- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
My step project was participating in the Fisher College of Business International Business Global Lab in Barcelona, Spain. This was a two week long program where we split our time studying Introduction to International Business in the classroom with business and cultural site visits.
- 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.
These past two weeks have transformed the way I think about myself, International Business, and the Spanish culture. We were extremely busy as we packed all Barcelona has to offer in a short period of time and I realized that I am a lot stronger and independent than I thought. I was forced to adjust to a new environment while taking on a workload combined with a demanding schedule. Although I was tired, I lived everyday with no regrets, trying new foods, and trying to learn the dialect of Barcelona, Catalan. I didn’t even realize how far out of my comfort zone I was as I was surrounded by the welcoming culture of the Spanish and supportive Ohio State peers. I grew a whole new perspective on Spain, learning how to live out their culture in their everyday habits. I was surprised to find how much of their history plays a part of the city of Barcelona and how people from all over the world are welcomed with open arms.
- 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 crucial element to me transforming my beliefs was my relationships that I made with my fellow Ohio State peers and the CAPA CEA faculty. All my peers from Ohio State were so ready to lend a hand to everyone. We all bonded over learning new things together and I found it so unique that although we were all different ages, we were all looked at as equal and a family. I can’t imagine next year without the new friendships I made on this trip, and I know that our shared experiences have created a strong bond among us.
The CAPA and CEA staff also gave so much peace of mind which made it so easy to embrace the new opportunities. They were always easily accessible and gave us the perfect balance of guiding our way to new places with free time to enjoy the city as we wanted. The staff worked very hard to ensure that we all remained safe and had access to resources needed in case of any emergency. It was so hard to say goodbye, and we all promised to visit again.
Another element that aided my transformation during this trip was gaining confidence after finally figuring out how to navigate the city. It was difficult to be thrown into the busy schedule of a non-English speaking country at first, but once we figured it out, we realized how big the potential of the city was right in front of us. I will never forget a couple from France coming up to us asking for help in directions and feeling so happy that they thought my friends and I were locals. I felt successful in communicating with others and it was fulfilling to know that we had knowledge of the city enough to help others.
- 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 transformation is valuable to my life because it fulfills the vision of always wanting to study abroad in college. This two-week experience showed me that I am capable of handling a semester on my own, and helped me set future goals for myself that I want to accomplish before graduation.
While I was there, I was able to make numerous business connections over a wide range of industries. I was so impressed with how willing they were to help us continue our education and find goals for ourselves. It has made me want to study deeper into International Business and explore outside of Barcelona.
