Reflection on my time in Globe
Since I joined VCU Globe during my second semester of my freshman year, I have experienced so many life-changing opportunities and moments of personal growth. I’ve learned valuable skills that will help me to become a competent global citizen and contribute to the diverse world I will be entering after I graduate at the end of this year. Living in the Globe building with all of my classmates and the international students has honestly been one of the major factors that enhanced my experience at VCU. I am also very happy that I chose to earn the Peace Corp Prep certificate since, in the beginning, I was unsure if it was something geared towards someone like me but now, after a few years interacting with the international students and minority communities, I know it was a great choice. This whole experience has been very eye-opening.
When I joined Globe, I was told there were certain things I was going to achieve and certain skills I would be expected to learn. At first, I thought it was going to be challenging; I thought “How do you teach someone to become a cultural broker and global citizen?” While I was right about it sometimes being challenging, I underestimated how important I would find these subjects and how exciting it was to actually learn these skills. I now feel much more confident in exchanging cultures with people from much different background than myself. Before, I was quite clumsy when talking about my culture with people who had different cultures but after my GLED classes, I have gained skills in cultural exchange and learned important ways to broker between cultures. I have also had the exciting opportunities to be ambassadors/friends with students who come to VCU with these different backgrounds. I was able to interact closely with visiting students from Japan, learning about their lives and cultures while sharing my own. It was a very enjoyable experience to associate so closely with these students, especially when we were away from the academic setting since that was when some of the biggest sharing occurred; when we were all comfortable and simply talking! It was such a culture shock coming to VCU but I learned that I actually love being able to hear so many people’s cultural perspectives. Interacting with so many different cultures was also a striking way to introduce myself to the many levels of identity and injustice in the world and, even after I leave Globe, I will continue to be invested in these interactions.
In addition to working with individuals from different cultures, my experience with my GLED classes have also provided me with personal skills to be a better global citizen. I have learned so much about human right and issues revolving around globalization and social justice. I have learned of the need to be vastly critical of news sources and to have initiative in seeking out reports of events in the world. I am much better at understanding now that countries and governments can be bias in their ideas of human rights, and of the duty of global citizen to take part in these important conversations. This need for individuals like myself to take initiative in global leadership is vital to creating a culturally connected future, like the kind we spoke about in GLED lectures. Through the engagement activities required to be an active Globe student, I was pushed outside of my comfort zone and was able to learn because of it. I began to understand that becoming a global citizen required constant learning and an open mind; it required me to be patient in understanding the decision making of others as a lot of those decisions had a cultural background. These activities I participated in also allowed me to practice being a leader by relaying the info to my fellow students and by helping them expand their own repertoire of abilities since they were also striving to become global citizens and leaders.
When I sit back and think about it, I have grown so much from a personal standpoint as well as an academic standpoint. For my GLED 301 class, I was partnered with Falling Creek Middle School to be a teaching assistant in a joint IEP/ESL classroom and honestly, I probably learned more from those kids than I ever taught them. I personally started to see more of the challenges and processes these kids had to go through simply because their English wasn’t “at standard level” or because they didn’t read at their grade level. This translates so similarly to my experience in the ESL program here at VCU. I worked with those students while I was getting certified to be a TEFL teacher and I truly believe I was able to grow as a person from simply listening and interacting with them. Still, I would have to say the biggest life-changing experience I’ve had in Globe for personal growth has to be my trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with Ms. Ingber. Traveling to Mexico for 5 weeks was the first time I had been out of the country for that long and to be immersed in such a different culture really allowed me to self-reflect and come to terms with my own cultural identity. Once again, I am so sure I learned more from the students I was teaching simply by being able to be a part of their lives for 5 weeks. Interacting with all the community members also put into perspective my feeling about the available opportunities for people. I would have to say it definitely cemented my decision to continue volunteering in the future.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to take GLED 302 yet since I spent last semester studying abroad in Australia. That was also a wonderful experience but more because it allowed me to exercise my independence. I plan of participating in the Spring break trip and earning my 302 credits there so even though it won't be with my same community partner, I feel it will still be a worthwhile experience. Even though I haven’t completed my Globe studies, I have many plans on using my experiences for my future goals! I have known I’ve wanted to do the Peace Corps since my freshman year but after my time in Globe, I feel much more prepared for the challenge. Earning the Peace Corp Prep Certificate was a great choice for my future even if it wasn’t a certain choice at the time. To earn the certificate, I was required to do some foreign language which in turn led me to pursuing a Spanish minor. My skill with this language will undoubtedly help me in my future plan to volunteer and also in the workforce. I also was able to make many useful connections through my work in the community. I think the professional skills I learned from class and from engagement will be invaluable for my future success.
All in all, joining VCU Globe was one of the best decisions I could have made for my academic career. I’ve made so many connections, both personal and professional. I now have friends around the world and professors I can rely on. I always advocate for younger students to join Globe if they are at all interested in travel, culture, volunteering, or simply bettering themselves in a growing world. I have introduced several freshmen to Globe this semester alone and they all seem so interested in a program with such a high personal and profession payoff. I strongly support any student who want to strive to become a global citizen to join Globe so it can change their lives like it has changed mine.
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