Over winter break, I traveled to the Dominican Republic to study environmental sustainability. Throughout the week, we received many lectures about how the country of the Dominican Republic and its people are taking on sustainable development. In addition, we learned about the current status of the country and what efforts were needed to be taken in order to address the current issue presenting the people.

Throughout this trip, I learned much about myself and found myself beginning to grasp a deeper global awareness. I realized how beautiful others’ cultures are, and that the differences between my own culture and theirs are to be celebrated. There is no right or wrong way to live a happy life, and the people of the Dominican Republic were living their own version of a happy life. This to me was beautiful and I found myself appreciating others and their lifestyles. Another experience that transformed my way of thinking was how beautiful the nature was there. The people of the Dominican Republic are proud of the land they live in, and as much as they want to protect their land, they are just not given the opportunity to learn about the necessary sustainable steps to take in order to combat global issues, such as unsafe drinking water.

I believe that the moments that transformed me the most was traveling through the cities of lower income and seeing the conditions in which they live. It was a definite form of culture shock for me, and really made me question the privileges that I hold. This trip also allowed me the opportunity to realize that the way that the people of the Dominican Republic live their life, although very different from American life, is not a “bad” or “wrong” way to live. I found myself making the mistake of holding American culture as a global standard, which is a dangerous assumption to hold. Because of this trip, I now have a better global awareness.

Another moment that transformed me was when we visited the factories that they run there. For example, when we visited the coffee plant, where they sort all of their beans and roast them in order for them to be ready to be made into coffee. The way that they ran their factory was admirable. It was a very small building, and most of the work was done by hand, although they did have machines as well to assist with the tedious work. It was amazing to see the passion of the factory workers who were doing the handiwork. It makes you appreciate the work that is now replaced by machines in America, and how the job still gets done and the product is still made.

I am extremely grateful for this experience, it allowed me to increase my global and cultural awareness. I believe that the experiences that I had in the Dominican Republic have made me into a better, more educated woman, and that the knowledge I gained will help me in academic and professional settings. Being a more culturally aware person helps you navigate diverse settings, which is an extremely important quality to exercise in your every day life.

For my STEP signature project, I studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland. While there, I took three classes: two linguistics classes for my major, and a history class. I also had the opportunity to travel throughout the U.K. and the rest of Europe on weekends and in my spare time.
Before I started my 4 months abroad I spent a lot of time researching various aspects of Scotland’s culture and the university I was enrolling in. This was intended to make me feel less nervous before I left, as well as to help me avoid any potential gaffes for when I arrived and it worked out very well. For example, I remember going to a pub quiz, a popular British pastime similar to a trivia night at a bar, during my first week abroad. I had 5 American teammates, yet it was only me and 1 other friend being able to answer the Scottish pop culture and history questions because we had taken the time to do our homework. This may seem like a trivial example of putting my knowledge to use, but it was more important in the bigger picture. After less than 2 weeks I felt almost completely acclimated to my new home, what was expected of me at the university, and I had already begun to travel outside the UK on the weekends. Overall, I felt that I had a smoother and more positive transition into life in Edinburgh than some of my friends.
One maybe “consequence” of this preparation was that my view of the world wasn’t radically changed and I didn’t deal with any huge issues that would have completely transformed my understanding of myself. That being said, this past semester helped to confirm a lot of things I already felt about my personality and let me notice and appreciate the minute differences between American society and British society. For example, my time abroad confirmed that I really relish being independent, as demonstrated by me figuring out how to budget my time and money, as well as planning a ton of trips, including a solo one to Paris. However, this time confirmed that I also really enjoy close friendships, as I was lucky enough to meet some people that I still am in constant contact with. If I plan to spend more time abroad in the future I will have to consider how easy it will be to create some sort of support network, as I believed my time wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable without a few strong friendships.
In terms of cultural learning, I really loved picking up on the small differences between Scottish culture and my own, specifically things you can’t find easily on the internet. One thing that really enhanced this was one of my linguistics courses, entitled Scots and Scottish English. This class was dedicated to the linguistic analysis of Scottish English, which is just regular British English with a Scottish Accent, and Scots, which is considered a divergent dialect of English that is so different that it is quite difficult for even Brits to understand. During one class we specifically talked about the unique accent that comes from Glasgow. A few days later I got dinner with an American friend who brought along her Glaswegian flat mate. Not only did I have a fun time talking to her and learning about her life, my background knowledge of her accent made the conversation so much richer and more interesting. Another example of cultural learning came from some of the weird quirks about Edinburgh and Europe in general. For one, out of all 8 countries I visited, water was never served at a restaurant without you asking for it, and many times you have to buy it, as tap water is not available. Also, I was intrigued to learn that most Brits have super strong opinions on American politics and it was interesting to hear from them what they thought the impact American policy had on the UK. One friend even told me he and his friends got up at 4 am to go to a viewing party at a pub for our presidential election. From the big to the small, it was stuff like this that added important layers of understanding and knowledge to my world view without neccesarily really altering it in a big way.
Overall, my STEP signature project enriched my life in so many ways and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to study abroad. Being at a different university with a completely different academic style really let me weigh all the pros and cons of Ohio State and led me to re-analyze how I was spending my time at Ohio State. I came back with a newfound sense of appreciation for how hands on and accessible the professors here are, but have also noted that a class can be taught successfully without a lot of homework, and OSU tends to be heavy handed on the amount of work due for each class.
One thing I did when I came back was slightly lighten the load of responsibilities I had outside of class. My time abroad led me to realize that I had been unhappy sophomore year because I had spread myself so thin that I had almost no personal time. Having almost no responsibilities outside of my education while abroad led me to ponder the idea of working to live vs. living to work. Since I’ve been back I have been much happier without having to sacrifice too many of the activities that will help me achieve my future goals. This leads to the impact my time in Scotland had on my future plans. Studying abroad did not change my goal of getting my masters to become a speech pathologist. However, it did make me contemplate a gap year after graduation where I could do a lot of traveling but still be productive. This led me to the idea of teaching English abroad after I graduate next spring and that is currently one of the options I am exploring or my future. On top of that, I have this newfound sense of calm that I can thrive anywhere, and that wherever my future takes me, I can adapt and enjoy all the experiences the world has to offer.

