The STEP Signature Project I designed was a study abroad experience at an institution in Copenhagen, Denmark. During my three-week project I stayed in the city of Copenhagen for the first and final week and spent the middle week of my trip in Vienna, Austria for a study tour with my classmates. The class which I was enrolled in was called European Clinical Psychology. This class focused on the differences between psychological methods and education in the United States and Denmark and taught me how I can best respect and respond to engagements with people of various cultures.

As I exited my plane in Copenhagen, I took steps in a country other than the United States for my first time. I was coming onto this trip with an openminded attitude and minimal specific plans for myself during my trip. Through this trip I had the opportunity to consider that there are rarely “rights” or “wrongs” between two societies, rather just differences. While much of what I learned was through interpersonal interaction, my class also spent a large portion of time discussed the differences between the United States and Denmark, so I feel as though I have spent a great amount of time reflecting on this topic. Copenhagen was home to a free, excitable population with values commonly focused around family and interpersonal relations. While the United States prizes its STEM and other intellectual developments, Denmark seems to foster a stronger connection to family, relaxation, and having free time as an individual. Off of the same route, I realized that people in Denmark are generally less worried about maintaining lucrative career positions as people in the United States are, probably because so much of their money fades into their taxes anyways. Often, purchases would come with a negotiable price if a patron engaged in a positive discussion with a salesperson. As well, some topics that are so taboo in the United States make for healthy discussion in Denmark—politics for example. This enforced the idea that asking tough questions can go a long way for my learning. Discussing topics that may make me edgy or nervous gives me the potential to face my fears and learn something new.

I am extremely proud of myself for committing to attending a class in Copenhagen this summer. I find joy in creating change for myself and I feel like taking risks and making even the smallest changes can take me a long way. In Denmark, biking and walking were so popular that I felt strange getting into my car upon my return home. I became comfortable with putting my phone away during transit and patiently enjoying waiting during my ride or conversing with others to pass the time. Upon my return home, I have made an effort to complain and stress less about small problems like traffic and commuting and instead enjoy the ride.

Upon the beginning of my study abroad program, I was given excellent advice: to not act as a tourist, but as a citizen in Copenhagen. For the next three weeks I was to live with the locals rather than to tour the city. While at home, I go to a gym or for a jog most days of the week for an hour or so and then proceed to work, errands, etc. It seems redundant to block out time for exercise and then time to sit in a car or at a desk. In Denmark, I appreciated the combination of walking to get to wherever I want to go, and I brought this realization home with me. Instead of blocking out time for exercise, I try to incorporate it more, simply because it makes me happy.

Living in Denmark was challenging because I had not previously met any other students who were in my program. This experience taught me to have trust for new people and to understand that going with the flow can take me very far. Just as I learned to try not to plan exercise as much, I realized that if I leave my schedule open with some breathing room, I have more time to relax and do exciting things with friends. I found that I was able to discover a group of people who I now consider to be wonderful friends in just a few weeks. This was an excellent chance for me to accept that following the flow of life would lead me to success and I will remind myself of this next time I am struggling to trust the process.

The main theme I practiced while in Denmark is taking a step back to slow life down for a moment to think more clearly. Taking more time to think and seeking additional resources rather than the minimum information can give me a more holistic understanding of an issue. For example, without traveling to learn about clinical psychology through DIS I likely never would have been exposed to the ICD. In all of the world besides the United States, a diagnosis guide called the ICD is utilized by healthcare providers. The ICD compares to the DSM, the guide used by the U.S. to analyze psychological disorders and create diagnoses. So how are these guides different? The DSM provides a narrower outlook on Western diagnoses and also creates a profit for the American Psychological Association, whereas the ICD seeks to encompass the rest of the world and is free of charge for people. Learning this came as a shock to me: I have majored in Neuroscience on a pre-med track for two years now, and had never once heard of the ICD, a worldwide staple of medicine. Studying abroad illuminated new ideas about culture, and as a future healthcare practitioner, it is essential to be conscious of the idea that I can never fully understand a culture. I can continue to travel to expand my knowledge, but I must stay aware of the fact that I must treat every individual on a basis of their own personalized experience. I am privileged to receive an excellent education at The Ohio State University but also understand the importance of continuing to explore the different roles of doctors all of the world in order to become culturally competent.

Description of my STEP project:

I completed the “Human Health and Disease; A Clinical Approach” course at DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark. Along with learning about the healthcare system in Denmark and the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, we spent a week in Vienna, Austria sightseeing and speaking with physicians in different specialties.

