Lucy Farr

Education Abroad

STEP Reflection

My STEP Signature Project was a spring semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain.  I attended the University of Granada and took classes about Spanish grammar and culture.

Before traveling to Spain, I was really worried about my level of Spanish and leaving all my friends and family.  I was not sure I would be able to understand my professors or place into a high enough level for the program I needed.  To be fair, I was right about the placement test.  I was one level too low, but luckily, I talked to the professors and they let me go up a level.  However, I underestimated my Spanish ability.  I understood my professors better than I anticipated and I communicated with my host mom very well.  I really should have believed in myself more, but I was too scared of failure.  I used to be nervous about speaking in Spanish, but now I want to practice it more and improve.  I even began to watch Netflix shows in Spanish to practice daily.  I realized I want to go back to Spain to become more fluent.  I did not realize how incredible my passion for this language was before going to Spain and utilizing it.

I have become a lot more confident due to my study abroad program.  Before going abroad, I was uncomfortable meeting new people and would not try to get very close with them, for fear that they would not like me for me.  My mom always laughs when I get excited about making new friends.  She thinks it is so funny how surprised I am when I become friends with someone.  It takes me a while to be comfortable enough with a person to call them my friend, so I get excited when I have established a good relationship with someone. This semester helped show me that I can be accepted and appreciated for who I am.  I do not have to change myself to fit into a friend group.  I can simply be me.  I forced myself to go out and hang out with people I was not 100% comfortable with, and it really paid off.  I was so proud of myself for putting the effort in and stepping out of my comfort zone.  This social aspect of my program really improved my confidence myself as a person.  Moreover, this confidence transferred over to assertiveness when traveling with new friends.  If there was something I wanted to see, I made sure to speak up and find the time to fit that activity in our schedule.  I was not going to miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because I wanted to go along with everything my new friends wanted to do.  This semester I became confident and assertive, but most importantly, became myself.

During my semester, I lived with a host mom and another college student Allison.  However, after March, Allison’s program ended, and she had to go back to the U.S.  This was very sad, but it provided me with two opportunities: to talk with my host mom more and to branch out and make new friends.  Allison was the more talkative one of the two of us, so she would get to practice her Spanish more at the dinner table than I did.  Once she left, however, I had to be the one to step up and make conversation.  This greatly improved my Spanish and my relationship with my host mom.  I felt so much more comfortable speaking Spanish and I was not embarrassed to ask questions when I did not understand my host mom.  I even met my host mom’s extended family and talked with them even though it was a bit difficult to keep up with the conversation.  I really challenged myself in my last two months in Spain, since I had to be “on my own” without Allison.

Furthermore, I had to be more social.  Allison and I enjoyed chilling out at home and watching TV together, so once she left, I had to get out of the apartment.  I made myself go to social gatherings and hang out with groups I would not normally hang out with.  Allison, again, was the more talkative and social one of the two of us, so I had to speak up and become more social on my own.  It was a bit uncomfortable, but I made some lifelong friends that I hope to see again in the future.  In fact, I began to hang out with three girls who want to return to Spain and teach for a year, as I do.  We all plan to live together for this experience.  I never would have made these friends and these plans if I had simply stayed home where I was comfortable.  Now, I am more confident in making plans with people I do not know very well in order to get to know them better.  It is safe and easy to just stay home or stay with my same group of friends, but incredible opportunities and experiences happen when you branch out.

One of the things I experienced during my time abroad that I had never experienced before was traveling alone.  I only took one solo trip, but it was still quite an experience.  I planned a trip to Barcelona for the weekend and made sure to fill every day with activities so that I would not get bored or lonely.  I was nervous to travel by myself, because if I missed a flight or a bus, I would not have anyone else to brainstorm solutions with.  Furthermore, I had to navigate through a foreign city on my own and not be afraid to ask questions when I needed help.  This experience helped my confidence because I was not sure I would be able to plan and execute a trip all by myself.  It required a lot of scheduling and time beforehand.  Afterwards, I was very satisfied with myself and my trip, and I am now confident that I can accomplish big things on my own.

This transformation is valuable for my life, because I had not realized how much I enjoyed Spanish until I went abroad.  I thought I would be embarrassed to try and speak it like I was in the United States.  However, this was not the case.  I wanted to practice it and try to have a real conversation in Spanish to improve my fluency.  I truly enjoy this language and I want to use it to communicate with Latino families at my future school.  This enthusiasm for the language with help Latino families feel more comfortable with me and hopefully feel more welcome in the community.  This semester has ensured my love of Spanish, and I am determined to return to Spain to improve it even more.

Moreover, this transformation is significant because I like to stay in my comfort zone.  I enjoy doing what I know and what is easy.  However, that does not lead to the most fulfilling life.  Although it was difficult, I reached out to new friends and I challenged my Spanish-speaking abilities.  Challenging myself and pushing myself are important skills in my academic, personal, and professional life.  I want to keep working at my Spanish, so I am going to practice using more difficult grammar instead of the basics.  I will not always have the same group of friends, so I am going to push myself to be more social and form my own friendships.  I want to help kids and change their lives, so I am not going to give up on the ones that are more difficult.  If I am to accomplish anything in my life, I cannot fall back on what feels safe.  I now have the confidence to accomplish my goals.