Calton Hill, one of many beautiful views in Edinburgh

Some friends, the Scottish highlands, and the Scottish flag.

One of my favorite trips outside Scotland was beautiful Florence, Italy

For my STEP signature project I participated in the Prague Theatre study tour this past winter break. In 10 days we visited the historical attractions of Prague, Czech Republic and took an excursion to Dresden, Germany. While abroad I was able to attend theatre performances as well as experience exploring a new culture and take in the sights of Europe during Christmas time!

While in Prague, I found myself completely humbled by the sheer power of human beings every day. The city and surrounding areas are so incredibly picturesque and awe-inspiring. We visited countless old cathedrals, castles, and other almost inhuman architectural structures that I couldn’t even imagine being built in the present day, let alone hundreds of years ago. Walking every day in a city so full of history made me completely aware of my place in the timeline of humanity and how small I really am (in the best way possible). It’s so peaceful to be among such a different pace of life and be walking in the footsteps of incredible artists. I had so many moments of inner peace throughout the trip and I really taught myself how to put things into perspective and care less about the little things. The world is so big and there is so much we have not seen.

Every day, our group was fortunate enough to see a new part of the city (as well as nearby historical towns). Each morning we were guided by our incredible tour guide as she told stories of the different historical facts of each building, statue, street, store, etc. Standing on the historic Charles Bridge, being guided through Prague Castle, walking up the hill in the village near Karlstejn to the castle to name a few were really triggers to that deep emotional pull I felt toward the city. Additionally, seeing theatre performances in a different country was also a huge moment for me – as theatre is my major and future career, seeing how different life perspectives affect performance brought out those humbling and inspiring feelings.

One of the most important aspects of my STEP project experience was developing the relationships with my peers and professors. Before the trip this winter break, I was required to take a pre-departure course covering Slavic history spanning centuries. With the help of Professor Joe Brandesky, I was fortunate to have a background of knowledge about the sights, locations, and performances we attended in Prague before departing. Professor Brandesky’s knowledge was so expansive and fascinating, and it was so important to me to have that relationship with him before being in country. He, along with his colleague and friend Dáša Antelmanová were incredible guides, stopping to explain the details of locations we visited as we toured the city – Dasa’s enthralling storytelling and incredible kindness and hospitality allowed me to feel at home in Prague. In addition, I only knew 2 other students going on the trip prior – my high school best friend and a close friend I met while at OSU – the rest of the group consisted of students from the OSU Lima campus. Because I did not know them prior, I was a little nervous at how we would all get along. However, I was pleasantly surprised by our bond. I could not imagine the trip without them and experiencing a foreign country with new friends and acquaintances added to the experience and was very monumental in my life.

