When I decided to partake in the STEP program at The Ohio State University I knew that I wanted my project to be aligned with study abroad. This past semester I took my studies to the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia where I took classes and also completed an internship. My internship was at Channel &, on the most popular networks in Australia and when I was outside the classroom and work, I was able to learn more about the country I was in and myself.

The five months I spent in Australia truly allowed me to transform into the person I am now. I found that during my time in Sydney I began taking risks and doing things I never myself expected myself doing before, like running a half marathon. I have never been a fan of running, in the past I would run once a year and that was at the Spring Lake 5 Mile Run (SL5), which is something that became family tradition. Running the SL5 was always daunting and never really enjoyable for me because I never had a desire to train. In Australia, I was able to find a personal outlet in running and a new way to explore the city. After months of running I decided why not run the half marathon? Even though running may just be seen as a great accomplishment, it means so much more to me than that. I was able to learn more about myself and learn what I needed to do to are for myself. This is just one small transformation I have had abroad. Through social interactions as well as time to myself I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone and make most of my experience abroad. This was truly another point of growth for me because before I struggled with meeting new people and I have always been uncomfortable with the surface level conversations. This time around I found myself more comfortable with all of this and have become more able to throw myself in new situations more often. I can safely say that I was truly happy abroad and that I gained more insight to who I am as an individual and a lot more comfortable with things like my identity as well.

On top of gaining insight towards myself I gained new perspective on the world. I learned, experienced, and observed how another country exists in the world. I was able to have political conversation with Australians about American and Australian politics gaining insight as to what they thought of certain topics. The knowledge I gained here also helped me formulate my research paper that I completed for my internship. I began analyzing how television can influence the public and I compared the impact it had in Australia and the United States. The paper allowed me to narrow the focus of my overall career goals more while providing me with a new found knowledge of the world. My time in Sydney has really became a formative part of my life and who I am continue to become.

As I mentioned previously, the half marathon is a huge milestone for a point of transformation. While the SL5 has been a part of my life for a while I always dreaded doing it. The main reason was I had a couple bad experiences running in the past and that has to do with finding out I had asthma in elementary school. Once I learned I had asthma, I stopped a lot of physical activity and I found myself in the arts which is really where I needed to be. But, running the half marathon was something that I would have never found myself doing. Just last year my roommates encouraged me to go on a run with them and I had fun but did not want to go. If someone told me I would wake up and start the day with a run, I would laugh and say that is a funny joke. Running truly became a way for me to find a new outlet and let all my worries disappear. I would throw some music on and jam while I ran, even if I looked crazy lip syncing the entire time. The activity cleared my head and brought me joy and looking back, I was the happiest I have ever been when I was in Australia. I truly pushed myself out of my comfort zone and found a way to bring peace to my daily life.

On top of running a half marathon for the first time I tried stand-up comedy. At the University of Sydney (USyd) I joined a group on campus called Sydney University Dramatic Society (SUDS). This was a place I was able to perform and it was a safe place for me to try stand up. I have always wanted to try so I thought why not now? For the first time I was not waiting for someone to give me a performance opportunity I began creating my own. After trying stand up a couple times I have decided to come back and try in the states as well. This was yet another risk I decided to take that I never saw myself taking. When I was in Sydney, I did not let anything hold me back especially myself because I am my harshest critique.

Additionally, my internship at channel 7 became a truly transformative experience for because it helped solidify what I wanted to do with my career. I previously mentioned the research paper I conducted for my internship class and that paper I was able to find my how my major, public affairs, can be used in television. The intersectionality of these two topics sparked so many ideas I have for the future of television and how to deal with social justice and environmental issues. After many years of not being certain what my career may look like I was truly able to solidify what I want to do. Accepting my career path is something that is a major stepping stone for me as I was in denial for going into the entertainment sector. I was able to find my passion in my work which truly made all the difference.

This transformative experience will always be a pillar in my life and hold so much value to me. When I am asked what was my favorite part about Australia I find myself speechless because there is not one part that takes the gold. I truly believe that every small experience works together to great the overarching experience. I can’t say what I loved most about Australia but I can safely say that I loved being there and growing there. I am more comfortable with who I am now than I was when I initially left and I can see that through natural conversation. But the thing about personal change it is incremental and happens in small bits. It just happens quicker when abroad on an intense program. I can’t pinpoint all the ways I’ve changed because most are small changes but those small changes amount to a lot. Recognizing this matters because having an understanding that I grew in the general sense will further allow me to grow. I will always be looking back on my time abroad and that will for sure be something I will continue to learn from whether that be personal or professional. Sydney, Australia became a home to me and I will always be able to call that city home. The memories will last me a lifetime and the connection to the city, friends, country, and more that I made will always hold value to me. I am beyond thankful for the time I got to spend there.

