictures posted together instead of this huge place. Sure, I had traveled before, but nowhere near as far as Australia. It was things like seeing the sky from a different hemisphere that put the vastness of the world in perspective. Another part of this trip that changed my perspective of the world was the time difference. Not only did the time difference force me to strengthen my communication skills, but also it was strange to think that while I was hiking the Blue Mountains, my friends and family back home were fast asleep. Another change that I experienced on this trip was developing my leadership techniques. Throughout the trip we had roles like cook, leader of the day, motivator, etc. Each role required me to adapt my leadership because sometimes the best leadership tactic is to be attentive and to listen to others and help them carry out their ideas. This trip allowed me to refine my leadership style and taught me to identify leadership styles of others in order to work better with others. This trip also taught me to try new things and be open to different opportunities.

There were two distinct times on this trip in which I felt the vastness of the world. One was the plane ride there. We were on the largest plane I’ve ever been on for 11 hours with people we didn’t know. It was a slightly terrifying, but mostly exhilarating feeling because I was completely out of my comfort zone and flying halfway across the world. The other time in which I realized the sheer size of the world was when we were in the Blue Mountains and were at the bottom of this extremely tall waterfall and one of the trip leaders pointed up and said “time to climb up there.” And so with legs like pistons, we made it to the top. These experiences showed me how big the world is and how much there still left to explore and learn.

This trip was organized by the OAC and had a primary focus on leadership. As mentioned previously, we were given different roles everyday. We also researched different leadership theories and presented them to the group. Finally, through group meetings and teambuilding exercises we were able to see leadership techniques in action. The roles everyday let us lead in different ways. For example, one of the jobs was to be “mom/dad” and remind people to hydrate and wear sunscreen. The ideal attributes for this role were to be caring and responsible. Some of the leadership topics included Leave No Trace, Situational Leadership, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Elements of all these topics were observed during the trip. My presentation revolved around authentic leadership and how leadership can consist of bits and pieces of each of these topics to be genuine and effective. Lastly, we did lots of teambuilding exercises and although some may have been a tad cheesy, they were beneficial for getting to know other people on the trip and also increased self-awareness. The most impactful was when everyone created I-am-from poems and shared them on the ferry. I still use a lot of the information that I learned about leadership from this trip in everyday life.

Being in a new place with new people creates an atmosphere of trying new things. The amount of fruit that I tried in Cairns was remarkable. Although some were better than others, it showed me that experiencing strange things is how the best things are found. Also all the people I met during this trip were fantastic and I am glad that I met them through this trip and was able to experience Australia and Fiji with them.

I believe that the best way to grow as a person is to live through different experiences. My adventures in Australia and Fiji have broadened my perspective, strengthened my leadership, and challenged me to be open to new things. As an RA, the leadership techniques are extremely relevant and I’m aware of using them on a daily basis. Personally, I have always wanted to travel and see the world, now having done it, I know that I will want to continue exploring and discovering new places. STEP has truly allowed me to widen my vision of the world and has nourished my desire to travel.

My project was an internship abroad program offered through the Fisher College of Business, where I interned in Madrid for eight weeks at MAS Consulting, a global public affairs firm. The staple of my work was to create daily news reports by scanning five major U.S. newspapers, two Spanish papers, RealClearPolitics polling, the candidates’ twitter feeds, and their campaigns’ advertisements. I would then create four news story summaries (in Castilian Spanish), record the daily polling for a relevant political topic, and select campaign media to include in these daily reports. Once these were finished, I had some time to work on long-term projects, which included the compilation of Spanish campaign media dating as far back as Kennedy, a summary of Marisa Abrajano’s Latino Voter Targeting research, and various transcriptions the C.E.O. needed help with.