Another trans-formative experience in Prague was taking a day trip to the concentration camp Terezin. Reading about the Holocaust growing up and seeing evidence of it in person are completely different experiences. You don’t quite grasp the unbelievably sickening truth of it until you’re standing in the footsteps of it. Standing in the crematorium, seeing some of the actual tools used in the experiments – made me sick the whole time I was standing there. While it was overwhelming, I truly feel grateful to have been there. I have a new perspective on just what humanity is capable of. I felt powerless and powerful all at the same time. While brief, those few moments spent there gave me the conviction to create art aimed at the goodness of heart – and how important it is especially in today’s world to promote the goodness in humanity and never ignore the hate in people. It was so beautiful and being surrounded by my peers made the experience that much more special.

Having this brief trip to Prague has opened my eyes in so many different ways – the city itself is a work of art. As an artist, it’s so important to me to be surrounded by things that make me excited to be alive. Every detail of the city made me breathless just to walk down the street. Having the chance to be in historic buildings (including theatres) made me aware of the ability of human beings. In my career I will be constantly pushed to share the human experience with others, and what better way to see the creativity of humans than in a city such as Prague. I’m further inspired to re-visit Europe and explore what else it has to offer. It is so important to travel and gain a new perspective on life and I’m so excited to allow my experience here with OSU study abroad to continuously inspire me.

Thanks to Ohio State and STEP, I had the opportunity to travel to Antarctica via the Antarctica: Human Impacts on the Environment program. From December 15^th to December 30^th, myself and 28 other college students embarked on the journey of a lifetime to the coldest, harshest, and driest continent on the planet. This study abroad contained a research component as well, so gained valuable skills related to conducting research in a changing environment. The journal began in Ushuaia, Argentina, where I learned about ecotourism and the impact of tourism on a small town. From the Ushuaia port, we sailed on a small research vessel through the Beagle Channel out to the infamous Drake Passage, known for its history of sinking ships and producing waves to make your stomach churn. Upon our arrival to the Antarctic Peninsula, our group and other tourists aboard the vessel stepped ashore on the most ecologically pristine continent to view penguins, pinnipeds, whales, and birds seen nowhere else in the world. Between the glaciers, icebergs, mountains, and wildlife, this trip was truly magical.

Despite being a global traveler, this trip challenged me in ways I could have never expected. Simply traveling to Antarctica requires a physical stamina that shouldn’t be underestimated. The total commute from my hometown of Chicago to Ushuaia took a whopping 33 hours. Airtime alone was 17 hours in one direction – overnight. This required an adaption to flying and the ability to sit still for an extended period of time. Traveling through the Drake Passage takes about two and a half days so tolerance of seasickness was also required. Despite these trying experiences, I also saw the most beautiful sights. The mountains of Patagonia are not to be missed, nor the bow-riding dolphins, whales, wandering albatross, and penguins in the Drake Passage. My understanding of the beauty in times of difficulty developed simply from traveling. I also became more aware of nature and its strength and beauty from the trip. While traveling about the Antarctic Peninsula, I also realized much about myself. As an Earth Science student, I have always had an affinity for ice, rocks, and earth processes. While in Antarctica, I was able to exercise these skills in the field by corresponding with geologists on the research vessel, conducting iceberg census data, and simply marveling at the sights. Most people don’t know that Antarctica has mountains, so seeing these untouched geologic wonders and glaciers that were sitting on their cliffs was truly incredible. This experience helped me develop my sense of place in the world. I definitely learned that my niche lies in the polar regions and that I truly enjoyed sharing my knowledge of glaciology and geology with others. Frequently during the trip I was asked about various geological or glacial formations (as I was the only Earth Sciences student on the ship), so I took great pleasure in sharing my understanding of the physical environment. This solidified my long-term career goal of continuing academia and pursuing a doctorates degree to become a professor at an accredited university. I want to share my passion of the polar regions with others in hopes that they would also appreciate and marvel at them. This was a transformation that took place during the trip!

