Study Abroad Summer in Toledo, Spain

Name: Lauren Schnitkey

Type of Project: Study Abroad

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  1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two
    or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project
    entailed.

    1. I studied abroad in Toledo, Spain through the college of Spanish. I took two classes, went on outings with the staff from the school to get cultural tours, and I lived with a host family to learn about the everyday life of a Spaniard.

 

  1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your
    view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP
    Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or
    transformation that took place.

    1. I started to be able to stand on my own and I learned try new things without others supporting me. I think the most important thing that changed about myself was the understanding that I can be alone but still be happy. I learned the value of having people who know you around you, but I was taught independence. I gained new friends from different cultures that helped expand my views, as well as gaining a family in Spain. I gained knowledge of the history and culture in Spain that allowed me to see their culture in a different light, and I can apply this new viewpoint to cultures and costumes here in the us. There were many things that people from Spain did or viewed differently, and it was easy to see these things when I was surrounded by these people. Through seeing these differences, I was able to develop my opinions based on two different cultures rather than one.

 

  1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP
    Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in
    #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing
    the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project
    that led to this change/transformation.

    1. The school and the workers there played a big role in helping me adjust to the culture and start seeing the new things in Spain. They sessions that helped acknowledge the things that were done differently in Spain and gave us coping mechanisms. The people at the school really helped me feel like I was part of their community. They also set up opportunities for us to meet other locals to help us feel like we belong and that we had contacts in the town. So, the people at the school were the people who really helped me feel adjusted. The next group of people that affected me throughout my program was the other students that became my friends. They helped me have people from America that understood what I was going through and allowed me to connect with them. This group helped me feel comfortable enough to travel to different parts of Spain with them to experience different cultures and histories. Traveling to the other parts of Spain helped me develop my opinions of Spaniards and the effect of location on beliefs. Finally, the person that had the biggest impact on my growth as I was in Spain was my host mother. She allowed me to ask her all my questions about the culture and then she asked about my culture and experiences. She really helped me feel wanted and welcome. Also, she spoke no English, so it was my communication with her that greatly increased my Spanish skills. All of these people created the environment that allowed me to learn everything I did.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your
life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or
development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or
professional goals and future plans

Understanding different cultures is extremely important in life because it allows you to accept that some people see things differently than you do. This is a constant theme in life, many people will think conversely to you and you have to be able to communicate and possibly work with them. Going to a different culture was really helpful with my ability to accept others because they believe some things that I had never encountered in America, things I had never thought to question. So, hearing these beliefs was helpful for my future because it gave me the skills to discuss concepts thoughtfully. This experience also vastly increased my Spanish skills which I hope to use in my future profession.

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I loved this experience and I am so grateful for all it taught me.

Summer in Suzhou 2018

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

For my STEP project this past summer, I participated in a study abroad program in Suzhou, China for seven weeks.  Through this program, I was able to complete two courses for OSU credit and navigate a new city and culture with my classmates.

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

My time in Suzhou was a time of tremendous growth.  I walked into the program expecting something absolutely phenomenal.  I wanted what I had always heard from other students with study abroad experiences: to see scenes of grandeur, to be filled with awe, and to have my life completely changed.  Quite frankly, my experience encompassed that and much more.

Finding myself in a country in which every little interaction I had with the world outside of my own mind required a translation into a new language was challenging and incredibly humbling.  In America, I was a 20 year old college student with the ability to express and present myself as such, but in China (for at least the first few weeks), I was a 20 year old college student with the ability of a babbling 5 year old to express my thoughts and emotions.  Naturally, I struggled with many insecurities ranging from feeling like my Chinese simply wasn’t good enough to feeling like I didn’t have the skills necessary to be studying as equals with my classmates.  I soon realized, however, that many of us shared these fears.  In addition, since we had all come to China in an effort to improve our Chinese skills, I realized that we shouldn’t be afraid of our skills not being good enough, but instead look forward to our skills improving through our experiences.  That said, every day was filled with interactions I had that I considered successes as well as failures, and each one made me reevaluate my reason for participating in this program.  Through it all, however, I realized my true passion for the Chinese language and culture, and despite my language handicap, I learned very quickly to be bold and more confident in my interactions with native speakers, which translated to being more bold and confident in general in my daily life.  Being able to improve my Chinese skills and visibly notice my increasing comfortability in my surroundings every day is a dream I got to live out this summer, and it was an overall extremely grounding and fulfilling experience.

