- Political Science Major
- Minors in Criminal Justice and International Studies
- International Educator
- Study Abroad Student
What was your international education experience like?
I started my undergraduate career in 2012 with a dream to study abroad, but as a first-generation college student from a low-income family, my prospects seemed dim. My freshman year, I didn't know how I could possibly pay for a trip abroad, let alone afford to study in another country. My financial responsibilities made it difficult to entertain the idea that I could achieve my goals.
Self-doubt is a powerful, crippling emotion. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was selling myself short. I assumed I was being realistic; it was better to accept my fate than work unnecessarily hard for an improbable outcome. In one year I talked myself out of studying abroad. Self-doubt caused me to make excuses instead of find solutions.
Graduation rolled around faster than I thought it would and by my junior year, I felt lost. One day, I sat down and wrote a list of my long-term and short-term goals. In bold letters, study abroad stared me in the face. I’d be lying if I said I no longer felt self-doubt when I solidified my goals in writing. The difference was I decided to stop letting the word “no” dictate my life. I quit calling study abroad a dream because it wasn’t a dream.
My grandmother always told me, “Make a plan and work the plan.” Study abroad was a plan and I was going to work it! If one program did not work for me I looked for another. I started to consider questions such as whether I wanted to satisfy credits for my major or my gen-ed requirements while abroad. I looked for shorter programs because I knew a semester or year-long program was not a feasible option for me due to work. I set a budget and searched for programs that fit in my budget. I applied for scholarships and I wrote essays. I bookmarked programs that gave me the option to apply my financial aid to the cost. If a program included meals, airfare and/or housing it became a top contender on my list. If it did not, I let it go.
I am proud to say my plan worked. In May of 2017, I studied abroad for the first time in Costa Rica on a faculty-led program. The opportunity to learn biology in the rainforest vs. a classroom was an invaluable experience. I gained a better understanding of the world. I made lifelong friends. I discovered new and exciting foods. However, the greatest lesson I learned while studying abroad is I can do anything I set my mind to. I found myself again through leaving my comfort zone, and if you ask me, you can’t beat that. This newfound confidence led me to study abroad a second time in Eastern Europe, and later work as a Student Ambassador for my alma mater. Post-graduation, I joined the the field of International Education as a Study Abroad Advisor where I've been able to participate in a unique opportunity as an On-Site Program Coordinator for a faculty-led program in Scotland & Northern Ireland.
In my current role as Santa Clara's Study Abroad Advisor, I pay my experiences forward by working with students to develop their own personal, professional, and academic goals for global experiences. This is a blessing, and I love what I do. I can see in real time the difference I'm making in the lives of others. In my spare time you'll find me studying democracy, building my language skills, and volunteering with local environmental groups.
What message do you have to share with students and community members about the importance of international education?
I studied political science, criminal justice and international studies for six years. Every step of the way my immediate family members would ask me what I was studying and I’d be put in awkward situations where I had to justify my decision to pursue a “wasted degree” like political science (their words, not mine). They'd ask, “How are you going to make money doing that?”
The truth is, I chose to study in Eastern Europe in 2018 because I’m deeply concerned about the fate of democracy around the world. I wanted to observe the challenges new democracies like the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine face as they move forward. I also wanted to better understand how polarization is impacting the entire globe, because I was witnessing the impacts it was having in the United States first-hand through living in Ohio, Alabama, and now California.
I want you to know that the people in your life may not understand your decisions to study abroad. That’s ok. They don’t need to. I encourage you to ask yourself what you would you like to know about the world, and pursue those questions with a sense of urgency. We learn, grow, and connect when we step outside of our comfort zones. I by no means became an expert on democracy through my travels, but I did find answers to my questions. For every answer I found, I acquired that many more questions. This is the process of deep learning, and it’s essential to progress. You can’t put a price on the value of education.