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.

For my STEP Signature Project, I studied abroad for three weeks in Rwanda. During my time in Rwanda, I took a course titled, “Genocide and Its Aftermath.” This course focused on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda and how the country has rebuilt and recovered since this event.

2. 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.

This trip was my first time leaving the United States, so I was truly not sure what to expect when travelling to Rwanda. I felt excited but nervous and tried my best to keep an open mind about the experience. This trip changed my views of the world so much. Even though I was completely across the world in a completely different place than the United States, I realized the importance of focusing on similarities instead of differences on this trip. I found that even though our culture and history in the United States may not be the same as Rwanda, there is so much we can learn and take away from Rwanda. There is an immense amount of forgiveness, resilience, and growth evident throughout Rwanda that is admirable and inspiring.
I also came to realize that it is so important to care about problems that hurt others, even if they do not affect me. It can be so easy to focus on the little bubble of college and my own city and the United States, but it is important to actively learn about what is going on globally as well. When the genocide occurred in Rwanda in 1994, there was a serious lack of international aid and help. The United States knew what was going on but did not intervene. This was eye-opening to me. I realized that what is happening around the world is just as important as what is happening in the United States.

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

Throughout the study abroad, we had a wonderful combination of lectures from Dr. Hollie Brehm, our professor from OSU, as well as from different members of the Rwandan community. We also visited different memorials, museums, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. Having all of these different opportunities led me to understanding the genocide better and to fully recognizing the extent that mass violence has on communities.
Two of the most memorable speakers of the entire trip were two genocide perpetrators. Going into that afternoon, I was not sure what to expect. A man and a woman entered our classroom and began to tell us their stories about the genocide. Unlike all the previous speakers we had heard from, these two people had not been innocent. Yet, as I heard them speak their truths passionately but with great regret and sorrow, I began to fully understand the importance or forgiveness. I realized that if these people can work on growing and healing from their mistakes and can seek forgiveness for their actions, then I am capable of growing and healing from mistakes too.
The memorials we visited were also incredibly impactful. Throughout the trip, we went to four different memorials dedicated to the genocide. Each housed some of the remains of victims and served as a testament to how destructive genocide is. Seeing the bones, clothes, rosaries, shoes, and other belongings of the victims at these memorials truly reminded me how important it is to care about issues that negatively affect others even if they do not affect me.

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.

This trip pushed me out of my comfort zone. I learned to navigate transportation on my own in a new country, I learned how to live with a new family, I learned about a very difficult subject matter, and I learned that we must look for similarities instead of differences in new places. I learned so much on this trip, and I also spent a lot of time thinking  about my future and how I would bring what I have learned and experienced back into my own life.
I have had the goal of working in healthcare throughout all of college, but this trip made me realize I want to do something more globally within the realm of healthcare and help people not just within my community, but within the larger global community. In learning about the genocide, I realized that we must look outside our own borders at the suffering of others in order to work toward complete social justice. This trip also makes me want to travel more places, which has become a personal goal of mine. I would love to see more new countries and meet more new people. This trip was an amazing experience, and I hope to return to Rwanda again one day.

On the late afternoon of January 27, 2019, I hastily pat the streams of warm wetness that had trickled down to the tops of my cheeks and then hesitantly waved my last goodbye to my family just outside of the entrance for the TSA queue. After I tore my eyes from the wistful gaze of my parents and turned my back to them, I ventured, alone, on a semester abroad in Paris, France.

My STEP signature project entailed pursuing an educational experience at a venerated foreign institution for four months. Participating in the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne program, I enrolled in courses that were exclusively taught in French that covered a multitude of subjects including, but not limited to, French linguistics and phonetics, and discussions of various aspects of French culture and civilization, such as modern French art, the role of women in classical French theater, and the history of the castles of the Loire Valley. As a French major, I was driven to hone my French language skills and cultural knowledge.

My time abroad was marked by a variety of personal and academic transformations. Above all, I was able to fulfill my overarching goal to develop my written and oral expression and comprehension skills in French. However, my language skills were not my only abilities that progressed and improved while in Paris. On a more personal level, I gained more confidence in my ability to adapt to new situations and environments. As a result, I grew more comfortable with accepting and moving beyond failure. Consequently, I became more willing to take risks and step outside of my shell. In addition, this trip allowed me to develop my self-sufficiency and become more independent.