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

This past summer, there were a total of 14 students who travelled to Suzhou, among which 8 were undergraduate students, and 6 were graduate students.  Though we were split into two different levels of classes for the program, we all swam through the humidity and sweated through the heat of Suzhou together, and bonded through our experiences.  I am so thankful to have met my classmates and to have experienced this summer with them.  To not only share a passion for Chinese with a group of people, but to be able to struggle together in figuring out everything – from ordering food at a restaurant to complicated class projects – was an incredible blessing.  The friends I made through this program kept me grounded when classes or life became overwhelming, and I consider them to be people I hope to keep in my life.  Their friendships gave me the stable ground I needed in a country where everything I did required extra thinking and effort, and I wholeheartedly believe that we all helped each other grow.

In addition to my OSU classmates, I also had a total of three language partners in Suzhou.  Each OSU student was assigned one (or in my case, two) language partner(s) for one month at a time who would spend time with them outside of class to build a friendship and better understand possible cultural similarities and differences.  My language partners helped me really immerse into the Chinese culture.  Since they were native Chinese college students, I spoke to them almost exclusively in Chinese, which proved to be incredibly challenging and yet very effective in improving my language skills.  They corrected my speech when I misspoke, taught me slang and popular Chinese sayings, and in return, I taught them American sayings and introduced them to different aspects of American pop culture.  Together, we watched both American and Chinese movies, explored different parts of Suzhou, and learned how to overcome the language barrier to develop a friendship.

Since our study abroad program was seven weeks long, my classmates and I were given a little bit of flexibility to visit other cities in China.  The first weekend of the program, for example, a group of my classmates and I were able to visit Shanghai and see firsthand how a giant, international city like Shanghai compared to our humble city of Suzhou.  Our program itself, however, also had numerous excursions and activities planned for all of us.  We were able to visit local places in Suzhou like the ancient water town of Luzhi as well as other nearby cities, such as the well-known Hangzhou.  Despite all of the sights we were able to see, my favorite was simply the city of Suzhou; the Old Suzhou, to be specific.  Living in Gusu Hotel and walking the streets and stone bridges of Old Suzhou every day was incredibly unique.  The white walls and black roof tiles as well as the local restaurants and markets I quickly became acquainted with are still vividly clear.  In Suzhou, I was able to witness a growing city with an impressive modern cityscape, but also a city that preserved its beautiful history for all to see.  Call me biased, but Suzhou is special; I feel very grateful to have been able to spend a summer studying in such a culturally affluent city.

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

Before studying in China, I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do in the next few years and after graduation.  I wanted to focus on finishing my undergraduate studies on time, then look for a government related job to start my career in the public sector.  This experience, however, took all inklings of a plan that I had and completely turned it on its head.  Just a month after my trip, I am now finding myself not only applying to graduate school a year early, but also to a program I previously didn’t know existed to pursue further studies in Chinese.

 

**Note: I wanted to include some pictures with this STEP reflection, but for some reason, the website isn’t letting me upload any of my pictures or files onto the media library.**

*Update: I was finally able to upload these pictures!*

^Taken at Snake City Gate in Suzhou; one of my favorite places in the city!

^Taken at Shantangjie, one of the traditional tourist shopping streets in Suzhou!

<Taken during our day trip to Hangzhou, on Four Lake!

2018 Summer Internship London

1.This summer I spent my the eight-week global internship in London. This is a global summer internship program under Fisher College and I worked in a company called Vistra, a financial, accounting and law service provider.

 

2.This is my first internship and it greatly laid a foundation for my future internship and future development. I was unsure where I should go after my graduation and I was also feeling confused for my future life. This experience taught me a lot, not only improve those technical skills, but also develop my personal ability, most importantly, it led me a direction where to go. Through this internship, it let me know what’s my passion, what is right thing I should do and I became more confident for my future career development.

3.I met a lot of people with different background from different industry. This kind of various working conditions made me growth. I learned that how different cultural background affected their working environment and how to deal with different people under certain circumstances. This is a totally new experience for me working in another country. It became more comfortable for me to adjust to the changing environment.

I worked closely with my manager and he sometimes took me out for some networking events and internal conferences. What I have learned from him has greatly changed how I behave. As a business development manager, he had to deal with lots of clients and kept contacts with them. His professional in work showed me how to behave professionally in work place and how much effort you should put behind the desk. I was really shy to talk to other colleagues at the beginning. The manager always told me how important it is to interact with other co-workers, so I gradually tried to talk to them during lunch break and after work. I found it was actually not bad to talk to them as I was expected and I got much closer to other colleagues.