How my understanding of myself, my assumptions, and my view of the world changed/transformed while completing my STEP Signature Project:

Through this experience I have gained flexibility, independence, and confidence. Before I would feel anxious and uncomfortable when I didn’t know the plan and timing of my day/week. While abroad I couldn’t plan out every second of my day and stopped wanting to because I found that when I let go of my rigid plan I had time to do spontaneous things with my friends and see new places. Now I feel more comfortable with the uncertainty of life. I trust myself and know that I will make the right decisions about my future when the time comes.

My more open and flexible mindset helped me make lasting friendships and meet new people from different cultures. I also learned that the differences between the people I met and myself actually made our friendships stronger. Meeting danish students also showed me that I can learn so much about a person just by listening. I gained insight into what everyday life is like in Denmark by living in a neighborhood outside of the main. Community and sustainability seemed to be a huge part of their culture. I quickly learned that people produce much less waste than in the states. Sustainability, recycling, and reusing are common practices in homes, stores, and businesses. It made me think more about what I was using and the waste I was producing.

The events, interactions, relationships, and activities during my STEP Signature Project that led to the change/transformation:

I have always felt comfortable when there is an organized plan/itinerary, so when my flight to Copenhagen was cancelled I immediately felt anxious and stressed. Arriving a day late, getting transportation by myself to my housing site, and then waiting for hours at a coffee shop before I could get into my apartment challenged my ability to be flexible and go with the flow. That day I learned that I could handle the uncertainty and challenges that come with traveling. From that day on I tried not to plan every minute of the day and was open to meeting new people and traveling to unfamiliar places.

One unfamiliar place called Reffen quickly became familiar to my friends and I because we went there so often. Reffen is a food market/beach/skatepark that is made from old shipping containers and sits on the edge of the canal. After a wonderful dinner, we were walking along the canal when we passed a group of people hanging out and playing music outside a long row of shipping containers. They invited us to come over so we hesitantly walked over to them. A girl came up to us and explained that the shipping containers are actually student housing for college students and that their community focuses on diversity. Everyone who lives in their student community had submitted an application and a board of students reviewed it and chosen them based on their diverse background. The students spend time hanging out in their club house, cooking in the community kitchen, and swimming in the canal. They also have a small general store that they run. After learning about these student’s ways of life I started noticing how strong community was throughout the Danish culture. It also made me think more about ways that I can strengthen my own community back home.

Another unique part of the Danish society is that recycling is a standard practice. In the grocery stores there are machines that you can feed recyclables into and get cash for. I noticed people constantly picking up recycling off the ground and even out of the trash to trade it for cash. This practice keeps the streets clean and helps people who need extra money. The sustainable mindset I saw has made me think a lot more about my consumption and use of materialistic items around my house. I have tried to use less plastic and buy less material goods.

How this change/transformation was significant and valuable for my life, why it matters, and how it relates to my academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans: 

My newfound flexibility and comfort in uncertainty has already helped lower my stress level and will help me as I continue my education. In the past I experienced a lot of stress and unnecessary pressure to succeed in my classes. This has probably caused more harm than good in my mental health and grades. I hope that this semester I will be able to maintain a more relaxed mindset and have trust in myself to know that I am capable of success. Going forward being able to adapt to change will help me work better with others and handle challenges that come my way. My gain in confidence and independence will also help me as I work toward medical school and a future in medicine.

It is easy to get caught up in the “latest and greatest” mindset, especially when surrounded technology and other materialistic goods are always advertised. Thinking more about what is actually necessary and what brings me joy will help me stay more conscious of my impact on our earth. I have also tried to share this idea with my peers and family in hopes that they too will think more about their impact on our environment.

Nyhavn, a famously colorful canal scene (København, Denmark)

Kronborg Castle, Shakespeare’s inspiration for writing Hamlet (Helsingør, Denmark)

Studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark for six weeks this summer was the experience I chose as my STEP Signature Project. Describing it solely as a study abroad trip, though, does not fully capture the well-rounded, exciting adventure I embarked on. I took two classes while abroad, the Psychology of Criminal Behavior and Terrorism and Counterterrorism from a European Perspective, and thoroughly enjoyed both. However, it was more importantly the people I met, the experiences I had, and all that I learned that shaped my travel and will truly have a lasting impact on me.

My time in Denmark bettered my understanding of the world and the diverse people living in it, aided in developing my self-confidence, and helped to solidify my thinking that I made the right choice of major and career path. After returning home, I have had time to reflect on my time abroad, not only in Copenhagen but also in several cities around western Europe. I’ve realized that the independence and excitement I felt while traveling and adjusting to a new way of life for six weeks has not disappeared; rather I will carry those feelings with me, along with the amazing memories I made, for the rest of my life. I pushed past the borders of my comfort zone on this trip, a transformation that formerly took much energy and effort. During this experience, though, it came naturally. My confidence rose as I found that I was able to handle myself well in another country and create an ideal atmosphere around me so that I was best able to experience the city of Copenhagen, get the most out of my classes, and cultivate long-lasting relationships with Danish as well as other American students.

