Overall, I feel that my second year at OSU was very productive both inside and outside of the classroom. I was very busy not only with classes, but also with my second year project for my scholars program, International Affairs. For my project, I participated in a mentoring program for refugees and had an amazing experience. In the classroom, I feel that I’ve been able to expand my knowledge and outlook on many different issues. Because of this, I feel that I have grown as a student and a citizen. Now, more than ever, I feel focused and prepared to take on my goal of becoming an international social worker and I couldn’t have asked for more from the year.
Month: April 2017
Second Year International Affairs Project
For my second year project for my scholars group, I decided to volunteer for the local non-profit Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS). I was a mentor through their community mentoring program. For this program, I was paired with a family of Somali refugees and acted as a mentor for them for around six months. Each week I would go to their house for hour long meetings. I would help the kids with their homework if they needed it and other times we would practice their English pronunciations. Overall, it was an amazing experience. I feel that I learned a lot about the refugee experience and Somali culture. I also feel that I gained valuable experience that will aid as I pursue a career in international social work.
The Problem with Inspirational Narratives
inspirational artifact -23b0jb8
This spring semester, I took an English writing class that focused on the disability experience in the U.S. One of the topics we discussed is how inspirational narratives that center around disability can often be problematic. For this assignment, we had to locate an inspirational artifact and analyze it and its messages. I decided to do my analysis on a newspaper article telling the story of a recent autistic high school graduate. In my analysis, I concluded that the article offered an honest portrayal of autism that details techniques used to lessen the challenges that come with autism, describes a supportive community, and offers a platform for the individual to share his voice.