I also learned a fair bit about ecotourism, so this has also shaped my views of the world and traveling. Ecotourism was a module of research taken on by a few students (not myself) within our group. Essentially, they were in charge of calculating and quantifying the environmental and social impacts of traveling to Antarctica. Some of these impacts were visible to me. For example, Ushuaia does not have the infrastructure for an influx in tourism, so they are falling behind in waste treatment and infrastructure for employees in the tourism. As a result, much of their waste is dumped in the harbor, and some homes are made of spare materials. There are beautiful parts to Ushuaia, however I was bothered by my own ecological impact. In addition to this, I also recognized that Antarctic wildlife was not accustomed to tourists. Despite some sites seeing up to 10,000 tourists daily, some wildlife expressed discomfort when being closely photographed by tourists or when we hiked close by. As an outsider, I recognize that I am not able to do much, but as an employee, I may be able to contribute more towards sustainability and wildlife protection. A shorter-term job goal would be to work in the tourism industry as a wildlife guide. The rewards of this are two-fold; I would be able to teach others about the things I love, such as glaciers and rocks, and I would be able to help others respect and appreciate the wildlife at a safer distance for all parties involved. Therefore, I learned that I may not want to jump into graduate school immediately after graduation. Rather, I am heavily considering contributing to ecotourism in a positive and constructive manner.

This trip was not only fun, but it was also a massive educational experience. First, there is a research component involved with this study abroad, so the students participating in the program were required to read peer-reviewed literature and gather data towards this research. We worked in teams and in shifts to gather data, and again in small groups to analyze said data. Using our data, assigned readings, and addition material taken from the ship’s library, each research group had to create a 15-minute presentation on their subject, a 20-page research paper, and Ohio State students will be presenting at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. To be able to gather data, analyze it, write about it, and present it is essential for any research project. These skills are also essential for a future in academia. During this trip, I found that I enjoyed conducting research and in fact, I looked forward to each time I got to gather data from the field. This is promising and helped me develop as a scientist. I hope to further improve these skills by conducting undergraduate research during the academic year and doing a separate research project this summer as an intern.

Another learning opportunity came from the pre-departure online lectures and the lectures held during the travel through the Drake Passage. The college group tuned in every Wednesday evening to hear lectures by several professors. The subjects covered in these lectures varied from history and psychology to ecology and geology. Lectures on the boat also were catered towards our Antarctic adventure. We learned in more detail the role of krill, about pinnipeds, bird, glaciers, and history. These lectured removed any ignorance I had towards Antarctica and replaced it with awe. These lectures deepened my understanding of all processes and history surrounding Antarctica and allowed me to enjoy my trip from an educational perspective. During the trip, I was able to identify birds and better understand the wildlife and glaciers around me. This fueled my love for learning and my love for Antarctica. From this experience, I feel more well-rounded as a student.

This extraordinary one-in-a-lifetime experience helped me solidify my short and long-term career goals, my major, and my love for learning. I gained valuable tools related to conducting research as a student and professional in my field, and I planning to carry those tools well into my career and into my internships. I also learned my place in the world as an environmentalist, a teacher, and a student. I would like to strive to teach others and share my passions with others, while simultaneously helping travelers and students alike develop an appreciation for the environment and the wildlife around them. This trip also re-ignited the craving for adventure. Some personal goals I have now set for myself is to continue traveling, climb the highest summits on all seven continents, run a marathon on Antarctica, and pass the Antarctic Circle. I still have yet to see an orca or a wandering albatross, so I must go back to accomplish these goals. Being disturbed by some aspects of ecotourism has changed the way I live my life. Even though I have traveled to so many places, I plan to continue doing so in a more sustainable matter. I am also trying to live more environmentally-consciously. I found myself in Antarctica and will be going back in the near future, hopefully as an employee, but even more so as an explorer. This trip has been the experience of a lifetime, but it has also positively changed me, and these changes will last a lifetime.