 

I went to some networking events with people from other industries. It was hard for me to at first to join their discussion because they talked a lot about their work, their clients and their trip. I felt so nervous talking with them; however, everyone is so nice and listen to me patiently. After all of these, I realized that everything is just not as bad as I thought to be, and I needed to have the courage to step out of my comfort zone.

 The 8 weeks in London has been a wonderful experience of my first start of my career. The biggest transformation came from the support from my colleagues. Without their guidance and support, I would not have the courage to do the things I want to do.

4.The first internship brought me much more than a 8-week abroad experience. It taught me something that I would never learn from textbook. After this experience, I got to know how to behave in work place and what I expected to my future, so it’s more likely to help me find my way. And most importantly, I realized the importance of being brave and stepping out of the comfort zone, which is significant for work.

 

 

 

 

Moscow Study Abroad Experience

My STEP project was a two-month long study abroad in Moscow, Russia. I studied at a Russian university and improved my Russian language skills while immersing myself in the culture. 

The experience I had abroad was incredible and completely changed my view of Russia and its’ people. Before my study abroad, I had no actual idea what Russia would be like. A lot of the assumptions I held about Russia were that it would be cold, dark, lacking history, and overall not a fun place. I could not have been more wrong. The country is so vibrant and the culture so rich. The cities are filled with incredible churches and exquisite palaces. The architecture, art, and literature are so full of life and artistry it is incredible. As well as my changed mentality on the country itself, the people also change my view. Prior to my time there, I thought the people would be cold and uninviting. I made so many new friends and they were the opposite of that. Everyone was so welcoming, and they wanted to make deep connections with me. The experience truly was transforming as my perception of the world and other cultures has changed. 

One moment that really stuck out in my mind as the time of transformation was when my friends and I celebrated Russia’s soccer victory against Spain in the World Cup. Russia had never made it that far in a World Cup tournament and the city was alive. People were filled with pride and excitement over their national team. As the hosts of the World Cup, Russians were beaming and spreading joy everywhere. In that moment, I realized just how human we all were and how much emotion we share. I discovered that Russians are just like me and we all love sports, our country, and each other. It did not matter to them that we were not Russians ourselves, they let us celebrate hand in hand with one another. 

Another significant experience I had in Russia was one of the simplest everyday experiences. My host mom and I would sit together for every meal and talk about our lives. Although it was not much, this time together made a profound impact on me. She was so kind, patient and understanding with my language skills. She helped me to understand what she was saying and she assisted me when I could not explain myself. She took the time to care about me and this showed me her heart and genuine intentions. I never would have expected to sit in a small kitchen with an older Russian woman and be able to have a conversation, let alone a meaningful one. She taught me so much about patience and being kind to others. She gave me a whole new vantage point on Russia and its kind hearted people. 

In Russia, I got to change my view of not only the people but also the culture. I expected to see a harsh cold country with all Soviet style bland architecture, but again I could not have been more wrong. My program took a trip to a city not far from Moscow called Sergiyev Posad. One of the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Russia, Sergiyev Posad was filled with the most beautiful churches. The Russian Orthodox religion is quite vast across Russia and this city was a hotbed of the religion. The churches and their architecture was incredible, having been preserved for many years. So much gold and extravagant paintings covered the walls, I was truly in awe to find such a wonder in Russia. I never would have thought this could have been found in a place so often stereotyped as dark and gray. The trip really opened up my eyes to the hidden beauty within Russia.

Overall, my experience in Russia was one that was not only transformative but unforgettable. I learned to have an open mind and open heart when approaching new and different environments.  From now on, I see the world as a smaller place, one in which we all have things in common with one another. We are all just humans sharing a planet with one another, we have the same emotions, thoughts, loves and feelings. For my future career, this mentality is essential. As I hope to go into diplomacy, this perspective of the world will help me to understand others and do my job to the best of my ability. I will be able to relate to people and be able to hold important conversations and meetings with those from around the world despite our differences.

Siena Italian Studies

Lauren Hamlett

 

Type of project: Study Abroad

 

I studied abroad in Siena, Italy for two months.  I attended four classes and was fully immersed into the Italian culture through staying with a host family and exploring the city and country.

