Unpacking My Global Learning 

If I were to describe my first impression of university right after high school, it felt like going from being a small fish in a cozy tank to suddenly being dropped into the vast ocean. I feel privileged to testify that I am growing into the person that a younger me would be proud of. As I approach the end of my undergraduate career, it seems necessary to take this moment to reflect on where I was, where I’ve been, and where I am headed. I used to be afraid of how big the world was and how it was like climbing over a mountain that had no peak. However, with time and trials, I realized that the world and what it has to offer are opportunities not to be passed up on.

 

From my first semester at Florida International University, I knew that this was my chance to grow and make my mark. I saw that FIU was home to a melting pot of cultures where people from all around the world interacted. The university is a place for intellectual, cultural, social and political dialogue where individuals and communities can shape the conversations of today. I wanted to take part in this dialogue, and being a history major was the perfect channel for this aspiration. I learned about the Global Learning Medallion program after speaking with a fellow classmate who attended the Tuesday Times Roundtable with me. After joining, I felt myself catapulted into this world of global perspective, awareness, and engagement.

 

With a profound passion for religious studies and the intersection between religion and society, I applied to the Inter-Religious Dialogue Fellowship of the Religious Studies Department. The fellowship was titled, Bridging the Divide: Religious Leadership and Literacy for the 21st Century. My cohort was essentially a multi-faith leadership initiative where we discussed inter-faith issues on the local, regional, and global level. Our group consisted of atheists, agnostics, Christians, Catholics and Jews. This allowed for areas of disagreement and serious ideological, theological, and social divide. However, throughout our time together, we learned to see beyond our religious affiliation and sought to reconcile these divides. Our fellowship was in a sense a mirror or reflection of the world and the socio-religious tension that characterizes the climate. I personally experienced internal conflict and found it challenging to step outside my comfortable worldview. Fortunately, learning from my fellow classmates and hearing their perspectives and conceptions helped me to look at the world in different lenses. It was a life-changing experience that has taught me to be open-minded and not stubborn to the evolving nature of society.

 

Another eye-opening experience was my study abroad trip to Europe, specifically Italy, Germany, and Austria. To offer a little bit of background, I worked at the time at the Office of Education Abroad at FIU. Working here exposed me to the truly global nature of FIU, where students from all over the world wish to study at our school. This inspired me to not just sit behind a desk with my nose stuck behind a computer screen, but to explore the world that was just out of reach. So, I took a leap and did something I never in a million years thought I’d do. I applied to a faculty-led study abroad program with Professor Magda Pearson. The program, titled, The Magic of Christmas markets, took me to places where I’d only seen in the movies. The program course introduced us students to the traditional Christmas markets of South Tyrol and Bavaria. These markets reproduce a Christmas fairytale atmosphere and attract thousands of tourists every year. It is a feast not only of festive items, but also of artisan products, music, local food and the spicy vin brule’. We had the opportunity to discover a region in Italy that is not usually included in the “traditional” study abroad route and, at the same time, wander in the romantic road of Bavaria that led to the historically enchanting Neuschwanstein Castle that has inspired numerous fairytales, appeared in several movies, and serves the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle. My number one takeaway from this experience was the history of the German- speaking minority in Northern minority. My group and I realized this as we entered the area and explored the city. There was the oddest, yet interesting fusion of German and Italian culture and cuisine. As the history major in the group, I took it open myself to learn that this region of South Tyrol was the former Austrian territories annexed by Italy after the First World War. German is co-official language in the entire region of South Tyrol, which forms one of the 110 provinces of Italy. Many German-speaking South Tyroleans do not speak Italian natively. A much smaller group, made by Carinthians’, is in Friuli, close to the border with Austria. Both groups speak an Austro-Bavarian dialect. We spoke with local people of the area and were fortunate to grasp their perspectives on their history. It was a profound learning experience that I hope to have again, and is the driving force of my aspirations, which is to engage with the world and find the connection between history and culture.

 

Lastly, I would like to touch on my global engagement and how I found myself pursuing a career that fulfills this concept of being willing to engage in local, global, international, and intercultural problem solving. While interning at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, I had the opportunity to meet with people from all over the world. My role as a visitor engagement intern allowed me to speak with not only local, but international audiences who came to the museum. I conversed with individuals ranging from multiple nationalities such as Koreans, Italians, Germans, Russians, and many others. I got to hear their stories, and we compared life experiences. I remember a conversation that I had with a young girl my age who was from China. She was studying abroad at the University of Miami and we actually ended up becoming friends.

 

I also recall my internship at the Perez Art Museum here in Miami where I worked alongside the curatorial team. I was tasked with overseeing the affairs of Caribbean Cultural Institute, an online platform where artists and scholars from all over Latin America can find a space for their art and ideas. The CCI develops research and scholarship on the museum’s current holdings and promotes the growth of its Caribbean art collection. I helped in the organization of the Critical Writing Workshop which was part of CCI’s ongoing effort to support and generate spaces for self-reflection and collective learning rooted in Caribbean perspectives and experiences. With works from artists from the diaspora, insular, and continental Caribbean, I noted how the museum’s collection nurtures a cross-cultural approach to Caribbean art and acknowledges both its diversity and its specificities. My time here as had a big impact on my future goals to enter the museum space myself and take part in scholarship.

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So, as I close this chapter of my college experience, I can only express in the best way possible, what the Global Learning program at FIU has offered me. It is difficult to sum up in words all that I have learned. From the weekly Tuesday Times Roundtable, to volunteering at HistoryMiami CultureFest 305, to the Christmas markets of medieval villages in Bavaria, global learning is reflected in all walks of life. After completing my undergraduate studies, I intend to pursue graduate school to further my research interests and advance on my path toward becoming a part of the next generation of historians. My ultimate goal is to attain a faculty position as a professor of history or religious studies at an accredited university. As a grow in my understanding of global learning, I also grow in my appreciation for the the global initiatives of FIU. The Global Learning initiatives provided me with opportunities to develop cross-cultural competence, language skills, and personal growth and development. I’m committed to working hard and learning more—not only to contribute to the well-being of the world but also to make my future self proud.

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