As previously mentioned, upon completing my semester abroad, I am able to clearly recognize the immense progression I have made in my fluency in French, and I further recognize my study abroad experience as undoubtedly instrumental in my improvement. Immersion in a country foreign to me required that I consistently make concerted effort in my French to perform simple daily tasks such as buying eggs or locating the metro. I was thrust into an environment, unlike that of the classroom at OSU, where I could not revert back to English if I found myself struggling to express my thoughts, feelings, and ideas in French. Even in the classroom at the Sorbonne, I had to forgo English as a crutch, since my classmates were from all of the world (China, Iran, Belgium, Sweden, Korea, Russia, Ecuador, etc.), and often, the only common language we shared was French. In this way, my education abroad experience obliged me to continue on which my French, even if I faced difficulties in conveying myself, and to work around these difficulties. For instance, if I was talking to someone in French and I did not know a word for something, I would have to describe that word or find synonyms so the other interlocutor could understand. Consequently, I improved the speed and accuracy at which I am able to understand and produce language in French.

Relatedly, I became less afraid of failure. In expressing myself in a language that wasn’t native to me, I faced issues of misunderstanding and miscommunication. Sometimes, the other person with whom I was speaking simply didn’t understand what I was trying to say at all. However, I had no choice but to endeavor in my French to rectify misunderstandings and correct what I was trying to say. With each failure, I learned something new that would secure the opportunity for success in the future, whether that was the “polite” word for excited (the word I had been using meant excited, but definitely not in the connotation that’s proper among friendly acquaintances!) or that “gare” (train station) was pronounced distinctly from “guerre” (war). Seeing that my mistakes were ultimately making me better, I cared less and less about appearing “stupid,” and asked the questions I felt were necessary to aid my understanding without shame. Even after returning from my time abroad, I see that this transformation has stuck. I used to be very hesitant to express confusion, ask questions, or request clarification out of fear of seeming ignorant or uninformed, but now, this registers far less as a concern for me because I know that in being frank about not understanding something and asking for further explanation, I am ensuring that I will understand down the line.

In addition, my stay in Paris marked a profond development in my independence, as it was the first time that I was truly separated from my friends and family. At OSU, I am constantly surrounded by my closest friends and my parents live just a mere 20 minutes away. However, in Paris, I was distanciated, in terms of physical proximity and time zone, from these people on whom I relied for advice and help in the challenges of life. Instead, I had to learn to depend on myself to resolve my own issues, make my own decisions, and find my way around a variety of unfamiliar European cities. As a result, I am now far less dependent on the comfort and assistance provided by others and have gained confidence in myself.

Overall, as I studied in and learned to navigate an unfamiliar city, surrounded by unfamiliar customs, culture, and language, I attained an enhanced understanding of the French language that I otherwise would not have been able to achieve. The transformations I underwent during my education abroad experience have been and will be irrefutably valuable in my personal goals and future academic and professional goals. First, I have improved my fluency in French, which not only satisfies my personal goal of understanding and conversing in a language other than English, but also satisfies my professional goals since I want to work in an position and/or environment in which I will be able to use my French. Additionally, I was granted the opportunity to experience French culture, in addition to a variety of other cultures (via international classmates and my own travels throughout Europe), which has improved my intercultural literacy and communication. This is indispensable since I seek to work where I am able to serve as the bridge between cultures to further foster understanding, whether that be as a diplomat, a liaison for an international company, etc.

I studied abroad for three months in San José, Costa Rica at the arts and design college Veritas. I took a combination of Spanish, cultural, and biological courses at the university, as well as volunteered at a local hospital in the city.

The biggest takeaway from Costa Rica I had was noticing how I kept myself from meeting new people who could help me be more open-minded. I developed a routine during my past few semesters of hard courses and other commitments that made me isolated from being exposed to new people and places. I only socialized with close friend and members of my organizations for that was all I allotted time for. I do not regret the commitment I put into my academics, however I now know that meeting new people helps me understand perspective in different ways. Costa Rica made me recognize how I do not think of my life and experiences on a global scale. I did not think about the people living outside of the United States, and how our nation is viewed.

I began to recognize this after a month living in San José, and I began to focus on my daily interactions. I learned so much about Costa Rica from honest opinions of students, Uber drivers, food vendors, and others. People were willing to share their opinions and current important topics in the country. Learning pop culture and home life from my home-stay family highlighted the similarities across cultures and families. I try to recall this important lesson I have learned whenever I can learn from someone new, asking questions that can build relationships and connections.

The two activities I focused most of my time and effort were my volunteer position at Hospital San Juan de Dios and my marine molecular biology research class. I developed long-lasting friendships from the people in these programs, and I accelerated in one of my major goals of learning conversational Spanish. My interactions with these groups provided me support and confidence in reaching out to others, asking complex questions in Spanish, and being patient if I cannot comprehend what they were saying. Day after day I began to orient myself better in conversations, thinking of what might be said contextually when I was talking. My comprehension of Spanish increased, which in turn made me learn more about Costa Rica, the United States, and myself.