In May I was to Cuba for 11 days. While we were there, we studied the parallels between African American and Afrocuban culture within their respective countries. Mainly, this learning came from museums, lectures, and touring historical parts of the country.

One of the most profound takeaways I had from this trip w

as understanding what a mixed nation looks like. Cuba has several different races prominent in its culture, and the racial distribution in the nation is more balanced than in the United States. As someone who isn’t white, it was fascinating, and comforting, to be in a country which had a majority of non-white citizens. I learned that I feel more comfortable in expressing myself, and I’m generally calmer, in environments where most people look like me.

With that said, I have also learned to appreciate the wealt

h of information that I’m allowed in the United States. Most Cubans didn’t realize the horrors of slavery in their own country, nor the plight of their non-white citizens. Racism was denied by every color of Cuban, but it is obvious that it exists both institutionally and culturally. This denial and misunderstanding is a testament to the Cuban government’s propaganda, as well as a general unwillingness to confront racial issues in the nation. Although America may have more issues with race than Cuba, race is at least openly talked about in American dialog, and there is a more accurate representation of slavery in the US.

As I mentioned earlier, being in a majority non-white nation left a mark on me. This is the first nation like this that I have been to, and it was interesting to observe how this was different than majority white—but still mixed—nations, like Canada or the US. I thought that it was beautiful to see that people of any color would interact with each other familiarly, without holding anything back because their skin was a different color. Cuba declared itself a raceless nation decades ago, and although this declaration has come with several problems, it feels incredibly liberating that Cubans I spoke to told me stories about how they would never think about the race of friends they have had for years until someone pointed it out to them.

Because Cuba officially denies race, yet still has institutional and cultural racism, it was interesting observe race in Cuba, as well as speaking to Cubans about issues of race. For example, the head of the Afrocuban museum in Havana was white. This seemed strange to me—something that wouldn’t fly in America—but in Cuba it wasn’t remotely an issue. Additionally, most of the lectures we went to with black academics in Cuba were frustrating because they romanticized racism and slavery to some degree. They communicated ideas to us that would’ve given them the label of Uncle Tom’s in the United States. This primarily made me grateful for the education and freedom of information that I have received in the United States about black history and black issues worldwide.

Perhaps as a cumulative takeaway from a lot the experiences I had in Cuba was the importance of the influence of the government in citizens lives of a country. Although people in America love to be political, not many are truly nationalistic—not many truly love their country. In Cuba, it felt like every person that I interacted with loved their country. I think that nationalism has a bad connotation in the United States, but the pride and love that I saw displayed for Cuba, and the resulting comradery between all Cubans, was obviously a good thing.

These changes are important because I understand how differently a country can be from America or Canada, yet still function well. I truly feel that Cubans are happier than Americans, even though the country is less economically developed and has a different government. Also, now that I understand what it means to be black and mixed in other countries better, I feel like it is my duty to be a better representative of non-white people in America. I know that I need to accurately represent our history, culture, and art. Otherwise, issues with race will persist in the nation.

For my STEP Signature Project, I participated in a month-long study abroad program to London for three English credits focusing on detective fiction and crime in Victorian era England. We had the chance to visit Bath and Oxford for a couple days as well where we had guest lecturers who are experts in the field speak to us. In addition to taking classes for ten hours every week, we went on many group excursions to famous sites in London and related their cultural significance back to the concepts of our class.

This trip truly reaffirmed for me my love for literature and for writing. I came into college as a pharmacy major and only added an English major towards the end of my sophomore year. A majority of my time is spent on studying for my science courses, so I do not have free time to read for leisure as I used to so much in the past. I was able to read many new stories and was introduced to a genre that I was not really familiar with before in this course: detective fiction. Participating in an intensive course focusing on literature and culture as well as being in the beautiful city of London rekindled my love for reading and writing.

London is a truly inspirational city with its rich and deep history etched into every street and learning about its culture and literature in intensive studies for our class only made me admire it that much more. It has always been a dream of mine to publish my own novels and walking on the streets and eating in the places where my favorite authors did themselves in the past immensely fueled my desire to reach that dream. This trip also showed me how important studying the arts and humanities really is to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beautiful and diverse world around us. I have always loved traveling and seeing the world through my own eyes, but this trip made me realize the significance of learning about the rich history every different country possesses as well. Even though my future profession will most likely be in healthcare, this trip instilled in me a desire to continue studying the arts for the rest of my life.

One key aspect of my experience that led to my realization was actually interacting with the other students that were also on the trip with me. There were many different majors on our trip along with the English majors, but what connected us all was our interest in the literature and culture of England. As we visited many historic sites and went on different walking tours led by scholars, I was inspired by everyone’s knowledge on the subject as well as their genuine passion and enthusiasm. I had visited the Roman Baths last year when I went to England, but it was again one of the sites for our group excursions, so I had the chance to see them again. I gained so much more from seeing them this time compared to last time because everyone around me was so captivated by them that I was also able to immerse myself fully into the experience.

