How did factors of your identity influence your decision to study abroad?
Photo provided by Kersheral
Coming from a family in which higher education is viewed as an almost non-existent entity, has only served to encourage me to achieve dreams that I would never have dreamed possible. For many years, being a first generation student has hindered my abilities to imagine a life beyond the limited parameters of my family and neighborhood. I did not think that someone like me, from a poverty-stricken and crime-infested community, could have a promising future.
“While in Italy, I am learning about this new culture, and upon my return home, I’ll share these experiences with others.”
Having the chance to study abroad is important to me personally, because growing up as I did, I could only see foreign places on the television. I would look out my window, witness crimes taking place, hear the screams of the sirens, and feel the disappointment. Growing up without adequate financial, emotional, and parental encouragement affected my belief in my ability to travel, to discover other cultures, and to gain competency beyond the confines of my neighborhood. While in Italy, I am learning about this new culture, and upon my return home, I’ll share these experiences with others. My study abroad has enriched my knowledge; expanded my education, and as a result, my perspective of the world.