1.Please provide a brief description of your STEP signature project.
My study abroad program, Arcadia in London, started on January 5, 2020 and ended early on March 15, 2020 due to COVID-19. I studied at both Arcadia University in London and the London College of Fashion. During my time abroad I spent time in England, Hungary, France, Spain, Monaco, Austria, and the Netherlands.
2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?
The lessons that I have learned during my study abroad experience will be fundamental in my future academic, personal, and professional endeavors. Living in a foreign country has caused me to become the most culturally aware I have ever been. I come from a small, suburban town in California with little diversity. By living and traveling internationally, I was exposed to a broader cultural point of view that I would not have been able to experience otherwise. I was also able to broaden my cultural point of view in my academics while in London. I was able to collaborate with local and international students, develop new perspectives surrounding the international fashion world, and learn the importance and power of differing cultures between peers.
Along with becoming more culturally aware, I have become more independent. Moving to a foreign country alone, not knowing anyone, was the most nerve-racking yet rewarding decision of my life. I was forced to seek out new opportunities and resources that I would not be comfortable doing while home. I was faced with new challenges that I had to solve by myself, helping me grow independently. I have gained a new form of confidence that will help me in my last years of college and in my life going forward.
By getting my program cut short due to COVID-19, I gained a new appreciation for each day. I realized that It is important to live each day like it is my last and to always appreciate what we have in the moment. My abroad experience was the best three months of my life that I will cherish forever. I will forever be grateful for the people I met, the memories I made, the places I travelled to, and the lessons I learned.
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?
While studying at the London College of Fashion, I had classmates from various different countries. One of my professors alone has lived in London, Madrid and Milan. My classmates were from the United States, France, Sweden, China. Having different cultural backgrounds than my classmates was a once and a lifetime opportunity that I will remember forever. Being in a group with two girls from Paris for my Visual Merchandising class was intimidating to me at first, but we were able to use our cultural differences to our advantage and learn from each other for the duration of the semester.
A monumental step in becoming more independent was during my trip to Nice, France. I decided to take a different flight home to London than the friends I was traveling with, as it was the cheaper option. Their flight took off to London minutes before my flight got cancelled. I was stuck in a foreign country alone, not knowing the language or what to do. I had to tackle this challenge all by myself and trust myself that I could figure it out. Being able to overcome this challenge gave me more confidence in myself as well as independence.
Living in the global city of London, I often experienced culture shock. The common stereotype placed on the United Kingdom revolves around wealth and a class system. This is not what I experienced. Through one of my courses, we visited various diverse neighborhoods within London and analyzed them. Whether it be through these field visits or my own travels, I became more culturally aware each day while abroad.
A big surprise to me while studying abroad was the way classes were taught. In America, we are taught to memorize information for an exam and are not forced to utilize the information we learn. In London, they do not give exams often. In each of my classes, we were given practical exercises to truly immerse ourselves in the course material. I was able to retain the information at a deeper level than I have before.
4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?
The lessons that I am able to take away from my study abroad program are fundamental in all areas of my life going forward. While traveling abroad, I gained a new perspective on how people express themselves in regions outside the United States. I plan to use this new perspective while working towards my degree to have a broader point of view that is relevant to a larger group of people. Living in and travelling to foreign countries, where I constantly conversed with my peers, taught me more about the world around me than I could ever learn back home.
Becoming more independent during my time abroad will be not only help me in my future academic endeavors, but my professional life going forward. Along with becoming more independent, I was able to improve my resourcefulness, confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills. I can confidently say that due to my time abroad, I have become the best version of myself. Everything that I have learned in my three short months abroad will be monumental to my future professional, academic, and professional life.
Regent St, London (Outside London College of Fashion)
Tower Bridge, London
London Eye