Another key event that had a lasting effect on me was seeing a production of As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe. I had a chance to visit the Globe last year as well, but, due to time restraints, I was not able to actually see a play. More than a year later, I finally got to accomplish one of my life-long dreams of attending a play in Shakespeare’s Globe, and it was more than worth the wait. Standing in the pit and watching the amazing actors and actresses perform just as people in the time of the world’s greatest playwright would have was a truly indescribable feeling. If standing in there does not inspire you to write the next great masterpiece, then I do not know what would.

Finally, another one of the most memorable experiences of my project was taking a spontaneous trip to Oxford on our last day in England because there was a special Tolkien exhibition put on by the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford that just so happened to open on that day, and I was not going to miss that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even though the exhibition was not terribly large, I was almost brought to tears multiple times by the sheer genius and artistry of one man’s mind. Not only was he an incredibly gifted writer and artist, he was also a great father to his children as well as a beloved linguist and professor. He spent his whole life crafting his fantasy world despite his busy life and worked on his novels at night after teaching at university. It made me realize that I need to work so much harder if I am serious about reaching my goals and that I have no excuses. I walked out of that exhibition resolving to also spend the rest of my life loving literature and writing stories.

I feel that I have developed my academic and personal goals more as a result of this trip. I realized how much I truly love studying the humanities, and I want to continue learning and expanding my knowledge for the rest of my life even if it is not for my future profession because it is just something that I love. I was also immensely inspired to pursue my love for reading and writing and will continue working towards my dream. This trip showed me how much beauty and truth the world contains in something as simple as walking down the cobblestone streets of London.

My STEP Signature experience was a remarkable, life-changing leadership opportunity over 21 days in Australia and New Zealand, which developed my curious and adventurous nature by providing individual and leadership growth. I spent this time learning about various leadership styles, leading adventures, and embracing the Pacific through a variety of unique activities including kayaking, hiking, skydiving, exploring, bungee jumping, white water rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, and more.

During this adventure, a major transformation took place in me. When my parents dropped me off at the Outdoor Adventure Center on Friday, May 11^th, I was very anxious. I didn’t know anyone in my group and I had no idea what was in store for me. I started the adventure very timidly, not knowing what to expect. When we boarded the plane the next morning, and traveled first to Dallas then halfway around the world to Australia, I was nervous and very quiet. By the end of the adventure, I realized how much I had grown on this experience, and felt much more outgoing. I had 21 new best friends that I had completely bonded with.

I have always been adventurous, but this trip tested my limits with new experiences and challenges every day. I never thought I’d eat a bug or bungee jump or hike 230+ stories up the ascent, but I learned that I’m braver and stronger than I realized. When the hikes got very challenging, I leaned on the encouragement from my new friends and pushed through, because I knew that we were all in it together. On the free days, I chose the most dangerous, daring, and thrilling options.

Much of my personal growth came from the many adventurous activities that were included in this experience. As soon as we arrived in Australia, we began our immersion into the Pacific culture. Each day, it seemed that the outings became more and more exciting. We started with snorkeling and scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, followed by white-water rafting, skydiving, interacting with crocodiles, kangaroos, and koala bears in an animal sanctuary, and stand-up paddleboarding. The most challenging day was fairly early in the trip when we hiked the Grand Canyon of Australia. This really stretched the limits of my physical and mental capacity, first trekking to the bottom, then climbing all the way back to the top. Many of us thought we couldn’t make it, but we persevered, which was really rewarding.

Throughout these experiences I had the opportunity to really get to know each of the 21 other students. With each new adventure, I was grouped with different people, giving me the opportunity to really appreciate our diversity. This was truly a life-changing experience since we were trying new things and stretching our limits, giving us the ability to really bond with one another. Being without internet for three weeks allowed me to become more focused, both on myself and on others, and to make deep connections without the many distractions that technology can provide.

After about 10 days in Australia, we flew to New Zealand where I had the opportunity to practice my team leadership skills as Leader of the Day for a river cruise. The leadership portion of this experience was well organized, giving each person on the trip the opportunity to practice, receive feedback, and develop their own personal leadership style. Prior to the trip, we were each tasked with researching 2 different leadership styles. By sharing what we had read about our assigned styles, we were able to quickly learn and understand many diverse approaches to leadership.

Most of our adventures in New Zealand included hiking, and gave us the opportunity not only to continue to stretch ourselves physically but also mentally as we took in the remarkable, unique landscape. In between hikes, we went horseback riding, bungee jumping, kayaking, mountain biking, and flew by helicopter to the Franz Josef Glacier. We also had an opportunity to observe kiwi birds in their natural habitat and feed eels. This outdoor adventure was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My natural curiosity and quest for adventure was fulfilled over and over again.

Coming out of my shell and stretching my physical and mental limits are extremely significant for my life and career. The leadership skills that I learned, and the opportunity to experience physical challenges day after day have really prepared me for my senior year at Ohio State, during which I will participate in an investigative internship. In my career in criminology, my expanded curiosity, sense of adventure, and life experiences will be critical to my success. The opportunity to interact with a very diverse group of peers in such a variety of situations has really expanded my perspective and curiosity. Not only has this adventure enhanced my college experience, but it has been truly transformative, causing a marked change in my personality, confidence, and abilities. I am so very thankful for this STEP experience and especially for my new friends.