Interacting with the Danes was a completely novel experience for me, as I have never been immersed in a different culture before. Learning about the nuances that color their culture and lifestyle was incredibly interesting and unforgettable. Appreciating another way of life and adopting their ways as a guest in their country was a unique and very beneficial experience for me, especially since I hope to work with people of diverse backgrounds throughout my career. Because of my STEP project, I feel reassured that I have made the perfect decision for me and my future with my interest in international relations and working with people from across the world. This experience has excited me for the next years of my life as I attempt to follow my dreams and reach my goals, which may include living and working abroad—possibly in Copenhagen!

The six weeks I spent abroad was my first time out of the country (except for a few trips across the Canadian border), as well as my first time flying alone. Needless to say, simply overcoming the nerves that naturally accompany this big step helped me to grow in my own ability to navigate the world on my own. This newly realized ability and independence was encouraged by the inter-European travel I had the opportunity to go on throughout my six weeks abroad. From Munich, Germany and Brussels, Belgium to Malmö, Sweden and Prague, Czech Republic, the places I saw, people I met, and mistakes and memories I made contributed to my growing confidence and will stick with me forever. In total, I was on nine international flights, navigated six foreign public transit systems, booked three Airbnb’s, planned numerous day trips, and explored a new part of the city on my own (often starting out with the hopes of not using Google Maps, and usually ending with studying Google Maps when I got completely turned around) almost every day. How could this adventure not result in newfound confidence?

I had the chance to get to know two Danish students very well, as I lived with them, in addition to three other American study abroad students, in a “kollegium.” Alma and Uffe became great friends and helpful guides the entirety of the time I was in Copenhagen, and I absolutely would not have had the experience I did without them. (I still keep in touch with them regularly and plan to do so for quite a while.) They provided insight into the Danish way of life and were curious about American culture, which in turn helped me practice describing things that are normal for me in daily life to someone who has no idea what I’m referring to. Communication with them and other Danes I interacted with was never difficult, but still was eye-opening. Their English-speaking ability and knowledge of US current events was astounding and made me realize the lack of exposure we as American students have to the rest of the world on a daily basis. I think it is very important to be educated on world events and am attempting to change this unawareness in my own life, and will encourage others to do the same.

I cannot imagine a better way to confidently decide whether I am well-suited to my future career path than living and studying abroad. There is not one or two moments that spurred this in me, but rather the summation of all of my experiences and lessons learned has led to a certainty that this is what I would love to do with my life. Experiencing and respecting other cultures, meeting new people of different ethnicities, becoming accustomed to traveling, and learning to be comfortable with pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone were the main pillars of my experiential learning during my travel. These are also some of the most important skills needed in a career focused on international relations and aimed at bridging gaps between cultures and people. It is simply not possible to have these experiences from the safety of my city or even country. The fact that I enjoyed myself much more than I even anticipated (already a high bar) and can picture myself living and working there for longer than a summer is indicative of my passion for such a career and life path, focused on a career in foreign affairs and immersing myself in cultures that differ from what I am used to.

My personal transformation plays into my professional one, and vice versa. The growth I have experienced will not only aid me in my future, but it also fulfills many of the self-growth goals that I have been striving for. It is empowering to be able to return from a six-week trip with such an enlightened and eager mindset. Such a transformation is unparalleled by any transformation of my personal or professional self that I’ve felt before. I feel so thankful to have been able to go on such a journey and return from it a more well-rounded person with a better sense of the future I desire for myself and for the world.

For my STEP Signature Project, I studied abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica for six weeks. I attended two classes at ULatina while living with a host family. The two classes were Phonetics and Phonology and Oral and Written Expression. On the weekends, a group of students would travel throughout the country to amazing places.

When I first signed up for my study abroad trip, I was extremely excited to experience a culture different from my own in a completely new country; however, the week leading up to my trip, I was very nervous. I am a structured and organized person who enjoys sticking to a schedule. I feel most comfortable when I know exactly what to expect. While studying abroad, I did not get a strict schedule. During the first three weeks, I did not have class until noon, so I had to fill my mornings; each day I had to figure out something to do, whether that be going to the center of the city or working on homework. Every day was different. This was definitely difficult to adjust to in the beginning because I was missing the structure I typically have at home. Learning to go with the flow a little more and not have expectations about the day was definitely a valuable lesson I experienced while abroad. I also became aware of how impatient I am when I do not stick to a timely schedule. I had to learn to adjust and be okay with not being extremely rushed or timely sometimes.