My understanding of myself is what transformed the most through my STEP project.  I had traveled abroad before, but never long enough to fully be immersed into the culture.  At the beginning of my project I felt like a tourist, I did not know where I was going or what to expect.  I had been to Italy before, but it was only for two weeks and it was a very structured school trip.  This time I was treated as an adult and was very independent.  Outside of class I could do whatever I wanted, and I took this time to explore Siena and interact with the locals.  I have been studying Italian for six years at this point but studying in class in the United States and talking to native Italian speakers are very different.  this challenged me in new ways and pushed me outside of my comfort zone.  I had to constantly be focusing on what was being said and how to express my thoughts in Italian.  We were not allowed to use English in class and Siena does not have as many English speakers as bigger Italian cities.  My host family also spoke little English, therefore I constantly had to challenge myself to make conversation at the dinner table.  From this I became more confident in my Italian language proficiency and comprehension.  I also became more comfortable interacting with people when there is a language barrier and I became a better problem solver because I had to figure out how to navigate those situations.

My view of the world also immensely changed through my STEP project, specifically through my Immigration and Emigration class.  This class focused on the history of Italian immigration and emigration and the process immigrants go through beginning with the decision to leave their home country and ending with integration into their new environment and culture.  It was really interesting learning how and why Italy changed from a country of emigration to a country of immigration, but there was one moment that was really eye-opening to me.  As we were talking about the final steps of the process of immigration, she asked us each individually what it is called when an immigrant becomes a part of their new culture.  My class was all Americans and every single one of us said assimilation, then she said no in Italy they call in integration.  I will never forget this moment because I think it showed a lot about the American mindset as opposed to other countries.  I consider myself a liberal person and pro-immigration, but even I said assimilation.  I thought this proved how isolationist Americans are, we expect immigrants to adopt our culture and language and to lose part of their ethnic identity.  As opposed to becoming a part of the American culture while maintaining their identity.  We expect them to learn English and English is not even the official language of the United States.  Italians, generally, do not think this way.  They are proud and strong in their Italian identity, but they do not expect immigrants to “become Italian.”

Another aspect of my project was the service portion of it.  My service project was volunteering as a student teacher for an Italian class for refugees.  This class was mainly immigrants from Africa with all different levels of Italian comprehension.  Some of them knew how to speak the language, but could not read or write in it. While some of them did not know how to speak Italian, but could read and write it because their native language used the same alphabet.  Being the only native English speaker and being the youngest in the class was challenging because it was difficult for me to feel like they had any reason to listen to me.  I never controlled the lesson or was actually in charge, but whenever I was correcting the grammar of a 29-year-old man it felt strange.  Through navigating how to interact with these students in ways we could understand each other and developing those relationships was a really transforming experience that I have never had before.

Another transforming aspect, which may not seem very significant, was traveling to Siena by myself.  I have flown on airplanes before, but I have never been completely on my own in doing it.  I flew from Columbus to JFK in New York City, to Rome and finally to Pisa where my program director picked me up and drove me to Siena. JFK and Rome are very large airports and leading up to my trip I was very nervous about finding my flights and being on time.  If I missed one flight when I arrived in Pisa I would have needed to find my own way to Siena because they had to drive the other students to Siena and could not wait for me.  That would have required me to find the train station in Pisa and find a train to Siena.  While nothing went wrong in my travel overseas, it was stressful for me especially in Rome where not everything was in English.  I was able to figure everything out and am now confident in myself to travel alone in the future.

This transformation matters to my personal goal of becoming fluent in Italian because part of having that fluency is being confident to try to speak in it without fear of being wrong.  In a conversation I cannot think through every sentence to make sure it is grammatically correct, you have to go for it and learn from your mistakes.  Embracing that helped me be more open to what I could learn from the simplest conversation and helped me be brave enough to start those conversations.  Academically this project helped me immensely.  With the credits I earned I can graduate early, be a double major with a minor and still have openings in my schedule to explore other subjects of study.  Many people I know are pressed to graduate on time, but with this project I do not have to worry about that and it is very comforting.

 

Dublin Internship

This summer, I used my STEP funds to travel to Dublin, Ireland where I worked for GRID Finance. During my internship I assisted the company with their marketing information system. I was also able to explore Europe for the first time during my free time.

Living in Ireland this summer opened my mind to the world. For my entire life, I have lived in America, and have not really traveled and experienced new culture. Through my internship abroad, I was able to get hands on experience with a new culture very different from my own. Although I may not have had all of the same views or social rules as the Irish, I was able to gain understanding of the different ways people think about life. Through my work, I was able to better understand what I enjoy about my major and I am certain it will help shape my career.