After returning from a wonderful week-long study-abroad in Spain, its time to reflect on the trip and the tremendous amount of things I learned while I was there. There were many times on the trip where the way that I view animals and how I believe they should be treated affected how I interpreted the conditions of the animals we saw in Spain. I also noticed, on multiple occasions, many differences in the ethical principles and societal views towards animals than the ones that people in the United States may hold. That being said, there were also many similarities between Spain and the US in the way that animals are treated in both countries. Lastly, there were a few cultural experiences in relation to animal use that we witnessed or learned about such as the suckling pig, the tradition of bull fighting, and the running of the bulls that differ from the traditions that we have in the United States that involve animals.

As someone who wants to be a vet and help better the health of animals for the rest of my life, animal welfare is always my first concern anywhere I go. I walk into a situation thinking first about how the animals are being treated and their well-being before I think about anything else. So, this mindset affected the way that I thought about many of the places that we visited such as the Madrid Animal Rescue and the Manchego Sheep Farm. My first instinct when we arrived at the animal rescue was that it was a little run down and mostly outside which made me worry about the dogs’ cleanliness and health a little bit because there was a decent amount of feces in their runs and it was a little chilly for them to have no option but to be outside. It was a little different than the shelters I am used to visiting, mainly because it was almost all outdoors, but after learning more about the facility and the people that work there, my first impression was proven wrong. It was clear that these animals were very well taken care of because they had animals come to them in need of medication, surgery, etc. and instead of euthanizing (which they do not do unless they have a terminal illness) they get the animal what they need. The shelter also has many volunteers that give all of their animals daily enrichment whether it be giving them a toy or taking them on a walk around the facility. It was extremely refreshing and encouraging to hear that Spain has very strict laws and heavy fines for people that abuse animals and that things like declawing are completely illegal. I believe that this should be much better enforced in the US and that we are definitely behind Spain in the aspect of laws that involve animal abuse. From an animal welfare aspect, I also felt fairly positively about the Manchego Sheep Farm. I was very pleasantly surprised to see how clean the facilities and the animals were and how calm the sheep seemed to be, even when they were being milked. I believe their relaxed behavior is very telling of how the people working in the barn treat the animals. For example, I noticed that when the sheep did need to be guided somewhere, the workers just gently touched their backside rather than hitting or yelling and the ewes were also rewarded with a special feed every time they were milked. One thing that did concern me about the welfare of the animals at the sheep farm was that they waited until two months of age to band their tails which would cause them more pain because their tail is longer, thicker around, and the lamb has more pain receptors at this point in its life. Overall, the welfare of the animals in most of the places that we visited were very good and in some cases even better than in the United States. As someone that has always been a lover of all animals, it made me very happy to see how well they were treated, even in the production business.

In some instances, I noticed differences between the US and Spain in how they treat their animals which may result from differences in ethical principles and societal views of each country. The places where these differences stood out the most were the Zoo and Aquarium of Madrid and the Jamones y embutidos Vazquez (the Iberian Pig Farm). The zoo was a very interesting experience because at first it seemed like any other zoo, but the longer we were there the more things we noticed that we were not used to seeing at zoos in the United States. The biggest difference that really surprised me was people feeding the animals in the enclosure. I watched people throw peanuts into the bear enclosure and it was clear that this happens a lot because the bears were conditioned to wave to the guests to get food. I’m not sure if this is something that the guests were allowed to do or just something that has become a norm at zoos in Spain, but it was very shocking to see because that is something that would never be allowed to happen at zoos in the US for the safety of the animals and the guests. Another place we experienced while we were there that was quite different from the way we do things in the Unites States was the Iberian Pig Farm. Although there are pig farms in Spain that are much like the large production farms in the US, the traditional Iberian pigs are raised very differently. The pigs are raised free range in a forest type environment with trees, water, and soil to lay on. The pigs have very little human interaction with only the occasional vet visit and they get to live out a very natural life until they go to market. I really enjoyed seeing that the pigs got to roam and perform natural behaviors in a very open setting because that is something I had never seen from a pig production farm before. It was very interesting to see how things that we do in the United States are done differently in Spain and to understand why these differences exist.