Costa Ricans, or Ticos, are very laid back with their time and life in general. If they say they are going to arrive at 8:00 p.m., you should expect them at 8:30 p.m. or later. They never really express fear or seem stressed; Ticos are always saying tranquila, which is their way of telling you to relax or calm down. If I would express to my family that I am nervous for a test or quiz, they would always tell me to relax and there is nothing to worry about. I am typically a stressed person, but I definitely saw a transformation in myself while in Costa Rica because this idea was always enforced, and it was almost out of the norm if someone was stressed. This also changed my view of the world. I met people who came from varying backgrounds while abroad. Some people were very well off while others had to work for everything they wanted, yet they all exhibited tranquility.

Living with a host family definitely led to transformations I saw in myself and my views of the Costa Rican culture. My host family consisted of four people: a grandma, mother, daughter, and son. They all spoke in Spanish basically the entire time, but the daughter did know English. I was submerged into a culture and household that was completely foreign to me, yet they taught me my most valuable lessons. I also lived with another student in my program which made adjusting to Tico life way easier. The host family helped me understand that not everything needed to be structured. They helped our group plan activities that were new to us. Our host mother undoubtedly aided me in adjusting to this chill lifestyle.

Traveling throughout the country while in Costa Rica assisted me in becoming more patient and understanding of other people’s schedules, which was definitely transformative for me. The program that I went through organized three trips for us, but my group was on its own for the other three weekends. We had to organize transportation, Airbnbs, and what we were going to eat for the weekend. It was difficult to accommodate what everyone wanted but we always worked out. This definitely taught me to be patient and not stress while I was trying to relax on a beach or in the mountains.

Lastly, meeting the Ticos was the most transformative part of my study abroad experience. Our group went to a cultural center where we were able to speak with locals in Spanish and English. I ended up speaking with one of the guys and organized a soccer game with Ticos and girls in my group. This was one of the most rewarding experiences because after we played, they talked to us about different aspects of the Costa Rican culture, and most importantly, they reminded us about the tranquilatype of lifestyle. We talked about stereotypes that we had heard about each other’s cultures and how we could combat them or how they were completely incorrect. I also went to a dance club a few times where I got to dance with a local who was dedicated to teaching me how to Salsa, even though I was the most uncoordinated person on the dancefloor. Every time I was with a Tico, the atmosphere was very relaxed, and I was extremely comfortable. I am hoping to bring this type of lifestyle back to the United States to incorporate into my college life.

All of the skills I learned while abroad are going to be valuable for the rest of college and in my future career. I would like to work with kids, and I cannot expect to have a rigid, structured schedule with them. I will need to be flexible, so I am able to interact with them in the best way possible. Secondly, when I work with clients, I cannot be stressed out or nervous because then they may not trust my professional opinion. Studying in a different country allowed me to interact with people outside of my own culture which will also be beneficial in private practice. I will work with people from all different backgrounds, and I will need to be able to relate to them and understand their customs and values. Additionally, being able to speak Spanish will open my opportunities to work with people who may not feel as if they have a lot of resources in the community. My transformations will also be valuable in college because they may change how I interact with people. College life should not always be a strict system, and after studying in Costa Rica, I am more aware and accepting of that fact.

My time abroad was unquestionably an invaluable opportunity. I was able to meet amazing people from the United States and Costa Rica, travel throughout a new country, learn valuable lessons, and practice my Spanish. I cannot wait to share my experiences with my friends and family because my time abroad is something I will cherish for a lifetime.

My STEP Signature Project was an Education Abroad Program called Social Work in India with a Focus on Health and Mental Health. During our program, we stayed in two major cities in southern India – Chennai and Bangalore. We attended lectures and visited agencies related to the topics of domestic violence, mental health, developmental disabilities, HIV/AIDS, healthcare, addiction rehabilitation, LGBTQI+, and elderly care. While the education aspect was the largest part of our program, we still had opportunity to site see, eat different foods, go shopping, and experience many traditions of India.

I was able to learn a lot about myself during my time in India. I am an Indian American who has never traveled to India, so getting to finally experience the country where all my ancestors come from and where my grandparents were born and raised was amazing. It gave me pride for my country that I didn’t know I had. I was also proud to see the developments India is making in terms of healthcare and mental health. Although there is still a lot of changes to be made, they are on the right track. My perspective that America must have the best healthcare system because we are a world power completely changed. India and many other countries around the world do things their way and are very successful, and this can relate to many aspects besides healthcare. It was interesting to travel to a country so different from our own and experience things that are normal there and abnormal here, and vice versa. That is what makes traveling such a rewarding and eye-opening experience.

While completing my Education Abroad in India, I found that many of my assumptions beforehand were proven wrong. Going in to India I had many people telling me what the country would be like. As a young Indian American girl, many of my family and friends have traveled to different parts of India multiple times. I was anxious to go because of some of the things I had heard. I assumed the country would be dirty and smell bad, the people wouldn’t be friendly to an American girl like me, and that I’d have to be very careful about what food I ate. Two of these assumptions were proven wrong.