Volunteering at San Juan de Dios opened me up to a different country’s medical system, and opportunity many people cannot see. I spent most days at the hospital going around to the patients that were able to be seen, providing books, crosswords, cloth to sew on, and gifts to help occupy their time. The patients really appreciated the company. I learned from the volunteers, Las Damas Voluntarias, who were a connected family of volunteers who organized events and provided food within the hospital as well. A large majority of the volunteers were older women, who all loved to train me in Spanish and make me food from their homes. They helped me realize how much the patients appreciated and valued the conversation we shared. My time at the hospital also opened me up to other public services that I would of never tried. I used the public transportation, I shopped downtown, and worked in a pharmacy as well because the hospital work.

The marine molecular biology course created a network of researchers who are working with the protection of shark species. I did not know the severity of shark finning in Central and South America and how it is pushing key shark species to extinction. The course allowed me to talk to students and researchers who were in the lab where the course was taken in. I got to ask new questions and relate my medical research at Ohio State to my course. Our field trip put us directly into biological field research, catching rays with big nets and releasing sea turtles into the ocean. I continue to talk to some of the researchers in the lab, and I hope to organize meeting them again to see what they are doing with their investigations.

I chose Costa Rica as my STEP Project because of my desire to apply my years of Spanish classes in a place where my passion of medicine and biology could also be explored. I developed skill sets in understanding language through trying new things when I would speak, something I would have never thought of doing when primarily speaking English. I also learned more about different types of biological studies through my classes. I devoted much of my time to research in the lab, which made me realize that research is a professional field I want to continue to explore. The hospital let me see a different system of medical care, which opened me to compare and look into my countries medical system and structure. All these experiences let me develop friendships that will last for life.

I have attached a link to my video project of the amazing field trip for the marine molecular biology course, and pictures of my classmates and the Damas who helped me grow!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X84UCj6D8CQ

My STEP Signature Project included a study abroad program with travel to the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden called the Sustainable Business Global Lab. The Sustainable Business Global Lab allowed me to meet with business professionals and learn about sustainable practices. During this program, I visited many companies including Siemens, Atlas Copco, and KPMG.

While completing this project, I noticed many changes in the way that I viewed that way business works internationally. This trip allowed me to interact with companies and business professionals seeing how they work within their offices. I think that this changed over the course of the trip because I was able to see how different size, product type, and service companies are run. This broaden my knowledge of corporate structures around that world and different cultural differences.

These interactions helped me better understand myself as well. Since I was placed in boardrooms and interactive sessions with so many different people, I learned a lot about how I work within teams. I know this will help me in the future in my courses as well as in future work. My view of the world has also changed as a result of this trip. I was able to travel to three countries in the northernmost part of Europe. This exposed me to how business is run there and how that differs from America.

In my project, each day was filled with business visits, networking opportunities, and cultural experiences. All of these parts, led me to a transformative experience during the Sustainable Business Global Lab. This affected me by creating an environment for me to open up and meet many new people. I was able to meet many business professional within numerous industries, but also meet many OSU students that I can connect with back on campus.

In addition to meeting new people, each day I was pushed outside of my comfort zone. I was motivated to ask questions in a professional setting and found the confidence to offer opinions and insight. I think this will be very beneficial to my future and I hope to continue that in the future. This was also the first time were I felt that those giving the presentation were equally excited to hear what we had to say about their business models when relating to sustainability. It gave me hope for the job market in the sustainability field once I graduate.

I was very inspired by the larger companies that we travelled to. We had the opportunity to travel to KPMG, Siemens, Akzonobel, and Atlas Copco. These are global companies that have extremely complex supply chains with a large carbon footprint. Going to see these companies and hear about how they are specifically adjusting and adapting to climate change changed my view of them. Initially I though that these companies were only interested in profit. However, these presentation allowed me to see a different side of them and see what they are putting into practice.

These changes and experiences were very valuable for my life because there were within the industry that I want to go into. This helps me narrow down what I want to do professionally after school since I was able to see so many different companies. For the future, the experience will help me connect and network with the companies that I visited, while also, not being afraid to network with new ones.

Personally, I was able to travel to three countries that I have always wanted to go to. In our time outside of the business visits, I was able to explore four cities trying different food and exploring museums. In the future, I hope to do much more travel in these countries again and also travel to other cities in Europe.

STEP provided me with the funding to embark on the most impactful, educational experience during my time at Ohio State as I traveled abroad to Kampala, Uganda through the Office of International Affairs. I learned an incredible amount of information about human security in developing countries and how this affects Ugandans on a daily basis by taking classes through the School for International Training. During my time in Uganda I made connections with so many individuals, from my host families, women’s rights activists, to refugees, the people and places I encountered in Uganda will not soon be forgotten. By traveling to this country, interacting with its people, I have developed personable and communication skills I did not have before engaging with individuals from another country. I am truly indebted to Ohio State and the Global May Uganda Program and cannot wait to return one day.