Lastly, there were some cultural events that we experienced while in Spain regarding the use of animals that, because of Spain’s cultures and beliefs, differed from any animal type traditions that we currently have in the Unites States. The two biggest cultural traditions that stood out to me were the traditional suckling pig meal and bull fighting or using bulls during celebrations such as the running of the bulls. The suckling pig was a very interesting experience because the whole baby pig is served on a plate still with its skin, bones, etc. and is then cut/smashed in front of the customers with a glass plate. It was definitely very different than what many of us were used to eating and took some getting used to, but it was clear what an important tradition it was to the people of Spain so it was very cool to experience nonetheless. The biggest cultural difference that involves animals, in my opinion, is the bull fighting in Spain which is a very controversial subject with people in the US and in Spain because of welfare concerns for the bull. Although there is controversy and I’m not sure that I agree with the sport, after touring Plaza de Toros it was clear how much history and culture is behind the sport. The people of Spain are very proud of it and think very highly of this tradition. Even though I personally believe that bull fighting is inhumane (and not to mention, very dangerous for the bull fighter), it made me happy to hear how highly our tour guide talked about the bulls, calling them brave and saying that the sport could not exist without their bravery. In the end, the sport really is about the relationship between the bull fighter and a beautiful, strong animal and it truly is rich with tradition.

Spending a week in Spain really taught me first-hand so much about human and animal interactions and how they differ from country to country. Each person’s attitudes about animals going into the trip affected the way that they interpreted the things they experienced in Spain. It was very eye opening to see the differences in the way that animals are treated, produced, and used in different countries based on their cultural and societal views.

I used my STEP funds to fuel a semester abroad. I was the first student from Ohio State to attend the Segovia, Spain Psychology study abroad. I arrived in Segovia on August 29, 2017 and spent the semester learning about who I was in the context of another culture. While I was in Segovia, I made friends with people from across the globe. Now, I quite literally, have a new friend on every continent (excluding Antarctica). About every other weekend, I traveled to a new city in Spain, or a new country. I visited Salamanca, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, San Sebastian, and more. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to travel to Marrakech, Morocco, and Lisbon, Portugal.

During this trip, while spending so much time with people who were not American, I realized just how much being from this country shaped who I am. Many of my friends and acquaintances said that I was a “stereotypical American,” and at first I was incredibly offended. In the international community, American are regarded as fat, loud, lazy, and uninterested in learning about the world. While I can be loud sometimes, all of those other qualities are the opposite of my personality. And everyone agreed with me on those accounts.

I learned that, while many people associate Americans with these negative qualities, they associate us with positive ones, too. Being hardworking, bubbly, enthusiastic, and excited to meet new people are all qualities that my friends associated with Americans, and with me as well. Spending so much time on my own, only having to worry about myself, allowed me to focus more on the person that I am, and the person I am becoming. Now, since returning, I am more confident, outgoing, and willing to try new things even though they might be hard. I am also more willing to try and convince others to try those new things- places, activities, foods- with me as well.

The changes I experienced were gradual, and I did not realize that they had happened until I came back home to the United States. But I know that certain people had an enormous effect on my time and experiences in Spain. First of all, the most significant person I encountered was a woman, a mother, named Rosario. She lives in Madrid with two children, aged three and five. She was a far acquaintance of the family, and my mom asked me early on to meet her for lunch. I groaned. I did not want to spend my time with a woman who- I was convinced- would be incredibly boring. But I decided to meet her in Madrid one day, and it was the most important day of my four months there. Rosario and I really hit it off. We began spending days and weekends together. She met my family when they came to visit me in Spain, and I had the opportunity to practice my Spanish and meet her family. I felt like I had hit the jackpot. Being abroad all alone without anyone from your previous experience can be incredibly difficult, and Rosario gave me a Spanish family. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Another incredibly important person that I met while I was there was Rosario’s father, Diego. He lives on a ranch about thirty minutes outside of Segovia, and I met him when Rosario invited me to spend the night with their family at his ranch. I was apprehensive, because I did not want to infringe on their family time or make them feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, my Spanish was not particularly good and I was worried I would not be able to understand anything. But when I arrived, Diego and I hit it off. He is a humorous old man with kind eyes and an open heart. After that night at the ranch, the best night I had during my entire trip, Diego and I began getting tapas in Segovia every few weeks. He introduced me to new Spanish foods, and told me about his life. This experience really opened me up to meeting new people, and taught me that although it might be awkward at first, if I push through the uncomfortable feeling, it will almost always disappear.