1. Through my STEP project, I was able to work in several different schools across a wide range of demographics in Bali and Jakarta over the course of 3.5 weeks. Through this, I had opportunities to interact in multiple different cultural communities, explore different religions and their context in an international education, and work hands on with students from first grade to high school.
2. While completing this STEP project, I was able to immerse myself in a culture that was so completely different from everything that I know. Through every facet of Indonesian culture ranging from religion to transportation and everything in between, I was able to grow in my understanding and appreciation of tradition, socioeconomic circumstances/opportunities, tolerance, resourcefulness, and religion. Reflecting back on all of the experiences that shaped my growth on this trip, I believe that exploring the two dominant religions of Indonesia, Hinduism and Islam, was most impactful for me.

Though the religious diversity is much more vast than I had been expecting, the primary religion in Bali is Hinduism and the primary religion in Jakarta is Islam. My preconceptions about Hinduism had been primarily history based – history is one of my concentrations in my major, so I had studied the historical facts about it but never really thought about it in a spiritual way or modern context. Getting to experience the way that Hinduism dominates the Balinese culture by visiting a Hindu temple, interacting with Hindu students, getting woken up to prayer call each morning before sunrise, observing prayer, and experiencing Hindu traditions is truly what made Bali the experience that it was for me.  Hinduism is engrained into the peaceful, Earth-revering way of life in Bali. The religion’s focuses on gratitude, self-improvement, peace, and recognition and respect for the Earth and all its glories are evident in everyday life in Bali. It was so refreshing to take a step back and learn about Hinduism and its relationship to Balinese culture, and also consider how this new dimension of spirituality could apply to my own religion and culture.

The other religion that I had the chance to delve into was Islam. Experiencing this was particularly monumental for me. During my time in Jakarta, it was Ramadan. This special time gave us the chance to interact with the culture hands on both in our school placement and in the local community. This was crucial for me to experience as a future educator because I realized just how ignorant I was to other religions and how my ignorance could affect my students. Many of my young students were fasting during the school day, and I didn’t really understand what that would look like or how I should interact with that as a Christian who wasn’t fasting. The two concepts I picked up on the quickest was that eating or mentioning food in front of a fasting Muslim is rude and that the religious devotion in Islam is an impressive and beautiful thing. To be completely honest, this was my first time really experiencing the depth and beauty of the Muslim faith. Not to say that I was against Islam in any way prior to this trip, but I certainly hadn’t understood it or encountered it in a personal way. I had only ever really been exposed to the American fears and misunderstandings that had been bred through the media over the course of my life.  To listen to the religious education classes, watch my 6-year-old students fast all day even when they weren’t required to, and hear them pray, I was able to understand more of what this faith is truly about and how it is misrepresented so often. This was an important lesson for me to learn as I head into my own classroom, not only so that I can be understanding and tolerant of my Muslim students, but so I may pass along concepts of understanding and tolerance to young kids who may have grown up unaware of diversity the way I had.

I learned that I am a much more spiritual person than I realized; its difficult to take the time to develop myself spiritually during life’s business. Through experiencing other religions and reflecting on my own religious practices, I discovered that this is something I would like to prioritize in my adult life. I also was able to develop a better understanding of discipline and intrinsic motivation through my experiences at the Bali Academy. Working with these students was inspiring; I found myself envying their discipline, appreciation of life, hard-working manner regardless of circumstance, and devotion and understanding of spirituality. Now that I have returned, I want to embody these things as I head into my final year at Ohio State.

I also learned a lot about conservation of the Earth while visiting Bali Green School. Our tour guide went through all of the projects and missions students had been working on in order to preserve the Earth and run the school in the most efficient manner possible. This also provided insight into how I could incorporate project-based learning into my future lesson plans so that students can develop into critical, investigative thinkers.

3. A few key experiences helped to shape my new found religious understanding and appreciation. In Bali, I got to learn about Hinduism in a couple of different lights. For one, working alongside my buddy at the Bali Academy, Rama, I was able to see how Hinduism was incorporated into daily life, and also learn about particular ceremonies. There was one day that we were visiting his community pool and a Hindu ceremony happened to be taking place. By watching this with his commentary and explanation, I was able to learn about the value of self-cleansing and self-improvement.

I visited a significant and revered Hindu temple as well as the largest Mosque in Southeast Asia. Seeing these two homes of worship provided so much context into these two religions and allowed me to interact with both in a personal way. During Ramadan in Jakarta, we had the opportunity to break the daily fast at a small mosque in a local community. Through this, we were able to eat cultural food in a communal setting, and truly experience some of the values in Islam, specifically community and devotion, amongst a group of locals. This experience was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

The emphasis of community across these cultures was evident all around. Another community building experience I was lucky to share with my classmates was sitting down for a traditional Jawanese feast in the private home of our guide’s friends. We sat on the ground, the food laid out on banana leaves in front of us. We enjoyed the food the traditional way in Jawa – with our hands. Our guide Dita was so welcoming to us and so eager to teach us about her culture. Not only was I able to learn a lot about the places we were visiting from Dita, but she took on a maternal role for my peers and I. We developed a relationship that I will cherish forever.