This being my first time traveling outside the U.S., I expected (and looked forward to) a change in my understanding of the world and of myself. My expectations were certainly met! I spent much of my time working at MAS, but I also spent a great deal of time exploring Spain and participating in additional professional development activities provided to us by We Find Group, the company working with Fisher to provide housing and support for the interns. It was through these opportunities that I was able to meet native speakers and listen to their experiences and perspectives. Though it is worth noting that most of the Spaniards I talked to were young, college educated, and from the city center, I felt as though the people there were very warm and welcoming. In fact, I found myself wishing that such openness could make its way back to the U.S. After actually leaving the U.S., I thought of all the misconceptions I have heard over the years about those living in other countries and have since become an advocate of travel as a way to help everyday people realize the global reality of our world and to break down antiquated barriers. Lastly, I also gained more self-confidence after proving to myself that I could function well in a completely new and rather foreign environment.

The specific activities that helped fuel the transformative effects of this project were largely the supplemental educational and networking events We Find Group offered. Some were intimidating and others challenging, but they became some of the best memories I have. I attended a presentation on the European Union by a representative from the European Commission (before Brexit), a two-day summit on the future of the EU by an academic panel (after Brexit), and two business networking events, all of which introduced me to incredible people, new information, and opportunities to practice Spanish in a professional environment.

The networking events were so transformational that I left them in a state of surprise. Surprised by what I could accomplish despite my fears. Networking, though incredibly important and something I force myself to do in professional settings, makes me feel like I’d rather just stay home. It sounds difficult, exhausting, and reminds me of the times I had to perform on stage in high school. I continued to experience this feeling before these events despite never having a terrible networking experience before. Then adding in the challenge of networking in a foreign language just made it that much tougher. Still, I knew that I should at least try. So I went and had a great time, actually. I met business professionals both young and old, talking to a variety of people while simply being myself. I was even able to speak Spanish relatively fluidly once I started to feel more comfortable. I left the event with multiple business cards and even an invitation to grab coffee with a recent grad and his friend group. This happened in the third week of the eight-week experience, and I was ready for the next one even before I even knew the date. Now that I have successfully networked in Spanish, I no longer dread networking here in the U.S.

The other event that had the most profound transformational effect was the two-day Summit of the Future of the E.U. It was very interesting to hear the different perspectives from a panel of experts and to read the literature they provided us. However, it was the other students I met there who left the most lasting impression on me. I went alone, as We Find Group only had one spot to fill, and was expecting to quietly listen from the back (which was perfectly fine with me). But during the breaks, the conversations I got into with a few others turned into welcoming invitations to have lunch, where I was able to get to know a group of eight other students from Spanish universities. We talked a lot about the global realities facing Europe and the United States, along with personal details about each others’ lives. After the summit, many of us had a late night dinner together in a nearby town and they even drove me all the way back to Madrid since they were also heading back in that direction – all of this completely spontaneous. Unfortunately, this summit occurred in the last week of my trip, but we still managed to meet in Madrid one last time before I went back to the U.S., and we still keep in contact through Facebook and WhatsApp today. After that experience, I wish everyone could have the opportunity to personally connect with citizens of other countries. Their welcoming nature is something I aspire to pass on, and their perspectives of the world have greatly enriched my own.

Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of this internship experience and believe I have largely met the goals I set forth before embarking on this overseas journey. The primary objective of this experience according to We Find Group and the Fisher College of Business was to gain global business experience for both résumé and personal reasons. I certainly shared and believe I met those objectives, but also wanted to better my Spanish language skills and acquire a deeper understanding of the Spanish culture. With the duties at MAS, my skills regarding written Spanish increased greatly, as I was reading and writing a great deal of Spanish every weekday. More specifically, the development of my Spanish relating to public policy allowed me to hold conversation beyond the mundane and express more accurately who I was as a student and an intern in Spain. My spoken Spanish wasn’t developed as much due to the nature of my work, but even proficiency is highly beneficial to my professional as well as personal interests as a student of Public Management, Leadership, and Policy who’s interested in U.S. immigration policy. And of course, on a personal level, I feel that my horizons have greatly expanded and that I am ready to continue world travel long into my future.

I completed my STEP Signature Project this past summer. It was a six week Advanced French Learning program which involved me taking two classes while staying with a homestay in Montpellier, France.

