- My project was a study abroad trip to Poland. There, I studied social and political change in Europe while taking classes at the Polish Institute of Philosophy and Sociology. I also conducted independent research analyzing Poles views and attitudes with regards to the Polish social structure.
- Prior to this trip, I have never been on a plane let alone outside of the country. I come a from small city in northeast Ohio and never did I imagine that I would be able to experience such a thing. Having had this experience, I truly realized that there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored. I see the world now in a whole new light. Before, the world was so small, not really something that I fathomed to be so huge; but, now after all going to another country and living in another country for an entire five weeks, I know that the world is huge and I can go see it and do things unimaginable.
- While abroad, there were a number of things that contributed to altering my worldview, the people, the culture, the language, studying, conducting research, exploring, traveling to other cities and more. I will touch on each of these just briefly as it is hard to put five weeks worth of experience into just a few short paragraphs, but I will share a bit about each and how and why they had the impact that they did. First, we have the academic side that I spoke a little about. While there, I took a statistics course which included a lab. I also had a history course along with six credit hours of independent research. All of these things were new to me. While working through these courses and conducting the research in a condensed amount of time, I was able to step up to the challenge and really prove to myself that I was more than capable of the demands of the program. Being able to learn statistics in just five short weeks and then apply what I was learning to my own research really showed me how these skills are going to be very useful in my future profession as well as the rest of my collegiate career. Second, I had the more personal development that occurred. Being an African American female traveling to a country that practically has no minorities present in their population added to my being the only minority amongst my peers was really impactful in this aspect of my experience. I learned so much about the difference in cultures and perspectives of others. I really gained more appreciation for other people’s cultures and how they view life. Also, in this experience, I was able to open my own outlook on life. Prior to, I can say that I was a bit close-minded and having had this experience I realize that there is so much more out there than just what I think and know.
- This change that I have spoken about is important to my life because its changed my entire outlook on life. I am sure that the course or the track that my life is on now is different in a number of ways than it was prior to this trip. I was not one to really think traveling would be my thing, but now, I want to travel and experience the world. Even in my professional life, independent research was never really in my collegiate plan; obviously, that plan has been altered. Graduate school has definitely become more attainable due to this as well. Holistically, having gone through this program, I gained a sense of direction for my future and potential career endeavors.
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