There were many factors that led to my amazing transformations in understanding different types of people and what I want to do with my career. In terms of understanding people, one particular instance that comes to mind is when dealing with a client from Ireland at work. It was important for me to adapt to act in the same way as his culture accepted. The Irish tend to be more laid back and relaxed than Americans, so this was an interesting task I had to deal with. I can now apply this skill to any situation when interacting with people from different cultures.

One project that I was assigned at work helped me narrow my focus on what I enjoyed doing at work. I was tasked with analyzing a large set of customer data to find trends in our clients’ tendencies. I was able to help the team target certain markets more heavily for more business after presenting my findings. I enjoyed this work and decide that I would like to focus my career around this type of work. On the other hand, the few occasions in which I had to write marketing content were not very enjoyable for me. My new career perspective will be invaluable to me in the future as I approach graduation.

Finally, my view on where I want to live in the future was transformed through my experiences traveling around Europe. London and Paris were the two places I enjoyed the most, so in the future I think I may look to live in a larger city. Having a vibrant downtown with influence around the world is incredibly exciting to me. Those are a few of the specific moments that helped shape my transformations while interning abroad this summer.

My broadened understanding of different cultures along with my improved perspective on my future career will certainly effect both my personal and professional goals and aspirations. Firstly, my personal goals have shifted through meeting many different types of people. I am now aiming to appreciate different outlooks on the world and life. By meeting such a wide range of people in Ireland, the UK, France, and the Netherlands I feel as though I will make a change in the world by appreciating everyone’s thoughts. My professional goals have been altered as well. Through my work, I realized that I am mainly interested in the data analytics field. This will help me schedule classes and find jobs that will lead to work I will be passionate about. The two months abroad was an amazing way to shape my future.

Summer 2018, Valparaíso, Chile

In the recent summer of 2018, I traveled 5000 miles to the South to live for two and a half months and study toward my Romance Studies and International Relations & Diplomacy majors. During my trip, I accustomed myself to the environment, got comfortable with the language, and profoundly developed my conception of the South American continent and especially of Chile.

I chose Chile because I believe that Latin America is critically underrepresented in the diet of media, news, and history that is most readily available where I live. I feel that despite the proximity of the continent, it’s much more likely for me to hear about something in Europe, Asia, or even Africa when I turn on the news, and it bothered me that even after studying the Spanish language from a young age, I only had a passing, neighborly relationship with even the closest Spanish-speaking communities, and precious little concept for the realities of those communities further south into Latin America. The solution of seeing for myself seemed obvious, considering that education abroad is a requirement for my major, and so that’s exactly what I did.

Talking about these projects as “transformational experiences” always struck me as cliché, and I’m still not entirely convinced that it isn’t, because you never know what kind of experience you will have until you go. I include this detail so that I do not miscommunicate my meaning when I say that my understanding of the South American continent, of the Spanish language, of the nation of Chile, of myself, and especially of the world underwent critical transformations during my time in Valparaíso. The city is one of art, of history, of engagement, and of a particular ferocity of human spirit coming together in a community the flavor of which I had never experienced. Even more, I was able to not only witness these realities, but I was a participant, and the people of the region were always eager to engage with somebody who wanted to hear their stories and connect to them.

I spent a lot of time in Valparaíso and the neighboring city of Viña del Mar. The two cities could hardly be more distinct, but they are blurred at the edges: where one ends and the other begins isn’t totally evident until you’re almost in the heart of either one. The unique energies of Valpo and Viña play off one another: they are opposite in qualities, but neither is fully defined without the other. The historical, artistic, romantic Valparaíso has fallen from grace since its days as a major port before the advent of the Panama Canal, but its history, culture, and creative drive are as alive as ever. The more modern Viña del Mar is striking as it can be seen from across the bay in Valparaíso with its massive buildings, hotels, resorts, and casino. The wealth of Viña del Mar on the coast masks an inland where living in metal shacks is not unusual, an allegory for the inequality that plagues the Chilean people.

The ardor I felt for knowing these cities was reflected back on me with the experiences with people I had. Everywhere I went, somebody had a story, and often they were more than happy to tell it, but I found out quickly that I had to engage with people. Our program coordinators told us that, in general, the locals would be interested in somebody obviously foreign and might engage with us, but no sooner had I internalized that than people started asking me for directions. I soon discovered that I looked more like a local than a gringo to other locals, and that I was going to have to try a little harder to interact.