Everything that influenced my time in Spain started out by making me feel uncomfortable, it seems. I had been set to room with three boys that I had never met- one from California, one from Peru, and one from Japan. I was nervous to have a bunch of messy male roommates, but it turned out to be the best living experience I could have asked for. At first, I was not sure how to approach living with my Japanese roommate. He was kind and cordial, but I knew that a variety of my actions offended him and I did not understand why. For example, if I said that I did not want to try his food, or that I did not want to go out for drinks with him, he would become sad and look frustrated. This was my first experience with a culture gap. After finding out what this was, and understanding which of my actions made him feel frustrated, I changed my behavior. Almost instantly, our relationship shifted and we became incredibly close friends. Now, he is one of the people that shifted my experience the most, because he allowed me to see inside another culture that is vastly different from my own.

But the individuals who shaped my experience the most were my close group of friends- Paula, a third culture kid who grew up all over Europe, Guus, a Dutchman through and through, and Margret and Hildur, two fun Icelandic sisters that I met through my classes. Through each of them, I learned how the culture that they grew up in shaped their personality. I learned that Northern European cultures, particularly Scandinavian ones, can be more reserved, but that does not mean that these individuals are shy. I learned about the gay culture in Europe, and what it means to be accepting of someone,their vastly different political ideology, and how to have a civil conversation with an individual whose viewpoint is light-years removed from my own. I learned how to make friends with people who, before August 29, I had absolutely nothing in common with, and afterwards, that I shared everything.

At the end of the day, these experiences taught me how to be open and accepting. I learned to face new people and situations with a smile instead of a grimace, and I learned to take difficult and uncomfortable encounters in stride. All people are united by our fear of the unknown, and our distaste for uncomfortable experiences.  In learning how to embrace this, I grew as a person- thanks to the STEP signature projec

My STEP signature project was studying abroad in Madrid for Fall 2017. I lived with a Spanish family and went to school at Universidad de Nebrija de Antonio.

I traveled basically every weekend to new cities and countries, improved my Spanish immensely, and made friends both within my program and locals from the places I traveled to.

My view of the world definitely changed during this trip. I was able to see the world from a new point of view and expand my own cultural understandings. I discovered that it is okay to criticize your own culture as well as other cultures as long as you are doing it in a productive and honest way. For example, I could see how certain efficiency techniques were clearly better in the US, while cultural norms about the importance of family and being social seems to be much more prominent and beneficial in Spanish culture. Even more than criticizing, I am not much more understanding. I see how norms truly shape a person and how in certain cultures, people may seem rude, but in reality it is just the way they were raised and the society they are in.

One thing that  particularly impacted my worldview is the obvious fact that I am now an experienced world traveler. Just within Spain, I traveled to Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Escorial, Avila, Salamanca, Segovia, and so many more cities and towns. Outside of Spain, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Morocco. I camped out in the Sahara Desert with locals for several nights. I learned about my own heritage, being part Berber and staying in a Berber village. We explored throughout the day, traveled to an Oasis, rode camels, learned the language, listened to live local music, and so much more. We traveled to the cities, like Rabat and Fez, and experienced city life in Africa. We went to the largest medina in the world and experienced night life in a Moroccan city. Morocco taught me about what it truly means to go into culture-shock. I learned so much about food, language, culture, etc. and was able to talk to countless people about their lives. My world view most definitely changed simply on now having the ability to compare myself and my life to them.

Morocco was not the only place I visited and learned from. I did a United Kingdom trip with my friend, we traveled to London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Also, we did a Highland tour in Scotland and got to travel around the countryside. Learning about how different some places can be culturally, despite speaking the same language (although many times I did question if they were indeed speaking English form my lack of being able to understand them), was a very interesting experience. For example, Scotland has so much pride for their state and their nationality. I learned so much about their culture through native music, drinks, food, and people. London is most definitely the most similar to American, but even they are different. It was fun meeting people from different parts of England and hearing the difference in accent and opinion on topics like Brexit and the monarchy. I also traveled to Amsterdam where I learned about what it is like to live in a place with totally different laws and norms. For example, it was almost impossible for me to distinguish which lanes were for bikes, which for cars, and which for humans. I probably almost got killed by a bike at least ten times, and I guarantee each time was because I was in the wrong lane.