I found that the craziness of India is what made it so beautiful. There was no structure to anything. Traffic laws were ignored, and people were never on time to meetings or appointments and this drove me and the other students in my group crazy at first. Soon we realized that this lack of structure makes it a little easier to live in the moment and appreciate the time we have now. In America, we are so focused on what’s coming next and everything is usually planned out in terms of a schedule. It was refreshing to be in a place where I could truly grasp what I was experiencing in the moment.

It is true that parts of India are not the cleanest places, but again this made me appreciate what I do have back at home. Many of the public toilets are holes in the ground and there is not a large usage of toilet paper. I started to miss Western toilets but also enjoyed experiencing the varying ways of life for an Indian. The smells of India are interesting but tolerable.

The locals in India were some of the friendliest people I have ever met. We never ran in to an issue with someone being rude to us. Of course, there were cab or auto drivers who tried to scam for money, but that is a part of the experience and how these people make their living daily. We did often get many stares from locals as it was unusual for them to see a large group of non-Indians walking around in western clothing but it’s simply what they do and do not mean it in a rude way as we would take it in the U.S. Indian hospitality is a real concept where many local Indians do not let you go without offering you food and water and a place to sit. It was very kind of all these people to treat us like their own right away.

The food there tasted amazing, but it is true that one has to be careful of what they’re eating in India. The easiest way to not get sick is to avoid street food, which I did not do. I ended up getting sick twice on my trip because of the food but did not let it ruin my whole experience. I’ve ate Indian food all my life but never ate it like I did in India. I’m excited to travel back to India to eat the food and hopefully not get sick again.

The transformation I experienced in India is valuable to my life professionally and personally. Professionally, I was able to learn about a healthcare system so different than our own. As a future medical professional, I will be able to bring in some of the techniques and ways of India in to my own career to be the best physician I can possibly be. I can also teach others what I have learned in my time abroad in hopes of helping them become better as well. Personally, I gained lots of gratitude. It’s easy to forget how good I have it here with my life. Although India is beautiful in many ways, it would be challenging to grow up in a developing country like itself. I learned to appreciate what so many of my ancestors lived in, including my grandparents, and respect them more than I already do. I feel connected to myself more than ever after going to India and I will remember my first trip there for the rest of my life.

My STEP Signature Project was a study abroad experience to Germany. For four weeks in June, I studied German at the Goethe Institut in Dresden with other students from around the world. I was able to expand my language skills through my classes and practice speaking as I experienced German culture outside of class.

During this project I was outside my comfort zone than I’ve ever been before, and I had to learn how to not only adjust to the lifestyle changes, but also embrace the opportunities I had to challenge myself. Going into this experience, I knew that I would need to force myself to have as many quality interactions as possible to practice my German language skills and build relationships with the people I met. For the first week, I lacked confidence in my German skills and was often nervous for spontaneous conversations. However, during the next week, I became comfortable with my German, and eagerly sought opportunities for conversation. Although I learned more German in one month than I otherwise could have in a year, I learned more from the people I met and talked to outside of class.

To me, the most meaningful moment of this experience was before I even arrived in Germany. As I boarded the plane that would land in Germany, I sat next to an older woman, who greeted me in German. After talking to her for a while, I found out that she was polish, and could only speak Polish and German. We ended up talking for hours about everything from our families and hometowns to our worldviews and opinions. This conversation was not only the most interesting I’ve ever had with a stranger, but also a fire that motivated me throughout the month to learn as much as I could. I realized I could never have such a priceless experience if I had never started learning German, and that by pushing myself to learn more, I’m opening myself up to even more opportunities.

One of my favorite aspects of this study abroad experience is that it was an international program, so I was able to have people from all over the world as classmates. Although the majority of my class was over thirty, there were two other college students from Thailand, who I quickly bonded with. During the first week, I went with these classmates and some students from a different class in the program to a national park outside of Dresden. As we hiked through the park, we compared colleges, favorite foods from our homelands, and other aspects of our cultures. At the end of the day, I knew more about Thailand’s culture than I could have ever expected. This was a key moment for me because I made close friends from the other side of the world while experiencing the culture and a natural treasure in Germany.