These classes, instructed in French, explored various cultural topics including France’s history with immigration, developing technology in France, and France’s healthcare system. These classes were very laid back and the relaxed style of the professors provided more than just a classroom education.  I really appreciated the raw look I had at French culture with these two professors. It was refreshing learning about an immigration story that did not involve the phrase “melting pot”. The United States has such a rich immigration story that I feel the stories of other countries is often overlooked in US education. I thought it was interesting learning about topics of racism and social prejudices in France from sources that I would not typically use in the US. We looked at the history behind these prejudices and discussed how these prejudices are still relevant today. These discussions made me think about my own prejudices and the prejudices I interact with on a daily basis.

One of the two classes I took was a “Science and Technology” course which was taught by a young French woman with a great personality. She did not hold back in expressing how odd she thought things seemingly normal to us American students were when they differed from her normality. For instance we discussed the cost of healthcare in France versus the US, and how it is normal to go to the hospital in France for minor health problems versus a physician because hospitals are “free” in France. I think study abroad is really important because it lets people experience a new “normal” and really drives home the relativity of the idea. Being able to stay six weeks in Montpellier allowed me to develop a new normal there and reflect on the positive and negative aspects of my life in the US. While my life in Montpellier was probably filled with more ice cream than is recommended, I enjoyed my limited wifi access and the abundance of small bakeries. I think my life now after this study abroad is a nice hybrid between my “pre-Montpellier normal” and my “Montpellier normal”, even though I still need to work on my ice cream and espresso balance.

I really appreciated the genuine nature of the French people I interacted with. In material my program gave out before the beginning of the trip, it expressed the importance of not smiling to strangers as smiles and friendly gestures are more reserved for friends in France. I enjoyed this less superficial idea of expression, but when talking with my host mom, she expressed how she appreciated the friendliness of Americans and their less judgmental character.

My host mom was such a large point of inspiration to me. I really value the memories I have of conversations with her. I can no longer get a large cup of coffee without thinking about the time she told me the French call American coffee “shoe water” and made fun of the size and quality of it in comparison to the espresso. She had such a passion for her family and friends. It was heartwarming to see how excited she got about her friends coming into town and made me think about who I had that kind of passion for. She really inspired me to find something I am passionate about and commit myself to it.  She loved New York and watched American soap operas. One of the most inspiring things was she memorized how to say a phrase from an English commercial and she was so proud of it. She knew some English vocabulary and her passion for English really revived my passion for French. Every morning before taking off in the car for class she would say “let’s go” in English and it was one of my favorite parts of the day.

Visiting France had been a dream of mine since I was first introduced to the French language in Kindergarten. Between Kindergarten and my second year of college, this dream had festered into a grand adventure where upon landing in France I would be swept away by the chicness of the great French culture and love every second of my trip. As one can imagine, this wasn’t the reality of my trip. However, I think my trip was more valuable than any dream vacation could have been.

One of the best experiences I had on my trip happened as I was waiting to take the tram to my home outside of the city. A woman approached me and asked me how to use the cards required for boarding the tram. I was able to explain to her how to use the card and held a conversation with her the entirety of the thirty minute tram trip, all in French. This was a woman who wasn’t being paid by my school to be patient with my French and I was able to communicate effectively with her. The whole walk home from the tram stop I was beaming and when I got home I told my French family all about my experience, again all in French. The woman on the tram had told me that my French was decent and I explained how I could understand a lot more than what I could say. She repeated a sentiment that I had heard over and over that speaking was the hardest part of learning a new language. I would say that a lot behind speaking ability has to do with confidence. This encounter on the tram really boosted my confidence. It also made me realize just how extraordinary I find the ability to speak several languages. It was neat that I could be speaking English one moment and the next French.

Traveling around France most people I encountered could speak more than just French and I found it extraordinary. I realized how intimidating traveling to the United States would be for a non-English speaker. Here in the US, almost all communication is done in English and a small minority of people know a second language. But in France almost everyone knew English or another language other than French which was nice in a way because if I could not communicate effectively in French I could resort back to English or “Franglaise” (French and English). However, this is one thing I didn’t like as well. I think, had I not constantly been switching back and forth between English and French, I would have been able to click into the French mindset a bit better and my French would have really improved. With my host family English was forbidden. I think my time and conversations with them is what helped my French the most.

