When I was a kid I had a giant world map that hung above the headboard of my bed. Every night before going to sleep, I would stare at the map, memorising the countries, their capitals, and their flags. Looking at that map, I imagined myself in each of those places, meeting the people who live there, learning their language, eating their food, and coming to know their culture.

 

Even before coming to The University of Florida and having the opportunity to focus my education with a global perspective, I had a fairly international upbringing. My mother’s side of the family is English, in fact my mum only became a United States citizen a couple of years ago. She moved around a lot as a child, mostly in Ghana, because my grandfather was in The Royal Air Force, and later to the Middle East for her own career. My father is a second generation American, with his family coming from Germany. Like my mother, he too moved around quite a bit as a child (this grandfather worked for the US Navy and NASA) and later as an adult in Asia, Latin America, and North Africa and the Middle East. In fact, my parents met in Kuwait.

 

After they met and had my brother and I, their travel only slowed down a little bit. During my childhood we spent time living in Louisiana, where my brother and I were both born, in New York, in Wales in the United Kingdom, where I have some of my fondest memories of my childhood and some of my oldest friends, and in Sardinia, Italy, where I learned to swim and even picked up a bit of Italian. We eventually settled down in Florida so that my brother and I could have a bit more stability as we entered high school.

 

As you can see, international travel and a multicultural lifestyle are both in my blood. For as long as I can remember I have wanted a career that not only allows me to live and work abroad, but one that truly provides those opportunities. The University of Florida and the International Scholars Program have both helped me to realise that dream.

 

Through my study of global coursework, multiple international experiences, and learning foreign languages, I have become a more globally aware citizen. My internationally focused courses have taught me to think critically about different global and cultural issues; my experiences studying abroad have afforded me opportunities to encounter first-hand the different people, places, and problems of the world; and by studying two foreign languages, I have developed my ability to communicate effectively with, and better understand, members of other cultures.

 

I have had countless wonderful experiences through The University of Florida and the International Scholars Program. However, if you asked me for just one that I think best summarises how far my international education has come, it would have to be this:

 

At the end of my seven weeks in China during the summer of 2015, I spent a week in Beijing with some of my friends from the program to see the city and its numerous tourist attractions. One night, after dinner, we were walking around Tiananmen Square and enjoying the crowds of tourists and the beautiful lights of the square.

 

While we were walking, one of my friends noticed a Chinese security guard trying to explain something to a Western family without having much success. As we got closer, we overheard the guard asking other locals if any of them spoke “Xibanyawen”: Spanish. Knowing I spoke Spanish, my friends all looked at me encouraged me to go help them out, so I walked over and explained to the guard that I spoke Spanish. I then acted as a translator for the Chinese guard and the Spanish family, successfully helping them to ask their questions and ultimately find their hotel and the Forbidden City.

 

It might not sound like a huge deal, but quite a lot of my international studies went into that encounter. I was in a foreign country, communicating with two very different foreign cultures, and speaking two foreign languages, and I effectively communicated with both in order to solve an issue. This example might have been a relatively low-stakes translation to help some tourists find their hotel, but it all felt so comfortable and reinforced the kind of work I hope to be doing after college.

 

I believe that through an extensive international education, multiple experiences abroad, and learning foreign languages, The University of Florida and the International Scholars Program have prepared me for an international, globalised career.

 

At this point I am considering career paths with international organisations, such as multinational corporations or NGOs, and the United States Foreign Service. I am also open to other suggestions and offers that would provide similar international opportunities.