By my third (and last full) weekend in Dresden, I had still not been to Berlin, which is only a two-hour bus ride from Dresden. Although none of my friends were able to go, I decided to go to Berlin anyway. I knew the history and culture in Berlin were too valuable for me to miss, so it would be worth it to tour the city alone, even though there would be two big challenges for me. The first challenge would be keeping myself from getting lonely during a whole day by myself, because I had spent every other day either seeing friends in class or traveling with friends on the weekend. This ended up not being a problem at all, because Berlin offered so much to see and do that I was always looking at something, or making my way to the next sight. The second challenge, however, required much more effort. Because Berlin is a bigger city with more tourists, and people who don’t speak German, people are much more likely to switch to speaking English after hearing an American accent or poor German in Berlin than they are in Dresden. It was still important to me to continue practicing German in Berlin, so I spoke as clearly and intelligently as I could to avoid speaking English, and luckily, no one I spoke to switched to English.

I had no plan before leaving for Berlin, and I planned on just trying to see as much as possible before my bus back to Dresden departed. However, as I walked through Berlin and considered everything I would need to prioritize, the German History Museum continued to draw my attention. I quickly made my way to the museum, and spent over an hour looking through the exhibits. My strong interest in each exhibit surprised me, because I’m not usually very interested in history. Nevertheless, I read each description carefully, particularly the sections about the world wars. It was so interesting to me to learn about these parts of history in a German museum, after already having learned about them in American museums. Although both countries’ histories tell the same story, they bring different perspectives to the table, and being able to learn about familiar history from an unfamiliar point of view helped me to better understand the events.

Each of the key moments during my STEP Signature Project all have something in common; I learned something I wasn’t expecting to learn. The vocabulary that stuck with me the most didn’t come from lectures, but from conversations in the city with strangers or my friends. I learned about Dresden culture by exploring the city or talking to waitresses or store owners. I learned that it’s the easiest to absorb information when you’re experiencing it.

The transformations I went through during this experience don’t just pertain to learning German or studying abroad. I learned how to shove myself outside my comfort zone, and force myself to stay out of it, to learn and experience as much as I possibly could. I also learned how to be constantly open to new information, opinions, and relationships. These skills will help me not only in my academics and career, but also in my personal life. By pushing myself out of my comfort zone, more opportunities will be open to me, and by being constantly ready to learn anything, I’ll be able to adapt to take advantage of the new opportunities available to me.

This summer, I studied Elementary Biblical Hebrew in Jerusalem as my STEP Signature Project. It was a five-week intensive course—approximately equivalent to a semester of introductory Biblical Hebrew—that taught me the basics of Tanakhic grammar, syntax, and verbs.

As I had hoped, this Project deepened my understanding of and appreciation for the literary qualities of the Hebrew Bible. Prior to taking this class, my knowledge of the Tanakh was based solely on English translations. Although translations can convey the plot and other basic literary elements, any translation requires footnotes and annotations to communicate more complicated elements, like a phrase with ambiguous meaning or an instance of wordplay. Despite the fact that I have achieved only a rudimentary understanding of this ancient and complex language, I feel that my grasp on the literary qualities of the Tanakh already far exceed the understanding I derived from reading the Bible in translation.

For instance, the authors of the Bible conveyed the authority and eternity of the Jewish God through the grammar of his speech. Biblical Hebrew has no true past, present, and future in the way that English does. Instead, it has verb tenses more closely approximated by the perfect and imperfect (although in reality Biblical Hebrew verb tenses have many more aspects). When God speaks, it is almost always in the perfect even if the action has not yet been completed and would therefore be expected to be put in the imperfect. There are many ways to interpret this grammatical abnormality, but one predominant interpretation asserts that it conveys the omnipotence of God—when he speaks, he speaks reality into being, and since it is he who creates and shapes reality, events that have not yet occurred are certain to occur. This is simply one example of the nuance that I have been able to glean from reading the Hebrew Bible in its original language.

This expansion of my understanding came about through my education in the grammar and morphology of Biblical Hebrew. We began the class by learning the Hebrew alphabet—which consists only of consonants—and its vowel signs. The first week was devoted to all aspects of the language that did not concern verbs; for instance, how to recognize possessives, pronouns, definite and indefinite nouns, and so on. We also learned about the gender and number of nouns and adjectival agreement, as well as sentences without verbs. These are the essentials of Biblical Hebrew, but verbs are often referred to as “the heart of the Hebrew language.”

They are also the most irregular aspect of Hebrew and as such we spent four of our five weeks studying them. All verbs in Biblical Hebrew have basic three-letter roots. By changing the vowel of each consonant or by adding prefixes and suffixes, the author or speaker can change not only the gender and number of the verb, but also add an object, convey tenses, and whether the subject of the verb is active, passive, reflexive, or reciprocal. We learned about the verbal patterns and the variety of tenses associated with each of them.

Learning these forms helped me to understand their original language. But more than that, it allowed me to understand the importance of ambiguities and exceptions. The creativity of Biblical Hebrew lies in part in its willingness to upset grammatical expectations. Asking questions about why the author chose certain tenses or two verbal roots that sound alike allows me to more fully appreciate the literary abilities and theology of those who wrote the Bible. The most formative classroom discussions focused on those grammatical structures that were unconventional, and what the author intended to convey when he chose to write the sentence in such a way.