I was inspired by these experiences to reach out and travel the region. Valparaíso and Viña del Mar share a single metro line, but it was shockingly inexpensive at the student rate and went inland to other smaller towns, so I went to those. The contrasts between the two big coastal cities and smaller towns and cities like Quilpué, Limache, and Quillota were wonderful, and the unique profiles of all of them were striking as well. Everywhere were different stories just waiting for somebody to hear them, and hear them I did. Toward the end of my time in Chile, I took a couple of day trips to the capital city of Santiago, and treated it with the same meandering, unplanned methods of experience that I used for the smaller towns. Nestled up to the Andes, Santiago has much more to see than those towns, but its treasures can only be uncovered individually, as in any other place, and so my experiences there were just as rewarding.

Going to Chile to learn the history, live the lifestyle, and participate in acquiring the lens with which the people of Chile see the world was a fundamentally moving experience. Part of my outlook, part of my identity will forever be tied to the places where I grew in Chile and to the people with whom I shared those experiences, especially. I hope in my heart of hearts to see another sunset on the coast in Valparaíso, but living there only showed me that before I get sentimental about the beauty of one city, I have many other experiences ahead of me. Living in Chile gave me the tools, the confidence, and the perspective that I know now that I needed before I could ever involve myself in more meaningful endeavors as I involve myself in Spanish-speaking communities. I am grateful to the people of Chile and do not hesitate now to truly define my STEP project as transformational.

Summer Global Internship: London

  1. This summer, I spent eight weeks participating in the Summer Global Internship Program through the Fisher College of Business. Through this program I lived and worked in London, having been placed in a full-time intern position with Doctor Care Anywhere, one of the UK’s largest telemedicine companies. I worked on the NHS development team, helping turn what started as a privately funded health service into a function of the UK’s public health system, the National Health Service.

 

  1. Coming into this program, I was unsure of my decision—after all, I had chosen to participate in a program through Fisher that would place me in an office job even though I’m not even a business student. From the time that I applied to this program, however, the SGIP staff were nothing but helpful and we’re able to aid me in finding an internship position that is relevant to Public Health, my field of study.

 

Despite assurance from the SGIP staff and my friends and family, I was still wary going into an internship that I thought I was not fully prepared for. Through my time working for Doctor Care Anywhere I learned so many skills and expanded my skillset beyond what I could have ever imagined. This program helped to develop myself not only as a student and a professional, but it also reminded me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

 

  1. My transformation during this project was due to a variety of factors, but for the sake of simplicity they can split into three different categories: the work that I was doing, the people that I was surrounded by, and the responsibility of living independently.

 

One of the reasons that I was able to derive so much meaning from my experience at Doctor Care Anywhere is that I was truly passionate about the work that I was doing. As I mentioned before, since this was a program through a college of study different from my own, this was a minor miracle in itself. To explain why I chose this program in the first place I should explain: I am a Public Health major that wants to start a career in Health Consulting. Because of this, having experience in an office is necessary, I had just never dreamed that I would be lucky enough to be in an office setting with a company that focuses on healthcare efficiency (AKA the best of both worlds). The work that I was doing was engaging and challenging and I absolutely loved it. I was actually passionate about the work that I was doing—which I wasn’t even sure was possible for an intern to be—which helped me transition into the professional world seamlessly.

 

Another reason that this internship abroad was so impactful was that I was surrounded by such amazing, diverse people—an experience that I only could have gained in one of the largest, most culturally diverse cities in the world. In my office alone I had coworkers from Australia, Italy, Greece, Lithuania, India, Wales, and Ireland, just to name a few. With so many different viewpoints and backgrounds in close quarters I was able to expand my worldview and learn more about different cultures in a way that I have never been able to experience prior to this summer. Beyond cultural differences, my office was also very diverse in their professional differences with everybody coming from different career fields—from doctors to tech geniuses to experienced consultants, each employee was able to bring a different skillset and viewpoint to the table. I am thankful that I was able to learn so much from my coworkers in such a short period of time.

 

Finally, my time in London helped me to develop my confidence and abilities, both professionally and personally, because I was forced to take on the responsibilities of living independently. Not only was I working a full-time job, but I also had the responsibility of navigating an entirely new city in a foreign country, tackling a 50-minute commute to and from work, grocery shopping, and cooking meals. These things forced me to be accountable to my actions and really expedited my personal transformation.