My self-discovery and development helped me to refine both new and old characteristics in myself. Gaining new perspectives, ideas, and refreshed focuses on things that may have even already been a part of my life will guide me as I finish my final year of college and enter the real world.  I believe having reinvigorated attitudes regarding discipline, acceptance, curiosity, and the importance of learning about who and what is around me will make me a better student, teacher, friend, and leader as I take on new and old roles in my life. Most of my experiences could be applied directly to my classroom one day. I learned a lot about the value of project-based learning and how I could use this to foster independence and critical thinking in my students one day. Also in today’s tense social climate, I feel lucky and empowered to have the chance to learn about religious and cultural practices that are so different than my own. This gives me the power to educate not only my future students about the beauty of diversity, but also my peers and loved ones around me. With little strides like these to educate ourselves about others, I believe the world will be a more peaceful and progressive place. After the profound impact this beautiful culture has had on me, I am already eager to return to Indonesia again in the future.

Name: Aminat Adewumi
Type of Project: Education Abroad

For  my STEP Signature Project, I studied abroad in Japan with the Public Health Perpectives: Japan program. I was able to attend lectures at Japanese universities, take field visits to various local and international health organizations and cultural sites.

My understanding of environmental health issues and the importance of the environment has been bettered by my study abroad trip. Access to clean air, water, and proper sewage are issues that I’ve known are important, but often were not my focus, even as a Public Health major. Just as social issues and access to health resources are factors, the built environment of a community effects health substantially.

One of the most impactful events of the trip was visiting Minamata. In the early 1900’s, a Japanese chemical company continuously released waste containing mercury into local rivers. This mercury pollution has caused decades of suffering to the people affected. Children were born with neurological disabilities, crops died, and the community’s fish trade deteriorated. During the program, we were able to visit the Minamata disease museum and listen to a storyteller speak about her own family’s emotional struggle with Minamata disease.

Along with Minimata and a couple other Japanese cities, I was able to visit Hiroshima, the first city in the world to hit with a nuclear weapon. Over 100,000 people were killed due to the direct bombing and eventual radiation and pollution. Prior to this trip, what I knew about Hiroshima was from history classes, primarily taught from an American perspective of WW2. I never heard about the real people killed, families dismantled, and the cities ultimate journey to rebuild the city.

Along with this, hearing lectures taught by local instructors in my field and gaining knowledge from a Japanese education-style has broadened my perspective of public health training and provide me with a more worldly view that is simply not accessible through books at home in Columbus. I felt especially impacted by the lecture on the elderly in Japan. The elderly who lived in areas where they felt a sense of community and had access to programs were proven to have better health statuses. Specialized care for elderly is of utmost importance and is applicable to my current job as a Nurse’s Aide in a nursing home. Though continuing working as a Nurse’s Aide is definitely no my intended career path, the lecture on the elderly has improved my understanding of maintaining the health of the elderly. Often, in American nursing homes, understaffing causes insufficient care. Socialization and other extracurricular activities are often not as accessible due to this understaffing. Learning from the lecture can help me advocate for these types of programs.

Though Ohio State is a relatively diverse campus, I am aware that I am still sheltered from many identities, cultures, and perspectives. Having the opportunity to interact with local students at the University of Tokyo and Azuba University and immerse myself in its community has helped me gain insight into different cultures that I may interact with as I pursue medical school education. Of course, I cannot say I am an expert on Japanese culture, but I was privileged to learn more about the customs including privacy, respect of elderly—and not being obnoxiously loud on subways. In addition, increasing my own levels of cultural competency will allow me to better serve communities professionally as I pursue my career as a physician.

Name: Emily LaPolla

Type of Project: Education Abroad

My STEP Signature Project entailed 11 days studying abroad exploring the classical, archaeological and religious sites and structures of Ancient Greece! We traveled to nine different cities throughout Greece and learned not only why and when the sites were built but also the engineering, construction, and excavation behind each. This program allowed me a unique opportunity to explore the differences between ancient and modern Greek cultures, how engineering has changed over time, and how modern Greece has been impacted by historical events.

The trip didn’t feel real to me until I woke up on the international flight and we were getting ready to land in Athens – I was excited, scared and nervous. I had never been abroad before, never experienced another culture, language or country before and had an idea of what it would be like in my head. The most I knew about Greece was what I had learned about in class the week before. My view of the Europe and Greece was that every country was very large, modern, clean and innovated. That turned out to not be the case. Greece’s economic state may have had something to do with it, but I felt that the cities were very dirty, poorly taken care of and there was graffiti everywhere. It was kind of shocking. Through my journey abroad I became a more independent person who had a lot more sympathy for other nations. I am a much more well rounded person than I was previously, I truly appreciate all of my opportunities and standard of living here a lot more – the trip really opened up my eyes!

I realized that the people in Greece were no different than the people in the US, we’re all just trying to be happy, but it seemed like most of the people in Greece lived simpler lives. They hung out at coffee shops and smoked a lot of cigarettes! Not that those are very healthy for you, but they were very stress free which I appreciated. A lot of our waitors went out of their way to make sure we had the best service and experience, and it was amazing. Everyone was willing to talk to us about Greece and their lives and what they do and what their life is like. Our one bartender still lived at home, had a college degree, even played semi pro basketball in Greece! But yet his life was so much different than if he lived in the US.