I believe that my first steps towards reading Biblical Hebrew have had a profound effect on both my academic and personal life. My STEP Signature Project allowed me to engage with completely new types of Biblical exegesis and literary analysis, and through these, to better understand the practices and beliefs of Jews. This new body of knowledge will help me in my Jewish Studies minor, but it will also allow me to glean even more wisdom from a collection of literature that I find compelling and personally valuable. This Project was key to a deeper understanding of Biblical literature and Judaism. Now that I have begun to read the Bible as it was meant to be read, I hold its composition, wisdom, and stories in even higher regard.

Sunrise at Masada

Sunset at the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Old City and the Dome of the Rock

Through The Ohio State Dance Department, I was given the opportunity to tour Denmark for six weeks on the OSU Dance Denmark program. Our group took dance class, performed, taught dance to Danish students, and choreographed all while fully experiencing the heart of Danish culture. It was a program designed to expand my professional dance career as well as fully immerse in a new culture.

Dancing is my passion, so to have the opportunity to take it across the world to Denmark for six weeks with fifteen classmates I already knew and trusted sounded like a dream. And in fact, this opportunity is still something that I am very grateful I was able to experience. It provided me great insight about my career, friendships, and self- development.

Specifically, for my self-development, I learned a great deal about what I require to best support my performing and dancing body. For example, before the trip I thought I best recovered by being in the presence of others, refueling from energy they give off. However, after a long day of dancing, I found myself needing to pull away from the group to be alone for a moment. As much as I loved the people surrounding me, having a moment to myself allowed me to absorb all the information, daily experiences, and important memories of the day, keeping me from feeling overwhelmed. And once I was calm and collected, I could return back to the group.

Although this change in my day seems simple and small, it majorly impacted my mood and my ability to connect with others. By taking the time I needed for myself, I was more patient, more outgoing, and overall better able to give my energy and attention to others, creating deeper friendships faster. More importantly, I realized that reevaluating my needs and preferences to keep happy and healthy is a huge step in learning how to establish boundaries for the professional world. Having a moment alone in the day is only one little changed I learned about myself over this trip, but it has shown me the importance of understanding what helps sustain my body and mind in such a demanding field of work.

Being invested in such a long and intense dance program was not only challenging on my body, but also, my mind and mood. During the first two weeks of the program, our group stayed at Gerlev Idrætshøjskole, a movement focused sports academy for students who’ve graduated the equivalent to American high school or older. For me, these first two weeks were the hardest to adjust to the program’s rigor. We danced 3-4 hours a day, usually not including our choreography rehearsals for our upcoming performances. The physical challenge was tough to endure; however, it wasn’t more than the usual fatigue and soreness I’ve experienced during the typical dance semester at OSU. For me, the bigger challenge came from being in a place of constant social interaction. A major aspect of Gerlev is based upon being in community with others and spending free time with friends. While this is something I enjoy, at times I found it too much to handle on top of the exhaustion.

I prefer one on one interactions or small groups of people because I feel more connected to others and more able to contribute to conversations or even to join in on a joke. Staying in a large group for long periods often was intimidating at times and I struggled to find the place where I felt that I fit in. There were many moments I noticed myself sticking to the outsides of the group and separated myself from the large group even though I desired to be closely connected and make those deeper friendships.

Luckily, a few of my classmates opened up to me, sharing similar struggles with large groups. We connected quickly and were able to create one to one interactions while including ourselves in the big group. Finding that space amongst the large group was important for me to feel more comfortable throughout the program. It allowed me to ease my anxiousness about big groups and helped boost my confidence to express my full self. And even though I still needed time to recover completely alone, I knew I had friends that understood my needs and could be there for me when I was ready to join back in the group.

This new understanding for my need of alone time and space away from others provided me a valuable insight into what I need to prioritize for my professional career. Pursuing a career in the dance field means involving myself in work that constantly collaborates with others. I will always need to be ready for social engagements and group activities and to do so, must find ways to keep myself rejuvenated and motivated. Learning that a moment to myself helps me feel 100% is majorly important because in times I feel drained or irritable, I already know how to improve my mood. Even further, it sets up space for me to create boundaries in the professional world, so that I can prevent the feeling that I’m compensating my happiness or being overworked.

Follow the group’s journey at:  https://www.dancedenmark.com/

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.

This past month, I studied abroad in Tanzania through the School for Field Studies, taking a course called Fundamentals of Wildlife Management and Conservation. Throughout the month, my classmates and I had the opportunity to travel within and conduct research activities in various national parks, wildlife management areas, and other protected natural areas of northern Tanzania. We also interacted with the local community, did community service, and experienced a day-long homestay with a local family, learning about their daily lives and culture.