 

  1. This transformation will be nothing but beneficial going forward in my life. Professionally, I feel much more confident in my ability to adapt to an office setting. I also feel confident enough to pursue endeavors that may be challenging but ultimately useful. I have also made a lot of professional connections through my internship which will help to connect me with opportunities for career growth in the future. Personally, I also feel much more confident in my abilities—in this sense, my ability to adapt to different lifestyles, cultures, and environments. Overall, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in this STEP transformational project—my time at Ohio State would have been significantly different if I had not.

 

Education Abroad: Summer in Dublin

Katherine Strecker

Education Abroad

This education abroad program took place for 9 weeks in Dublin, Ireland. There was classroom learning, take-home readings of modern Irish literature, in-class discussions, field-trips to visit historical sights, and a final research paper. This project also included a short internship which expanded my world view and gave me the opportunity to work with people from all different cultures and backgrounds.

My understanding of myself changed a lot because of this project. For the duration of the program, I shared an apartment with 3 other girls I had never met before. We all had different backgrounds and interests. I learned that I am good at being a mediator between people who may not be seeing eye to eye. There were other girls also participating in the program who didn’t always get along. I found I was helpful in leading the two parties to an agreement or at least a stalemate when they were not in agreeance. This helped me develop my communication skills among people I may not know very well and how to negotiate effectively.

My view and assumptions of the world changed while completing this project because of the way I was treated and accepted abroad. I thought that people may be rude to me or assume terrible things because I am American, and a lot of people follow American politics and may even believe in popular American stereotypes. From the first day of being in Ireland, everyone was so kind and accepting of me and my culture. Many people did not even realize I was from America until I would speak to them. They were always interested in my story, how I was enjoying Ireland, and would give me recommendations to their favorite fish and chips spot. They would make jokes about common American stereotypes but never in a mean way. I thought I may be treated like an outsider, but they were very open to talking, sharing experiences, and learning about one another’s cultures. I will never forget the kindness I received while abroad and am taking it home with me to spread to others.

An event that affected my transformation was meeting some local people from Dublin at a pub and talking about politics and history with them. I had been taking my Irish literature class and learning about Irish history so I wanted to hear their version of it. While everyone has their own opinion and leaning towards politics, I appreciated their honesty and opacity with me. They also asked me about American history and politics and I also shared openly and honestly with them. I learned that talking about politics doesn’t always have to be dramatic and so polarized as the media makes it out to be. I also learned that textbook versions of history are not always including the whole story. It was nice to get more information from them that deepened my understanding of their history and culture and how their country came to the place it is in in today.

An activity that affected my change in perception about the Irish people and culture was a field trip to Kilmainham Gaol I took with my literature class. The tour guide took us through the historic jail and told us stories about Dublin and Ireland’s rich history and struggle for freedom. He spoke of martyrs and brave Irish people who fought and died for their country. I knew nothing about Irish history and not much about their culture before taking this class. Being in the actual jail where so many historic figures were jailed and killed felt like I was reliving history. I love American history, so I am glad I could find passion in learning about Irish history as well. The Irish people are extremely proud of their country and their fight for freedom. It made me appreciate things about America like separation of church and state and our own struggle for independence and that our country is united unlike their disconnect with Northern Ireland.

Part of my education abroad was completing an 18-day internship and then writing a research paper about my experience and what I learned. I was paired up with a marketing firm and placed on their events team. I did not know what to expect but the people there made me feel at home. It was a small company and they were putting on a huge horticultural trade show. Each person had an important job to do including myself. I made hundreds of calls to people inviting them to the event, corresponded with presenters via email, and worked closely with the team to make sure things were on time and everything was being accounted for. I learned that I am good at talking to people no matter how different they are from myself. I also learned that I pay great attention to detail and would rather take my time to do something right the first time then have to go back and fix things. The team noticed this too and gave me extra responsibilities that suited these qualities. While I was nervous at first, I gained confidence quickly and the event was a huge success. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my coworker and I will always be thankful for my experience as an intern abroad. Through this internship experience abroad, I blossomed professionally and picked up many new strategies to working effectively and quickly in a new environment.

Relationships that helped me transform personally on this trip came about in a way I never expected. One night out, I made some friends with some Irish boys and exchanged numbers with them. I didn’t think that I would see them again but they invited me to a hurling match and soon enough we were hanging out all the time and I was getting a localized tour of Ireland. They showed me around Dublin, steered me away from typical tourist places, and gave me insight, stories, and experiences I wouldn’t have gained any other way. They accepted me into their friend group and even showed me their hometown by the sea. I saw a different side of Irish culture in this way. They were my age, yet we had lived such different lives. Sharing stories with them was always eye-opening and a real cross-cultural connection. While there were so many differences between us, there were also so many similarities. I also think I was a good ambassador of the American and Ohio State identity in this way. I am extremely grateful to have made these friends and will stay in contact with them. I even extended an invite for them to visit America that I hope they take me up on one of these days.