Another major impact on my views came from living with a family. I learned about the cultural norms of a country in a familial way. For example, my host mom was brutally honest. In America, many things she would say or do would be considered rude, offensive, and not pc. However, it was not that she was rude as much as she was honest without the consideration of holding back. I actually found I much prefer this style of speaking instead of feeling the need to hold back. I remember bringing over a bottle of wine, in an attempt to be kind and considerate. Instead of drinking the wine, she explained that she prefers beer and drank her own beer. She was very kind and appreciative, however, she did not feel the need to drink the wine out of courtesy like many americans would. Same goes for many teachers. I had a professor who would explain how she hated Trump, but dislike Obama as well. She was not scared to share her opinions as an outsider, and was not worried of disturbing some students with her views. Rather, she explained what she felt, and did not mind, and even encouraged, if you disagreed with her.

This experience was unequivocally transformational and the value I would put on it is priceless.

My major is international studies and I am on the pre-law track. For starters, this experience clearly related to my major. I not only studied international studies in the classroom, but I studied while walking through Retiro park in Madrid, while meeting locals at a pub in Ireland, while arguing about the EU along Las Ramblas in Barcelona. I studied through the people I met, through the language I learned, and so much more. Language was a huge factor for me in the journey. I really wanted to learn as much as possible and be as conversational as possible. While I certainly am not fluent, the amount I improved in just a few months would have been unbelievable to me prior to going. Everyone talks about the value on immersing oneself in a culture for language benefits, and I now understand why. I spoke Spanish countless times a day, learned new words by with hour, and improved my grammar immensely. Not to mention the value of taking classes in Spanish, and only in Spanish. On top of everything else, this experience helped me validate my desire to go to law school. I found myself being so curious in the different laws in policies of each region and nation I visited. I would look up the difference in laws and compare them to American laws. I would discuss politics and learn about how the laws affected issues such as the Catalonian Independence. Overall, it is difficult to express in words how much of a value I put on this experience and how thrilled I am that I did it.

Boarding the plane back in August, I felt a wide range of emotions. I had wanted to study abroad since senior year of high school and that dream was finally coming true. My STEP project this past semester was a semester long exchange offered by the Fisher College of Business at a university in Madrid, Spain. In Madrid, I attended Comillas Pontifical University, where I took business classes with students from all over the world. In addition to my classes, I  lived in a homestay where I practiced using the Spanish language daily and experienced the cultural immersion that comes with living in a homestay.

In the past few weeks, I have been able to reflect on my experience in Spain. The biggest transformation that I feel I experienced is in regards to my language abilities. Before my semester abroad, I felt like I had a strong academic grasp of Spanish. Now after my 4 months living immersed in a Spanish speaking country, I am amazed at how much my language abilities have improved.  I now feel confident using the language. The benefits of having a second language are wide-reaching in the business world, and I am excited to see what opportunities present themselves as I progress into my professional career.

Without a doubt, the experiences of my STEP project directly contributed to this transformation. To start, living in a homestay exposed me to daily opportunities to practice the language. Each night, my housemates and I spoke Spanish with our host mother during dinner. These meals provided me a wonderful environment to practice speaking Spanish which was instrumental to improving my language skills.

Secondly, by partaking in a education abroad experience in a Spanish speaking country, I was required to use Spanish outside of my homestay in every day interactions around Madrid. Whether it was ordering coffee at a corner cafe or helping someone out on the street with directions, I found my self speaking Spanish with friends and strangers alike. All these interactions on their own were not entirely significant, but together they helped contribute to my overall confidence in using the language.

This change in my language abilities will have great impacts on my professional goals. As a business student, I desire to work globally in some function during my career. Whether that may be working from the US for a company with global reach or even as far as working abroad on an assignment, possessing a second language will be instrumental in achieving that goal. Although English is the global language of business, having the ability to communicate in the native language of the country in which you are doing business goes a long way in building relationships—and great relationships are critical to success in business!

Knowing a second language also has benefits far beyond simply communicating in a different way. For example, you learn how to step outside of your comfort zone; speaking to a native speaker in their native language can be stressful! The benefit in this example is that now when I feel like I am outside of my comfort zone, I think back to my experiences during my semester abroad and realize I am fully capable of thriving outside of my element.

As I settled back into the routine at Ohio State, I had lots of time to reflect on last semester. I will forever cherish my experience abroad, and appreciate how STEP helped me guide my efforts in making this experience as wonderful as it was.

— Danny Rodgers