I attended a small family gathering with my host family. There, there were two younger girls and they enjoyed critiquing my pronunciation as they had not grasped the idea that I had an accent. It was fun interacting with these younger girls who just saw me as a stranger and not as a foreigner.

I had so many experiences over this trip that forced me to grow as an individual. As I continue studying French I want to focus more on getting into the French mindset and not speaking English with French words, but actually phrasing my sentences as a natural French speaker would. Today is my birthday and my host mom told me to “blow my candles well” as a birthday greeting. I think these differences in phrasing are beautiful and I’d really like to expand my use of French phrasing.

As I expressed above, my time in Montpellier allowed me to reflect on how I spend my time here in the states and I am looking to shape my new normal in a hybrid of “Montpellier normal” and “States normal”.  The biggest take away that I would like to bring into my life is the French philosophy on enjoying life. The French it seems tend to try and enjoy life while the Americans tend to try and succeed in life. I talked about this with my host mom and she valued the American’s hard work ethic but I put more value on the French’s value of friendship and family. I think there is a healthy balance between the two and I would like to find a “normal” that fits this balance.

Name: Gabrielle Benton

Type of Project: Study Abroad

For my STEP Signature Project I went on the OSU Brazil Global May Program. I traveled with Dr. Lúcia Costigan and Raphael Palermos for a month through the southeast and northeast regions of Brazil. We learned about the everyday life culture of Brazil, looking at religion, history, politics, and socioeconomic disparity.

Before traveling to Brazil I had always seen myself working or living in Europe after graduation. I started taking French when I was younger and had romantic ideals about living in France and starting a new life there. Last year, however, I made the decision to double major in Romance Studies with my Strategic Communications major. I started taking Portuguese classes and decided to learn more about South America and Brazil. 

When we arrived in Brazil, I was amazed by the welcoming nature of the people there. I had not realized how much of an influence the United States has on Brazil and that they are so interested in our lifestyles, pop culture, and politics. Above all, I was humbled. The trip gave me a new perspective on my life, the many opportunities I have for my future, and how valuable new experiences are. Through our travels, I saw how beautiful the country is, but how much reform needs to be done. This trip helped me see how much there is to learn about the world and this country.

The first city we stayed in was São Jose do Rio Preto. We were there for four days and those days have had the greatest impact on my life. I was able to meet a young woman named Iris who studied English to be a translator and who now teaches English to other Brazilians. She was a close friend of one of the trip leaders and I got to spend time with her going to a mall during our free time where she told me about her daily life and taught me new Portuguese words. We spent hours talking about our lives and she took me to my first Brazilian McDonald’s.

By the time we had to travel to the next city, we were sad to part ways. To this day we still talk regularly and she hopes to visit in the next few years. Through our conversations we have been able to relate to each other about the difficulties of learning a new language and adjusting to a different culture. Iris once told me that she was sure Communication was the perfect program for me because I had made her feel welcomed and happy from the moment that we met. Hearing this from someone who had only known me a short time and who comes from a completely different part of the world reassured me of my abilities and myself.

I also met a university student in Rio Preto who connected with me because of his dream to study abroad in America. I have been helping him work on his English and look into different programs so he can realize his dreams, like I did when I went to Brazil. It is such a humbling experience to realize that you can make a difference in someone’s life, through friendship or mentorship. This trip demonstrated to me that I have been given opportunities for education and travel so I can then use my knowledge to make a difference in the world, particularly through communications and education.

After graduation, I am excited to use my degree in Communications and Romance Studies (French and Portuguese) to apply for a Fulbright program or work for an international non-profit organization. Studying abroad this summer made me more confident in my abilities to adjust to a new culture and make new relationships abroad. While in Brazil we visited many schools, non-profits, and varying communities—from the wealthy neighborhoods to favelas. I know that after my international experiences I am more qualified to relate to people and dedicated to my goals of helping improve the lives of others. With further dedication to my Portuguese language skills and research, I know I will find the right path for my future with Brazil or other Portuguese-speaking countries.

For my STEP signature project, I studied abroad in South Africa with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. The program was a little over three weeks long and had a focus on exotic animal welfare and behavior of the species found in South Africa. We traveled to various animal-related places, such as Kruger National Park, and listened to professionals talk about their jobs working with exotic animals, as well as, current issues in the animal field.