Traveling to Uganda requires adaptation. Transitioning from my fast-paced western society to country lax on time constraints, schedules, and plans forced me to immediately acclimate myself into the local culture. Never before had I needed to take on another culture so quickly and with such necessity as I climbed into a taxi full of 15 strangers on my way to the university. Never had I needed to ask for so much assistance in learning a new language. I had never been more uncomfortable than when I heard people from the slums explaining their socioeconomic status. I learned to be uncomfortable in Uganda, and I loved every second of it. The largest change I noticed upon arriving in the United States was my listening skills. My desire to communicate with people from all different backgrounds grew significantly during my time abroad. I push myself into uncomfortable situations and have created new relationships with patients in the Speech and Hearing Clinic as well as guests on our Ohio State campus tours. I documented my growth in the local language, cuisine, customs, etc. in a journal during my month-long stay in Uganda.

The following is an excerpt from my in-country journal:

“Each year hippos kill an estimated 500 people in Africa”, a fact that raced through my head as our safari van sat in the middle of a hippo-infested flooded river in Murchison Falls. Murchison Falls, Uganda is the site of safari and hiking enthusiasts from all over the world that boasts a complete amalgam of elephants, lions, giraffes, and hippos. Through the windows of our van, against the light of the moon, I could see elephants crossing the river in front of our van. Bursts of Chinese, English, and Luganda were in the air as we tried to cope with the water rushing in through the doors. These different languages allowed us each to express our fear in unique ways. Exactly thirty minutes later we were standing on dry land, streaks of tears still on our faces, all intact. In the midst of panic, the only thing that helped us all climb out of the roof into a passing truck was communication. Communication is the backbone of learning, of culture, and of human connection. In our case, communicating with one another became the single most important skill we could have utilized. It has never been more imperative for my own survival. I could not imagine a life without this imperative gift. After spending a month in Uganda, my desire to bring people the gift of communication and my ability to create interpersonal relationships as never been more apparent.

One of the most important lessons I learned during my classes at SIT is that Africa does not portray one, single story. It is not sprawling with wild animals, tribal dances, and fertile lands like Western media portrays. Uganda is home to cities, tourism, universities, slums, villages, and so much more. Uganda has been an incredible, welcoming host. Its beauty amazed me, and people made me fall in love with the country. That being said, Uganda broke my heart with each passing day. I had the opportunity to travel into homes, camps, hospitals, and NGOs in the most hands-on class environment I have had to date. After each site visit I had time to reflect on the industry and Western influence that has left Uganda impoverished. Uganda’s people are struggling with poverty. I have never seen so much economic failure in a society. I was exposed to incredibly low graduation and employment rates. I saw families living off one food group, malnourished children, abused wives, abandoned children, and failing businesses. I became infuriated with the corrupt government who is too focused on the upcoming elections in 2021, and personal gains, to help Ugandans. I am mad that my own country is part of the exploitation and I am mad that Westerns believe they are Uganda’s only solution.

But because of this trip, I am hopeful. I have seen countless NGOs, Ugandan servant leaders, and empowered students who I believe can change this country. I strongly believe that Uganda is going to industrialize at its own pace in order to remain tied to its agricultural basis. There is no one solution. It is going to take communities and leaders from Uganda, to change Uganda. Western aid and voluntourism are not the solution. These are harmful practices that are taking jobs and creating reliance on outside countries. There are bright, intelligent people in this country. There are determined, proud people in this country. It is going to take a lot of time and change, but one day Uganda will be a developing country well on its way to success. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to travel to this country and cannot wait to return one day to continue supporting its people in their efforts of development.

My speech and hearing degree allowed me to learn how to interact with people no matter what culture they are from. For example, I explored Kampala’s worship spaces with a Ugandan student by using gestures and his language, Luganda. I used a taxi system in a city I had never been to by pointing to places on maps and electronic devices. I lived with host siblings from a local village whose education did not afford them with English. I remedied this with a multitude of games and songs. Speaking with refugees from Sudan I practiced my cultural competency and vulnerability as I listened to them open up about their escape through The Bush, into Uganda. Meeting with female victims of Gender Based Violence in Kapchorwa, I practiced my listening skills as they relayed their living conditions and asked for my own advice. I taught camp games to children off the Jinja streets through play and example. I constantly readjusted my perspectives and prejudices I had previously formed about Africa. Africa does not have one, single story; it is diverse, flourishing, fertile, cultural, and impoverished all at the same time. People are the exact same way. It is one of the most evident parallels to the United States, and to countries across the world.

