Name: Olivia Wolfe
Type of Project: Education Abroad
- 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 this project, I went on an education abroad trip called Scientific Roots in Europe where we traveled to London and Paris for spring break. During the semester, I took a class, and abroad we toured different museums and tourist attractions. Some of the places we visited include the British Museum, Down House, London Eye, Pasteur Museum, El Musse de L’Homme, Eiffel tower, and many more.
- 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.
While in Europe my views of different countries changed. I had never left the country before so, I expected it to be this huge difference but in reality, it really wasn’t that different at first glance. The places had amazing architecture, but also reminded me of New York how the buildings were so close. London was different because it was very clean and you couldn’t find a trash can anywhere, whereas Paris was much dirtier and had a lot of homeless people. Overall, I think this trip showed me that I am capable of exploring new places. This trip helped me come out of my comfort area and made me realize that trying new things isn’t as scary as I thought.
- 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/transformations.
Being abroad led to my change in beliefs in the way I view foreign countries, as well as my confidence in trying new things. While in Europe, I did not have phone service and had to navigate my way around to different places and had to plan what I was doing each day. I think that it was a very valuable life lesson to use maps and signs to navigate versus just relying on a GPS.
One major change was my views of other countries. I thought that I would be in a huge culture shock upon arrival but found that the areas were very touristy and it was very easy to adapt to the new environment. London especially was very easy since they spoke English, Paris was a little bit harder since they did not speak English.
Overall, I felt like this trip taught me various life lessons. I feel more culturally aware, and also feel like I can adapt to new situations better. I think that this is an important lessons because if I every move to a new place, I think that I will have the ability to adjust easier from my experience abroad.
- 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.
I think that this trip is valuable to my life because it will help me when adjusting in new environments. My goal is to go to dental school, and I may have to move for that, so I think that spending a week in a foreign country not only proves that I can adjust to new environments, but also helped me in learning new places and talking with different types of people.
In addition, I met other science and pre-dental majors in my class that I was able to form unique bonds with while abroad. I was able to connect with my two professors, and various classmates. Since we are at such a large university, it is nice to have a smaller science class. This is helpful if I have classes with them in the future.