For the three weeks that we stayed in South Africa, we were immersed in the culture and lives of the people there. I was really surprised to learn that South Africa did not look like I imagined it would. I expected more of a forest and savanna feel, but the majority of the area we drove through was farm land. Just miles of banana trees and some other crops. Hitch hiking is very common their because people have to travel far distances each day and many people do not have cars. South Africa is a developed country, there is large metropolis cities that look similar to the United States. No matter if the houses were out in the rural areas or in the middle of a city, they all had high fences with barbed wire or spikes at the top. This is because the rates of poverty and crime are extremely high throughout the country. Overall, I feel that becoming more educated about a different culture has made me more aware of what life is like in another country and how that affects their outlooks on the world.

I have, also, learned a great deal about the lives of animals in South Africa since that was the main focus of this study abroad. There is very little habitat left for these animals to live in South Africa and only so many animals can inhabit these areas. For example, leopards have a large territory which they will not share with another leopard unless it is mating season. So even if physically more than one leopard can live in an area, due to territories, this cannot happen. I have new views on hunting animals as well from learning the perspective of those who live in South Africa. Poaching was another big topic that was discussed and after hearing some great speaker talk about this, I feel education is the best way to combat poaching of species. Some animals have less time than other before they become extinct from poaching, one of these being the rhino, which was a focus for one of the places we got to visit. These many new ideas and outlooks on South Africa as well as animal welfare came from all of the experiences and interactions that I was able to have through my STEP project.

The first place we got to visit in South Africa was Mikon Chicken farm. There we saw that their facility is very similar to farms we have in the U.S. and we got to see what life is like for the workers. The people that work on the farm often live on it, as well, either with their families or by themselves. Those who come by themselves often will send their earrings home to their families. We talked to the son of the company owner and he showed us how everything on the farm worked and the types of chicken products that they sell. Africans actually prefer to eat the chicken legs, compared to Americans who like our chicken breasts, and they will eat every part of the chicken including heads and feet. Africans need to be able to feed large families on low cost budgets so they are very resourceful in using all parts of an animal.

Another place we got to see lots of human and animal interactions was Moholoholo wildlife rehabilitation center. There we got to listen to one of their guides give an excellent presentation on poaching and animal conservation as well as what the rehabilitation center does. From the speech, I took away a lot of new ideas of how different cultures have distinctive views on animals, additionally, about how humans tend to protect animals that we find esthetically pleasing. One example is, people liking elephants because they look cute or majestic and will put effort into saving them while on the other hand not many people like bees and tend to be scared of them so they might not care as much if they go extinct. The thing is that bees are need to pollinate plants and are necessary to keep many ecosystems intact, while on the other hand, elephants do not really contribute much to their ecosystem. This is not to say elephants should be allowed to go extinct, but that people’s perception and knowledge of an animal can actually determine if that animal is going to survive in this world.

I got to learn a lot more about animal behavior in Kruger National Park, where we stayed for four days and got to take a safari around the park. Our guide for the study abroad was a South African native named Andy, who is very knowledgeable of the country and the animals. He taught us about animal behaviors, like the territories leopards have, and explained the amazing things we got to see. Something I was curious about before going to South Africa was how Kruger National Park manages their animals. I knew that Kruger managed their animals before going to South Africa, but I was not sure how intense that management actually is. After talking with Andy and getting a chance to drive around the national park myself, I found that Kruger is pretty loosely managed. Andy told me that when a disease that is natural to the area breaks out in the park they do not step in to provide any outside help. They will allow those animals to die because it is how nature intended it. On the other hand, if the disease is not naturally occurring in the park, such as foot and mouth disease, they will take action to protect the animals. An example of this is the area closed off to breed disease free buffalo. I think that the amount they manage the animals seems to allow for a very natural setting, however, I think that if animal numbers dropped too much from a natural occurring disease that they would in fact step in. This comes down to should we intervene with an animal becoming extinct if it is through nature.