My time in Uganda focused on human security and I am convinced that the ability to communicate is deeply embedded in this concept. It has forced me to think about people in this community who are completely cut off from social interaction because of a disability. In Uganda’s culture special education is limited, accessibility is sparse, and disability is hidden. People thrive off connections with other community members and I want to be the person who helps provide them with that gift. Whether I am working with a child who has a speech language disorder, an adult with Aphasia, or a nonverbal client, my experiences in Uganda have well equipped me to interact with patients as a Speech Language Pathologist. I am not afraid to engage in conversation with persons with speech language disorders. I have learned so many compensatory strategies by living in a country whose people’s languages and dialects vary by their tribal ancestry. I look forward to providing therapies that do not only focus on language but on other aspects of conversation, other ways to connect with people. I am pursuing a Graduate school in Speech Language Pathology in the hopes that I can provide a multicultural approach to my profession. I would love to one day return to Uganda and improve its accessibility and therapies for persons living with disabilities.

The study abroad adventure I chose was to Berlin, Germany. While spending a month in Berlin I learned an immense amount about the Cold War, WWII, the Holocaust, and their current culture. Attending many museums and interactive exhibits I learned more than I could have imagined I would before I left.
I gained a large sense of independence while abroad but, I did have a unique experience. I was in the hospital for the first week of my study abroad, so I got quite a difference experience than many other study abroad students. I was able to get through being in a foreign country, being extremely sick, and being away from everyone I know and love and I was rather proud of myself at the end of it all. I learned that I can handle whatever life throws at me and still make the best of the situation because I had a blast after I felt better and for the remainder of the trip.
My view of the world has greatly changed and because of this trip I feel as if I am more adventurous. By the end of the trip I was impressed with how well myself and the group adjusted to the German culture. I realized that other cultures have some things better than we do and some things worse but it was fun to be apart of another culture for an entire month and fully submerge myself. I did come to find a greater appreciation for the things we have in America like free water, free public restrooms, and people who enjoy being polite to strangers, that are not found so commonly in Germany.
I realized how universal English is as a language and honestly felt somewhat ignorant not being able to speak any other languages. I have respect for all those people in these professions that have to know English because of the variety of clientele they interact with on a daily basis. I saw one interaction between a German salesman and an Italian man where they switched to English to be able to communicate with each other. I found this amazing and really helpful to my adjustment into the culture with everyone being able to communicate or at least enough to get by with me.
We used public transportation (and walking) to get most places while in Berlin. When I say I’m impressed for our navigation skills, this is because it was something that was really hard to grasp at the beginning because it was something we were not used to. We were able to get most places without getting lost, of course with the help of our phones, but nonetheless we had gotten down most of the travel patterns by the time it was time to leave.
One thing that was a struggle and very frustrating being an American was having to pay for water and the restroom. Every restaurant you go to did not have water for free, it was sold in a glass bottle. I was extremely impressed with their recycling habits and environmental friendliness though. They would recycle all their bottles and they get money back for recycling plastic bottles at the grocery store. This made me want to be more economically friendly and watch what I do more closely.
This transformation has made me more open to accepting people for who they are and all the baggage they carry. Everybody has their own load they carry everyday and being able to accept people and help them will benefit me in my future career. I am studying to be a PA so I will be interacting with all sorts of people and being able to not pass judgement and just help their injuries for what they are will be beneficial. The language skills I learned while abroad will also be helpful when trying to communicate with any patients that speak German. Being able to provide some basic communication before an interpreter arrives will be better than none if it is an emergency situation. This trip as a whole has made me a better, well-rounded person who feels more confident and independent than ever.

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.

For my STEP project, I studied abroad for a full semester in the spring of my junior year in an exchange program at the University of Mannheim in Germany. I enrolled in english language political science courses to gain knowledge of the German political system as well as how political science is taught in Germany, while also experiencing German and European culture and society.

2. 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. 

My STEP project definitely changed the way that I view the world as well as my understanding of myself. I feel that I grew personally during my STEP project, and now that my project is over, that personal growth is already affecting my life. Over the course of the semester, I met people from all over the world. Although I was studying in Germany, my cohort of exchange students came from every continent, and I became friends with people from dozens of other cultures. Although I learned a lot in class, the people I met taught me a lot too. I quickly came to realize that although everyone comes from a different background and speaks a different language, everybody more or less wants the same basic things in life: happiness, friendship, success, et cetera. In other words, spending time with people from other countries and cultures makes it harder to believe the common portrayal of certain cultures as violent or hateful or dangerous. I learned a lot about myself, or at least how I interact with others. Like many people, I have a habit of trying to figure things out for myself, especially when it comes to simple things like looking for directions, or finding something in a store. However when you are in a foreign country where people speak a language that you don’t know, it is much harder to rely on your ability to work through a problem on your own. I came to understand that these simple interactions are valuable, and in a place where you don’t understand the language, entirely necessary. 