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 experience abroad was undoubtedly a transformational experience that has already shaped who I am and how I view the world around me, as well as my future. Throughout the month, and especially now that I have returned home, I realized that the program has shifted my perspectives on so many areas of life. First, my own self-view has shifted considerably, and I learned about myself more and more as the month went on. Working alongside my classmates during group projects and assignments, I found myself learning a lot from them and growing as a member of a team. Additionally, I had to do a considerable amount of work and observations on my own, which helped me realize my abilities to make quick decisions and has boosted my self-confidence and my belief in myself. I also learned a lot about who I want to become, and my assumptions about my own future have been confronted and shifted. I already knew that I wanted to travel a lot in the future, but this trip inspired more wanderlust than I ever could have imagined, and I know that no matter what I do career-wise in the future, I am going to try, more than anything, to see as much of the world as I can, push myself out of my comfort zone, and experience as much of the Earth’s beauty as I can.

Before leaving for my trip, I thought I had a decent understanding of the world and how other people live. I was so wrong. This experience opened my eyes to so many things, ideas, cultures, etc. I now have a greater understanding of certain cultures, but it also made me realize that there is an unbelievable amount that I am clueless about. In America, we tend to focus mainly on the cultures that we see in our own country and know a little bit about other big cultures around the world, mostly learned through school and the internet. However, after being within a tribal community, one of over 100 in Tanzania alone, I realized that there is so much that I will never even know. Immersing myself in a different culture made me realize how big the world is, and that even though America seems important, we are just another little speck that shares this planet, and each speck has its own rich history filled with hundreds and thousands of years of cultural development.

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 my month in Tanzania, it seems that every single day was full of people and experiences that contributed to the transformational experience, so it is hard to pinpoint exactly which ones led to the changes the most. I’ll start with the people I met. I had the opportunity to build relationships with so many amazing people, including my classmates, professors, SFS staff, and local community members. My classmates were some of the most amazing, fun-loving people I’ve ever met, and it was unbelievable to be around so many people who share common interests with me every single day, and to be able to share the experiences we had together. I built some unbelievable friendships and I hope to remain close with some of those peers for a long time, even though they are all around the country. My classmates taught me a lot about myself, boosted my self-esteem, and made me proud of who I am, which has certainly followed me back home.

In addition to learning about myself from my classmates, my professors taught me so much about the subject matter, careers, and life in general. They were so intelligent and generous, and they answered any questions we had in order to teach as much as they could in such a short amount of time. I definitely learned a lot of information throughout the month, and I hope to use my new knowledge of wildlife, wildlife/habitat management, and community involvement in conservation efforts in the future in both my future career and academic career at Ohio State. The staff members, including the camp guards, drivers, cooking staff, etc. were all local Tanzanians who were some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. Everyone was so unbelievably friendly, accepting, and helpful throughout the month. Waking up early to help prepare breakfast with them, playing soccer and volleyball with them, and just having everyday conversations with them taught me so much about their culture and helped shape the transformational experience that I had.

The landscapes, animals, and outdoor experiences that I had during my program were some of the greatest memories of my life and will undoubtedly shape my future. I had the opportunity to see things that I have dreamt about since I was a little kid, and everything exceeded all expectations. The beauty of the land, the wildlife, etc. blew my mind as we travelled through national parks conducting observations for assignments, and as we drove through as game drives. A specific transformational experience that I will never forget is camping for three nights in Serengeti National Park. The memories I made, the animals I saw, including a hyena walking right past our bonfire one night, will never leave me. Thanks to these moments, people, and experiences, I have changed significantly over the past month and a half, and I view myself, my future, and the world in so many new and amazing ways.

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.

I cannot think of any experience in my entire life that has been, or will be, as valuable and significant as my month in Tanzania. The transformations I experienced, the relationships I built, the lessons I learned, and the sights that I saw have strongly impacted me every single day since I have returned home, and I can’t envision a day in the future when they won’t. I have grown so much personally from the experience, and it has influenced and shifted my view of my life and future. Personally, it has taught me lessons I hope to keep in mind forever, and has helped me form an image of the man I want to be in the future. I want to see the world, help others, and work within the environment to help make a change. Academically, I learned so much, and I now feel certain that I am on the right path, and I am so excited for the future. Before, I planned on going to graduate school immediately after undergraduate. However, now, I plan to travel after I graduate, hoping to get wildlife jobs around the world so I can grow and gain field experience before attending graduate school. Professionally, it solidified my thoughts and dreams of working with wildlife and the environment. For the first time in my life, I feel confident and secure about my future, and I believe that I am following my dreams in the best way possible, and I am so excited to see what comes next in my life.