An animal that needs intervention to prevent it from becoming extinct is the rhino. We got the privilege of visiting a rhino preservation that is own by man who uses his fortune to buy, feed, and protect them. Majority of his money goes to security because, even though the preservation is located in a very secluded area, poachers are crafty in finding them. They will kill a rhino just to get its horn, which I learned on my study abroad can actually grow back. The horn is like your finger nails and can be trimmed then grown back many times in a rhino’s life. Most people don’t know this and will still kill them which is causing unnecessary extinction of this animal that can easily have its’ horn harvested without killing the animal. This is where I really feel like education is the key to solving lots of poaching issues. In addition, educating people that other animal parts, like tiger claws or hyena tails, do not have any medicinal properties. A huge reason some animals are senselessly poached is for these parts and people do not realize that, not only do they not have medicinal properties, because of their want for these products many animals are endangered. I feel now that I have been there and experienced these things first hand, I can give people factual knowledge about what is happening in that part of the world.

My STEP project has really transformed my views of the world and provided me with an opportunity that has pushed me forward in my career. I had never been overseas before this study abroad and in doing so opened my ideas to the lifestyle and culture of other country. I had to adapt to a place where it was not always easy to communicate with the natives even though they spoke decent English. In addition, I barely knew any of the people I traveled with so it was an opportunity to see how I got along with everyone. I ended up making some great friends, including the professor who went with us. The connections that I made during my study abroad will be valuable throughout the career pathway I want to follow.

As of right now, I want to become a veterinarian working with small animals and exotics.  I chose this study abroad because I wanted to see how humans interact with animals in a different country. I learned about how South Africans view the wild animals that live there and how they care for them. Those we got the privilege of hearing talk told us about the problems that the animals and people face, as well as, what solutions they are working towards. Since I do hope to work with exotics, it was really great that I got to see animals, which are normally in zoos, out in a natural setting where they would have been before the expansion of human population. I know this experience will serve me well in my future and help me stand out in a very competitive field.

This Jessica Hippo who is hand raised and lives in South Africa. We got to feed and pet her and well as bottle feed her some tea which she really likes.

My STEP signature project was the Environmental Sustainability in Costa Rica study abroad trip run by the School of Earth Sciences. This was a 10 day trip throughout different ecosystems and locations in Costa Rica.

Being able to visit a new country, especially one in which English is not the primary language, definitely opened up my eyes more to the views of people in Central America, their way of life, and the beauty of places outside of the United States. Being able to talk to some of the locals and learning how they themselves react to what goes on in America really showed me just how influential and powerful our country is, outside of our own world views. Putting myself into the shoes of the Ticos, escaping from the United States, and just enjoying living and learning in this country really impacted my life in a powerful, lasting manner.

As we hiked through National Parks, took boat tours up rivers, and lounged on the beach, I realized more than ever the importance of protecting our natural lands from the greediness of humans, something that the Ticos work so hard to balance. Witnessing the biodiversity that is found throughout the country, and knowing that one day it could be greatly diminished due to changes occurring in our atmosphere, was a painful reminder of just how fragile our planet is, and just how much work needs to be done to protect it.

This transformation is extremely important to me due to the fact that I am a huge nature lover, and birdwatcher. It has inspired me to continue my travels around the world, learning the stories of people from all over, and focusing on how we can work together to protect and care for this planet that we call home. The Ticos live it each and every day, something we as Americans can take to heart and learn from. Pura Vida!

For more information about daily events, or to see some more photos of Costa Rica, and birds, visit my personal blog, “A Birdwatcher’s Life” here!

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

Last May, I went to Uganda for three weeks to study the topics of development and human security. We stayed with host families in Kampala and also traveled outside of the capital to Kamuli and Jinja. Over the course of the three weeks, we took classes at Makerere Univeristy, visited the Ugandan Parliament, the U.S. Embassy, Murchison Falls National Park, Mwana Mugimu Nutrition Unit, TASO Mulago Hospital and went on a boat ride down the Nile River- just to name a few.