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

One of the most formative events during my education abroad happened on my first day in Germany. As soon as I got off the plane in Frankfurt and left the terminal, I knew I had to find my way to the train station to buy a ticket to Mannheim, the city 30 minutes south where I studied. Once I got to the train station, I was overwhelmed by anxiety. I knew I had to find the ticket desk to buy a ticket, but this meant speaking to the ticket agent, which would be the first time I had to approach somebody and interact with them. I was very nervous, even though I knew I didn’t need to be, and I was unsure if I would be able to speak English with them, even though I knew that almost the entire country speaks English and that I was in the train station of a popular international airport. I had to take a moment to prepare myself for the interaction, and when I approached the ticket desk I asked the agent if she spoke English. She said “yes, of course,” and after that moment I realized that I had no reason to get so worked up. Besides from making me embarrassed, that moment flipped a switch in me that immediately made me feel comfortable and eliminated nearly all of the anxiety I had about finding my way to my apartment in a foreign country for the first time. 

Another, similar experience I had was another simple interaction. The closest grocery store to my apartment was a short two minute walk away, so I went often. I quickly came to recognize one of the cashiers there. One time, she was scanning my groceries and she tried to begin a conversation with me in German. I had to respond by telling her I didn’t know what she said and that I didn’t speak German, and she just said:  “Oh, nevermind.” Like I often was during the semester, I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to speak to people in German. I continued to go back to the store a few times a week, and over time the cashier came to recognize me too. She began to say “hello again” and I started asking how her day was going. My repeated interaction with the same person gave me more confidence to interact with them, and it helped me become more used to approaching strangers despite knowing I would have to begin every conversation by saying I don’t speak their language. 

My second change in mindset came more slowly. Not because it was a harder change to make, but because it was the result of all of the relationships I formed during the semester. The friendships I made with people from Germany, Canada, Australia, Russia, Latin America and other places where people came from different backgrounds and spoke different languages proved to me something that I already believed, and allowed me to see it for myself. Over the course of the semester I came to realize that all of the people I met wanted the same things from life: an education, a decent job, a happy life. It showed me that the rhetoric that is so popular in our national discourse that makes people afraid of others just because they were born somewhere else is nowhere close to true. It made me wish that the people who believe this rhetoric could meet the same people I met, and see that just because someone comes from another country doesn’t mean their culture or lifestyle or background is dangerous or threatening, but in fact that our differences are often times what bring us closer together.

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.

The changes I experienced during my semester abroad undoubtedly made me a better person, and they helped me get closer to my professional goals. I feel that this semester has made me a more open person, a more confident person, and a wiser person. Professionally, I want to work in public policy. While my experience learning in the German education system will definitely help me reach my academic, and therefore professional goals, I believe that my other experiences will help me professionally even more. I believe that in my future profession it is important to consider all perspectives and take knowledge from all societies and backgrounds, and my semester abroad has made me more open and aware to that. I have also moved closer toward my personal goals. My confidence in speaking to strangers in a foreign country has already begun to translate into confidence in speaking with people back home. I learned a lot this semester. The experiences I had have undoubtedly made me a better person and made me more prepared for my future. 

Global May Uganda has challenged my understanding of the concept of human security and what it takes to maintain; a constant battle for health, social, economic, environmental, political, and cultural well-being. I was totally immersed into the culture; learning about different lifestyles, aspirations, struggles, and prosperities through a home-stay experience, visits to the urban capital, slums, rural towns, and villages, touring a refugee settlement, excursions to Murchison Falls and the River Nile, and volunteering at a primary school. I’ve witnessed how successful Uganda is supporting its people with dignified livelihoods and how it continues to battle with government corruption and fear of change, pushing for a good quality of life.

Beyond my comfort zone is where I am most challenged, where the most growth happens. In a new country, I must continuously protect my own dignity and well-being; thriving within a culture very different from mine means I will be in a new environment with new exposures. I developed new health protocol, standard awareness, and social manners. I’ve been challenged to seek new perspectives of life with purpose, maintaining my own cultural identity whilst trying to acclimatize with another. Being able to overcome challenges like these, I’ve developed new insights, ways of living, and instilled deep, meaningful connections. Most importantly, I have found strengths in my weaknesses; to overcome many stressors and cultural barriers and thrive happily in my host country.

In the United States, basic security was never a challenge for me. Aside from a six-month span housed with my grandmother, relying on government aid because my father was unemployed, basic needs were never hard to obtain. I always had warm showers, clean running water, food on my plate, and a stable roof over my head. After arriving in my host country, I learned that what I consider “necessities” in my daily life are real “luxuries” in a low-developed country such as Uganda. Acclimatization to the daily Ugandan lifestyle brought constant efforts to feel safe and secure both inside and outside the home, as well as handling the culture shock in a positive manner.