The cities were truly eye opening for me. It was disappointing to see so many stray dogs and cats, abandoned buildings, ill kept sidewalks and streets, etc. I didn’t realize how different a city was going to look – I truly expected something like Columbus! This helped me realize the differences between modern Greece and the US.

The Thessaloniki subway tour related to civil engineering, the building of temples, cities, etc that we saw in multiple locations (Samos, Athens, Mycenae) was civil engineering, at the science museum we saw the first example of computer engineering (first programmable robot), and at the Acropolis Museum we saw different metals/materials that could relate to multiple engineering disciplines. It impressed me how well built the structutes of Anicent Greece were – honestly it’s still hard for me to comprehend how they were able to complete all of that work without the technology we have today. This trip made me proud to be a future engineer – what I work on could have a lasting impression in history! I feel that engineers are the same in Greece compared to the US, math and science don’t change through language or culture. My favorite site was the Tunnel of Pythagoria – it was insane to see and hear about how Pythagoras started from both sides of the mountain and was only half a meter off meeting in the middle! I loved being able to walk through the tunnel and see the aqueduct below. I also really enjoyed the Epidaurus Theatre – it is amazing how the sound carries so well to the top of the theatre! I also really liked the monastery at the meteora – it was beautiful and being on top of the cliffs was crazy/scary! I attached three pictures of me and my roommates at the tunnel, the theatre and the Meteora cliffs. These are my favorite pictures since these were my three favorite sites!! I would change the itinerary so we know what exactly the site is like (is it a lot of walking, is it outside, what time is lunch, etc). I would’ve liked to stay in Nafpilon for a longer amount of time, I loved walking around the city! I think it was a good balance of engineering/historical/cultural activities and also free time to get to know the group better!

My STEP education abroad changed my life! Being able to go abroad for the first time ever pushed me out of my comfort zone. The friendships I made on this trip will be unforgettable. I became a more independent and well rounded person and will be able to make connections in the future due to my experience abroad. I have caught the travel bug – I really hope I will be able to do more traveling and experience other cultures in the future. Without STEP I never would have been able to become a more understanding, sympathetic and relaxed person. Going to Greece has really made me want to take more time to breathe and take in the beauty and great opportunities I have been given. Thank you to everyone!!

For my STEP Signature project, I spent 5 months living and studying in Granada, Spain during the Spring semester of 2018. This experience was truly the best 5 months of my life and I’m forever grateful for the experiences and people I was surrounded with during my time abroad. I arrived to Spain in the beginning of January and started by taking an intensive month course of Spanish language. The month was followed by a standard semester where I took classes to fulfill my Spanish minor and GE requirements. I had class Monday-Thursday and spent almost every weekend traveling around Europe.

Over the course of my time abroad I grew as a person; culturally, intellectually, and personally. This growth not only transfers back to my time at Ohio State but will also help me as I enter the real world after college. It’s hard to sum up everything I learned about myself and the world during my experience abroad but my two biggest take-away’s were what it means to be a global citizen and perception of the world is solely based on one’s own experiences.

I took an optional 5-hour course through my study abroad program, International Studies Abroad (ISA) that helped me unpack the various feelings and emotions that students go through while studying abroad. When placed in an unfamiliar environment and forced to adapt, your brain is doing some pretty incredible things and I was able to learn what was happening from a biological and psychological point of view. The course covered what it means to be mindful and different cultural attitudes that we each feel about a different culture when we spend an extended amount of time there.

One of my favorite topics and the one that resonated that most with me was the topic of being a global citizen, what that means and is that possible today? While it means different things for different people I came to the conclusion that my definition centers around being adaptable when it comes to experiencing and living in a different cultural that my own. Part of being a global citizen is not trying to force culture on others when I experience cultural differences, but instead having the ability to adapt to the changing cultures around me. I believe the most growth happened to me when I decided to completely submerge myself in the culture around me. My day to day routine in Spain was completely different than my routine back in the states and at times this was hard for me. But ultimately, I learned to let it go and mold into the cultural surroundings.

My second take away centered around experiences and my perception of the world. The more I thought about this, the more I was fascinated with the idea and found myself thinking about it in everything I did and experienced. If you picture each and every one of your experiences plotted on a horizontal line with your highest experiences above center line and lowest experiences below the line you can determine the “width” of your range of experiences. The more life experiences, different cultures, and way of thinking you are exposed to, the wider your range of experience becomes and the easier it is to see your experiences in the context of others around you and the world. I began to examine my own life and my own experiences in this way. I represent a small fraction of the world that is able to be educated and even a smaller fraction that has the ability to study abroad. Therefore, before I have even experienced studying abroad my range of experiences throughout my life has been relatively narrow and positioned higher than the majority on the total range of human experience. I’m not saying that I haven’t experienced hard things in my life or that I haven’t experienced incredible highs but this range from highs to lows is relatively level compared to the rest of the world.

While all of our experiences are on different levels in the grand scheme of things my worst most negative experience is only relative to my second most negative experience. And the same for my positive experiences. This is why I believe we as humans are never fully able to empathize with other people’s life experiences because they are all incredibly different and measured only by ourselves. However, the more we are exposed to in the world the wider our range becomes and easier it is to see our life experiences as only a small part of the world.