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

Every time I try to share my experience of my time in Uganda with others, I have a hard time putting it into words. In the short three weeks we were there, we were educated on the reality of the food insecurity present in certain areas of the country, and the desperate state of the free hospitals which are flooded with patients but haven’t enough staff to meet the demand. We were exposed to the slums that can be found all throughout the city and rural areas, as well as the houses surrounded by gates and concrete walls left over from Idi Amin’s reign. Taking in this landscape, I was struck by my realization of privilege as a product of the West. I was prompted to question my privilege as an American along with evaluating the fast-paced and commonly materialistic American lifestyle.

These images of poverty and corruption were not defeating, however; instead, these hardships highlighted the resilience of the Ugandan people. I was constantly overwhelmed by the immense warmth, hospitality and genuine kindness of all of the people I encountered. A conclusion I came to is that although the standards of living may not be luxurious in Uganda, their customs of a slower lifestyle and prioritizing familial values are something to admire. Ugandans really take the time to enjoy each other’s company and they treat complete strangers like family. After this trip, I was encouraged to make a conscious effort to make these qualities a priority in my own life.

3. 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?

One of the most challenging experiences I encountered while in Uganda was when we went to the Mwana Mugimu Nutrition Unit. I was not prepared to see how extremely skinny and malnourished some of the children were, and at such a young age. Dr. Fouts, our resident director and professor of the trip, pointed out to me that on the bright side, these children were all receiving help and on the road to recovery. When we went into the ward of the children nearing discharge, there was a cluster of children and their parents sitting together on the floor. We introduced ourselves and then sang Carmen for them. Children from the playground outside ran over to stand in the doorway and watch, while many of the parents took out their phones to record us. It put a smile on everyone’s faces, even if only for just a moment, and became a special memory for all of us.

Another site visit that I really enjoyed was going to TASO Mulago (The AIDs Support Organization). The people at this organization took such a positive approach in addressing HIV and AIDs; we watched a performance put on by a group of HIV survivors who played drums and sang songs about togetherness, unity, courage and love. Some of them even shared their testimony with us. It was so inspiring to see how they came together in the face of hardship to fight HIV and AIDs.

My host family was so welcoming from the moment I met them and taught me so much about kindness. My host brother Solomon gave up his bedroom so that my roommate, Caroline, and I would have a room to ourselves. My host mother and our Uncle Michael took turns driving us to class for the entire first week so we wouldn’t get lost riding the matatus (delivery van converted taxis) to school. Whenever we returned from class, we were always greeted with smiles and were asked how our day went. Solomon was always taking time away from his studies to show us his favorite places to hang out around Kampala. They truly made it a home away from home for Caroline and I, and I could not have asked to be placed with a better family. I still miss and think about my wonderful host family everyday!

Dr. Fouts was such a joyful and positive presence in the group. Whenever someone was disheartened after encountering something challenging, she would provide us with some perspective and revive our spirits. She was always encouraging us to be vulnerable and to lean on each other for support. One of my favorite nights of the trip was when the group spent the night at her home in Bujuuko. Her house is on a hill at the top of her village and the view was breathtaking. We spent the night taking pictures, dancing, enjoying each other’s company, and eating amazing food. The night ended with storytelling around the bonfire. It was a great way to end the trip and to create lasting memories with the people that I had grown so close to.

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

I learned so much about healthcare, education, food security and human security on this trip, and as a result, grew more well-rounded in my personal life. I saw, thought about, and discussed so many issues on this trip that I had never been exposed to before and it led me to reposition my perspective on what really matters in life. I have really come to appreciate the blessings I have been given, including my home, friends and family. Even being a student as this prestigious university is an opportunity many people do not receive and I often forget that. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, but my experience in Uganda reminds me to take a step back and stay grounded.

For me, the overarching theme of the trip was resilience. One of the site visits was to a Level 4 District Hospital, which was in poor shape compared to the hospitals we have here in America. The hospital was severely understaffed and lacked funding as well as necessary resources and supplies. Upon returning from the visit, our friend Dr. Ruth summed up how the Ugandan people deal with adversity, “At the end of the day, we do what we can. And what we can’t do, God takes over”. The importance of this type of mentality has stuck with me since I have returned from Uganda. I am so thankful for this trip for giving me many new friends, a wonderful mentor and memories that I will cherish forever.