The most transformational of my experiences came with overcoming this culture shock in a multitude of ways through personal interactions, events, building relationships and functioning effectively during my stay. A major jaw-dropping aspect of the area was witnessing the obvious contrast between poverty and the wealthy. Socioeconomic status is entirely more divided and apparent than back home. An individual in Uganda can be considered “middle class” and still not have the means to install running water for washrooms. Moreover, while poverty in the United States still ensures housing and food on the table through government welfare, poverty in Uganda is much more extreme. An impoverished individual in Uganda lacks a lot of quality in their life; constantly threatened by extreme weather conditions, with the potential of losing their homes, and even risking death. Hard work usually leads to very small economic turnover.

Ugandan life is manual labor-centered; building houses, maintaining agriculture, and managing a multitude of crafts markets to make a living. It is hard to feel secure and thrive when your own state cannot offer much more than what the people must push to instill themselves. Markets and personal stores are comfortable ways to make an income in a place like Uganda. A lot of individuals in the United States would surely prefer to be self-employed if it were as easy to do. Regardless of obtaining an education, the nation has so much potential to grow in the trade and agricultural industries. Despite this, the unemployment rates continue to climb. However, just like the United States, even those with education still struggle to get a job after graduation. I have learned that economic security is the biggest and most constant battle for a low-developed country like Uganda, and continues to inhibit the development of the nation. Just like the United States, Uganda is the product of colonization from a world power: Great Britain. However, unlike the United States, the colonizers were only interested in exploiting the land, not developing the people. This is what set Uganda’s development so far back. The people were pushed in a direction they were not ready for; influenced by promises that were never truly upheld. Therefore, Uganda is lacking efficiency in a multitude of ways.

I traveled throughout the capital, witnessing that traffic patterns in the city are disorganized and hazardous; no emergency vehicle has any easy way of getting through. I’ve visited a Women’s Gender Violence Shelter, learning that present-day Uganda is much more comparable to 1800s United States in terms of women’s development and opportunity. After having multiple conversations about Ugandan politics with my Host Mama and her family, I realized that individuals push for change in legislation, but the government heavily lacks reinforcement and follow up. I traveled to Kapchorwa, a place where coffee fields are the main agricultural turnover, and painfully learned the struggles of coffee farmers working for a market in such high economic demand. Since the consumer chain is blinding to both consuming and producing ends, these farmers are stuck in a never-ending loop of back-breaking labor in the unfulfilling agricultural market. I visited a malnutrition unit and became sick with pain to know that single, impoverished mothers are the biggest targets for malnourished children simply because they are not educated on proper nutrition nor have the means to access the foods that are ironically in such abundance in the country. It is no wonder that Uganda is behind on many policies like accessible healthcare, gender equality, and economic stability, for through my experiences, the Ugandans are constantly battling with keeping the tradition and moving forward towards industrialized capitalism.

I’ve been challenged with the responsibility to learn how to supersede many barriers of language, idealizations, public relations, and other facets of a different culture. I received a guideline of basic Luganda language to be able to communicate with native individuals as I met them; shopping at markets and taking taxis across town was especially intimidating. However, with time and using lots of visual cues, I became very comfortable with traveling the area and talking to the people. Social etiquette was another challenging aspect of life in my host country, especially remembering to incorporate common greetings, modes of dress, and social manners. I have learned that a lot of what I consider appropriate in the United States is not acceptable in Uganda. Likewise, what is acceptable in Uganda and not in the U.S., like constantly being stared at and being called “Muzungu”. However, the hospitality of the people made it especially easy to fit into the new culture. I feel especially lucky to have been a temporary part of such an empathetic and uplifting community; completely unjudged and accepted with open arms, regardless of where I come from.

This program has been a transformative opportunity to instill a deeper connection and form parallels between myself and a different culture. It provided the educational experience to understand the effects the environment, economy, politics, and urbanization have on cultural growth and security. I’ve fostered practical skills that will allow me to succeed in my professional career, academic and personal success; expanding social boundaries and solidifying public relations. I’ve become a more well-rounded, culturally aware individual; discovering how Uganda, an example of an ethnic melting pot similar to the U.S., lives with inclusive and diverse harmony and provides for the people and the land they live on. I have strengthened my ability to conquer failure and barriers with resilience, compassion, and determination while becoming a better token and caretaker of humanity. I have formed a clear connection between the power and influence all cultures have on each other. As I fulfill my dream of becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, I will apply my knowledge of human nature and new perspectives of livelihood to nurture and heal all people in a more personal and understanding way. The Ugandan experience has enriched how I want to live more meaningfully; to make a difference in global public health and push the people of low-developed countries like Uganda to build up and sustain themselves, lessening the reliance on foreign help. Uganda is capable of so much more success and prosperity than they even realize!