Over the course of my semester abroad I had countless learning experiences. Whether they were small “aha” moments or deep introspective moments like the realizations I just described, they will impact me for the rest of my life.  Because I have lived and studied in a small city in Southern Spain, a culture and language far from my own, I am much more confident walking into unfamiliar situations and I have the certainty to face them. I am grateful for this experience and so excited to boldly face the next chapters of my life.

This past May, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad for three weeks in several of the most innovative, culturally rich, and environmentally friendly cities in the world. My trip, European Cities and Sustainable Urban Planning Practices, took thirteen of us on an unforgettable border-traversing adventure through Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Spain. Through our visits to Copenhagen, Malmö, Berlin, Weimar, Potsdam, and Barcelona, we gained a holistic understanding of the theory and practice of these concepts while taking the time to critically analyze many of these innovative places.

With the primary focus of the trip being on the most progressive urban planning and design principles currently being implemented, we were able to see firsthand many of the “green” and out-of-the-box projects I had been learning about in my classes, which was especially fascinating since I am a City and Regional Planning major. This was a key opportunity for me to apply what I already knew while expanding on this to learn what cannot simply be taught in classes.

Prior to this trip, my understanding of both city planning and European culture was limited to classroom lectures and fuzzy memories from a family vacation to the United Kingdom ten years ago. It is one thing to see pictures and learn about concepts, designs, and sites in class and to recall upon my memories of what it is like to be immersed in a foreign culture. It is another to actually live, breathe, and experience these concepts and sites while also growing as a citizen of a the world and broadening my mind thanks to diverse foreign cultures.

After going on this amazing adventure, I now have a firm grasp on how many of these city planning innovations have been able to be so successful in their respective cities and countries in addition to having a more open mind after being immersed in so many different cultures. No longer do I go about my days with the same monotony and lack of global awareness. Now I have a new spark ignited inside me to help try to fix the detrimental social and urban problems afflicting American society that European cities I visited have been able to help alleviate. Even going beyond that, I want to provide a more people-centric, human oriented design approach to the States that is found so ubiquitously in the countries I visited. Going beyond my academic goals and societal ambitions, I am a truly better person because of this trip. My experiences have shaped me into a new American; I am even more tolerant, more independent, and more forward-thinking than I was before.

This transformation was caused by several key influencing factors along my train-traveling, bike-bustling, subway-speeding, and airplane-adventuring extravaganza. First is the use of public transportation, since this forced me to be quick-thinking, independently responsible, and boldly social in order to figure out the many complex and entirely different transit systems in each of the cities visited. Due to the large scale and widespread nature of these cities, we used public transportation as our lifeline to connect and travel throughout the cities, so it was more of a requirement than an option to learn them like the back of our hand within a day or two’s time. It took breaking language barriers, asking strangers for advice, carefully studying maps, and becoming directionally oriented to truly start to master them, but by doing so I gained so much more than a simple tram ride across Berlin or a Metro excursion under Copenhagen. I pushed myself in situations and places that would have previously been uncomfortable and unfamiliar, and broadened my understanding of not only foreign city planning and transit infrastructure, but of the ways I am able to confidently traverse an unknown environment, applicable to any future new situation, place, or person I must face.

Going beyond the learning curve of initially-intimidating bike lanes and multi-colored subway lines, this trip also taught me the importance of putting myself out there in a new environment to learn, understand, and thrive from it. For example, in every city we went to I would take some small cross-city trips on my own to help fully immerse myself in the native culture. Typically, I would randomly explore around neighborhoods that appeared interesting until finding an appealing café or coffee shop. I remember in Berlin, especially, where finding an English-speaking restaurant is not always that easy, I would put myself out of my comfort zone to order unpronounceable food, communicate with people who speak other languages, and place myself in the middle of a culture totally different from the one I was used to back home. And the end result? A plethora of incredible memories, personal growth and cultural awareness, and far too many delicious cappuccinos and croissants to count.

Furthermore, the opportunities and abilities to observe and analyze some of the cities’ most innovative public spaces, architectural sites, and green infrastructure opened my eyes to the ways city planning is truly applied to better peoples’ lives rather than some of the detrimental applications historically here in the States. I became inspired by the ways Copenhagen streets are pedestrianized to give priority to people in the city rather than to carbon-emitting, traffic causing cars. I admired the ways Berlin’s tree-canopied streets transport me to another world, making me forget I’m in a bustling cosmopolitan city. I appreciated the preservation of historic, significant structures and architectural sites in Barcelona that evoke magical, fairytale-esque aesthetics. By having assignments that required full immersion and critical analysis within these sites with everything from photography to note-taking to sketching, a full grasp of the overall success of these urban planning developments could be realized, helping me also learn how to better understand and analyze urban space for the rest of my academia and future career.

