Global Experiences
Through psychology and business I have continued to learn the importance of understanding diverse perspectives and having international awareness.
I am on track to graduate as an International Scholar of UF, a distinction that marks a student's dedication to international engagement and experiences during undergraduate study.
Below you can see more about my love for learning about and interacting with the unique cultures that make up our wonderful world.
Study Abroad: Dublin, Ireland
Summer 2023
One of my best friends had mentioned the idea on the way to the gym one day, almost in a offhand comment: "I'm starting a study abroad application, you should come with me". Taking her offer seriously would lead to one of the most enriching, independent, and exciting experiences of my college life--studying abroad through the Heavener School of Business's partnership with Dublin Business School (DBS). We lived in Dublin, Ireland for two and a half months, traveling on weekends, working internships in the city, and taking coursework both with DBS in person and UF online. I always had wanted to study abroad, and just needed that final push in the form of someone to go with.
I have always loved traveling and been privileged to have the opportunity to with my family, but living abroad was a completely new experience. I had never traveled so far and for so long without my family but I felt strangely ready rather than nervous. It was an opportunity to stretch my independence, see what I could do alone, and to keep exploring new things. My favorite part was definitely getting to travel across Europe and Ireland on breaks. I got to see Croatia, Scotland, the UK, Portugal, and many spots along the Irish coastline. I loved seeing the variety in cultures, cityscapes, museums, history, and art.
We went with 30+ other UF business students, one of would become another one of my best friends today. Having a community familiar with your experience was a major support system. I was able to meet new friends not only abroad but also from my home school.
This experience showed me that travel will always be a key aspect of my life, and that I have the independent spirit to be able to do so all around the world!
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International Internship
School Street & TCB Family Resource Centre
While studying abroad, I was matched through the business school with an internship in my area of interest. In terms of business interests, I have always wanted to work in nonprofits or mental health services. Therefore, Heavener matched me with the School Street & TCB Family Resource Centre as a business management intern. This centre offered subsidized childcare, parent-child therapies, and career/parenting support to the surrounding community in West Dublin.
There, my role supported the family resources offered as a business intern working in office and also a field trip and daycare worker. I went from filing, creating Excels to track program participants/waitlists, and learning about the business model one day to wrangling kids from ages 6-13 during field trips and everyday activities the next.
One of my favorite memories was when I accidentally deescalated a fight because I couldn't understand what one of the kids was saying because of his thick North Dublin accent, which he thought was hilarious. I also loved working with the younger children, because they always had such wonder when going on field trips and seeing parts of Dublin they hadn't experienced before. The office work was easy as a business student, but working with the children could get hard. It is here that I think my interest in developmental psychology really began to blossom.
International Coursework
Another unique experience given to me through studying abroad was taking courses at a foreign institution, Dublin Business School. Most interesting was taking Irish Life & Business, where we learned about Ireland not only from a historical lens but also an industrial one. This course made me realize how little I knew about the history of countries all around the world, even one as Western and connected to the USA as Ireland.
I learned about the Troubles, Irish Independence, Northern Ireland, Irish Industries, and more. I continued to be surprised about how little I knew about the country I decided to live in for a summer. It was amazing to learn about the history of the country while in its capital, as we could simply walk the streets after class and see the very history that was lectured on that day. When learning about famine, we could walk along the River Liffey and see statues dedicated to lives lost. We could learn about Ireland's economical development and look outside the window at how the city's architecture and layout were affected by it. Even my internship, which was placed in a less wealthy side of town connected to the struggles we learned about in class. I could see the current implications of economic downturns and issues that happened over 15 years ago.
Language Learning
After taking Spanish courses in the middle and high school settings, having to take another language course in college was at the very bottom of my desires. If I hadn't added a psychology major and become a dual degree student, I am sure I wouldn't have taken another language class ever again. Now, I fantasize about one day being able to have the funds and time to take a Spanish class again.
What changed? My psychology major was in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where having two foreign language credits was required. I chose Spanish because it seemed easiest and the most useful, and am so glad that I did. Both my professor for Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 cared about us learning and interacting with this language in a way I did not get to experience before. We were forced to practice every day of class, 3-5 times a week, and had a final exam that consisted of speaking. Assignments were half writing and half speaking...really practicing mattered! I found myself no longer bored by the subject but instead fascinated. I needed to be thrown into the deep end to realize how fun and challenging learning a new language could be.
Learning, even on this basic level, a new language reminded me of how much I love writing and grammar and structure. It is so mind bending to think about writing and speaking in a completely new structure. My psychology courses have made this only become more important to me, as we learn about the positive effects of multilingualism on brain recovery, plasticity, and longevity. I regret that I don't get to practice more now without the courses, but am excited for the day I know I will take another in-person class and continue learning at a rapid pace once more. This experience showed me that is a life goal I have.
Choosing Spanish was a great decision for me not only as a Floridian and American but as a partner. A year after taking these courses, I ended up dating a student whose family is from Belize. He grew up around Spanish but is also not fluent. We hope to take classes together once we graduate.
International Scholars Program Reflection
The ISP program here at UF requires as part of the capstone project to write a reflection on my global experiences undertaken during my time here. For a deeper look into what these experiences have meant to me, read it below!
Reflection Here