This transformation was significant for my professional goals because it was my first internship experience and it also gave me experience working abroad. I have always thought about working abroad in the future but was unsure about the different workplace style. I really enjoyed the Irish workplace environment and can see myself working there in the future. This upcoming summer I will probably be completing an internship in America, so I will be able to compare my experiences and take away things from both cultures. This experience gave me more confidence in my work, talking on the phone, and emailing in a professional manner. In my previous jobs I was usually working with people my own age. I was working with adults now so I was nervous they may think I was immature. But they treated me as an equal and I gained confidence in myself. Though I am not a true business professional yet, I am well on my way. This upcoming school year I am the director of alumni engagement for the American Marketing Association and I think this summer internship experience gave me all the skills and confidence required for me to do well in this position.

This transformation was significant in my life because I made so many friends and met so many people that I will never forget. Not only did I make friends with the Irish people I met there, I made friends with the other Americans on the trip. Now we hang out all the time on campus, and my Irish friends and I talk around the 5 hour time difference. I think this experience has made me a more well-rounded and accepting person. I have become a better listener and a better friend. I had never lived in an apartment before this summer and I had to learn how to be responsible. You may lose your keys a few times and set off the fire alarm a bunch of times, but slowly you learn. Now I am in another apartment for the school year and I am not nervous about it. My parents have also noticed this new confidence and responsibility I have developed. I am so pleased that I decided to study abroad for my STEP project and would recommend it to anyone thinking about it.

Valencia, Spain 2018

 

This summer I spent 6 weeks studying abroad at the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain. During this time, I took classes in Spanish Culture and Spanish Literature. On top of classroom activities, the program I participated in also included excursions with in the city of Valencia and to other cities in Spain such as Madrid, Toledo, and Barcelona.

This trip taught me a lot about myself and the world around me. Spending 6 weeks in Valencia reinforced what I already knew about European life and more specifically the Spanish lifestyle. This trip made push my limits and leave my comfort zone. I returned from this experience feeling much more independent and more confident. Also, academically I feel much more confident in Spanish communication skills. Throughout my classes and excursions, I also gained a lot of knowledge about the history of Spain and why the country is the way it is today and the values of the Spanish people. Three parts of my trip strongly influenced my personal and academic development. These three parts were my time within the classroom, my excursion time, and my interactions with Spaniards and other students from my program.

My time spent in classrooms played a very important role in my experience abroad because our interactions with our professors were a key part of our interactions with locals. Not only did our professors share with us cultural, historical and literature information, but they also shared with us their day to day lives and what it means to be Spanish. I learned so much from the professors about how very different Spain is from the US and why they are so different. They also gave me confidence in my writing skills as well as my speaking skills.

I enjoyed our time on excursions because it gave us time to explore the differences in culture and language within the country of Spain. In particular our excursion to Barcelona was very eye opening due to the tense political situation there. During our weekend in Barcelona we witnessed a march for Catalonian independence. It was the first time I had ever witnessed any kind of protest and after hearing about the situation in Catalonia for so long it was intense to see it unfold before our eyes. These excursions also gave us the opportunity to explore new cities on our own and by the end of the trip I felt I gained an overall sense of confidence not only in my ability to get around cities as big as Barcelona, but also in just living on my own in general. In coming back to the US, I feel much less anxious in my day to day life knowing all I was able to do abroad.

While we didn’t have many interactions with Spaniards outside of our homestays and waiters at restaurants simply being surrounded by the language at all times helped better grasp the language and made any real interactions we had with local even more impactful. Every night at dinner we would sit and talk to our host brother about his life in Spain and we got to meet some of his friends a couple of times since they were only a few years older than us it was interesting to see how they viewed their own country and the United States. Most surprising of all was how much I learned from my fellow Americans. It was a great opportunity to learn about people from all different places, backgrounds and hardships. Meeting them really made me reflect on my life and learn from them.

Not only did this trip knock out classes for a large part of my major, but it also put me a huge step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a bilingual doctor. Learning about Spain’s history and culture while in the country also helped me gain perspective about the world around me. My entire experience abroad really helped me gain confidence and independence that I don’t think I could have gained any other way.