These developments matter to me both professionally and personally, since now I have better grasp for urban planning as a whole, especially in a more relevant context that transcends lecture hall presentations as well as a personal growth from being in four foreign countries for an extended period of time. I know better ways to apply creative thinking and problem solving to help develop more sustainable and people-oriented cities while also grasping what it truly means to be a citizen of the world. My visions, dreams, and ambitions cannot be withheld within a singular city, state, or country. They are much large and are destined to affect so many more people, helping to create worldwide ripples to positively impact people and create better quality of life. Because of this trip, I realize that I am destined to forever strive to make positive social and urban change—I am destined to transcend national borders, I am invigorated to cross language barriers, and I am determined to break cultural stigmas that separate us. Because of this trip, I realize that despite the many differences that try to divide us as humankind, there are in fact far more similarities that unite us together, and I will not stop until I have been able to stitch together as many of these connections as possible.

This past May, I had the amazing opportunity of traveling to Corfu, Greece and spending an eventful, unforgettable month there. During my time abroad, I spent three hours each day

studying and learning about Western culture at Ionian University, beginning with the Ancient Greeks up through modern-day Greece. Outside of the classroom, my fellow Buckeyes and I were taken on a number of excursions that enhanced our learning experiences as we were also given free time to explore the island on our own. Once our time in Corfu came to an end, we spent two days in Athens, Greece where we were able to see many famous historical sites and explore the historical capital city.

Before going abroad, I knew that my views and overall thoughts of the world were very sheltered and premature- I come from a small town in Ohio, never traveling farther than the Caribbean and without my family tagging along. Admittedly, I was terrified to travel alone, not knowing anyone prior to my trip and unaware of life outside of my everyday norm. However, my time in Corfu, and abroad in general, taught me more about myself than most experiences at home had. While in Corfu, I learned that my love for people and new experiences wasn’t left behind with my family, friends, and pets in the states.

This love for people and new experiences allowed me to see and do some amazing things while abroad, including making new friends from Ohio State that I wouldn’t have met otherwise, seeing historical sites that I had only read of in textbooks and learning about a new culture that I had only dreamed of being a part of. These experiences lead to many realizations about not only myself but the world around me. I realized this world is just as accepting 5,000 miles away as it is at home, with people from all around the world showing kindness, sincerity, and generosity throughout my time abroad. As for my view of the world, I realized that appreciation of culture is something to not take lightly and that a love for where you come from is something to express to everyone. These, along with a plethora of realizations, made my study abroad and STEP Signature Project one that I could never forget.

These transformations and realizations mentioned above couldn’t have been possible without a number of unforgettable experiences I had in Corfu. The kindness and sincerity mentioned above were displayed in many interactions I had abroad, with both the locals and other individuals traveling to Corfu. For example, our program coordinators from Greece were anything short of amazing. From the moment we stepped off the plane, they were always checking in to make sure we had everything we needed and even taking us on excursions, explaining the sites historical relevance and importance. For me, I couldn’t express enough appreciation for these individuals, as they made our experience both educational and fun, a concept that is sometimes hard to do with 22 college-aged girls.

Another interaction abroad that made me appreciate the kindness and generosity of others was with a local who owned a restaurant up the street from our hotel. As the restaurant owner, George was thrilled to see Buckeyes walk through the door, as he looks forward to having Ohio State students and our advisors every year.  Each time we entered his restaurant, we were treated like family- George was always giving me advice on what to order so I could “eat like the locals” and even held a karaoke night for all of us at the end of the trip. Not only did this show kindness and sincerity, but George was just one example of the many people we met in Corfu that showed this sort of hospitality. Not only did this expand my love for people, but it also showed me that any place could be a temporary home.

Above, I mentioned that appreciation of culture and where you come from was another important aspect I learned from my time abroad and I would credit this realization to the different experiences I had with historical sites, events, etc. My favorite example of cultural appreciation was the Corfu Independence Parade we attended on May 21. This parade was filled with bands, dance organizations, and children’s organizations celebrating the island and their gained independence from many years ago. The Greek flag, along with the colors blue and white, was everywhere that day. I could tell that culture is very important to the Greeks and plays a major role in their everyday life, as they always had the Greek flag displayed and were always willing to share their culture with us through different foods or events.

            Another example of both cultural appreciation and important interactions I experienced was with our tour guide, Sophia, while in Athens visiting the Parthenon. Sophia was so joyful and excited to share the history of Greece at each site we visited. The one thing I remember about Sophia was her words about the Greeks, my favorite being, “whatever we do here we do big, girls” as she pointed to the Acropolis and Parthenon. Sophia was the purest example of cultural appreciation and having pride of where she came from, and that has stuck with me since my return. Due to these interactions and experiences, I have gained a larger appreciation for not only my home but for the other places people call home.

     These interactions and experiences haven’t only left impactful footprints on my college career but have further prepared me for my senior year at The Ohio State University and my future career. As a senior at Ohio State, I have been surrounded by many different types of people for three years now but have never taken the time to learn more about their story or the place they call home. I now believe that learning about people and the different cultures they come from is important for not only personal relationships but for increasing the academic world we’re surrounded by at Ohio State. I would also attest that this aspect is important for my future career in the communications world, as I could potentially be working with individuals from all walks of life. Overall, this experience has opened my eyes to a life outside Columbus and has taught me that everyone is deserving of kindness and sincerity regardless of where they come from or what culture they appreciate and celebrate.