Taking A Moment to Look Back.
Broaden Your HorizonsI remember when I started my academic career back at Florida International University, I was an emerging transfer Junior bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed with so many goals and aspirations in mind before my graduation date. I remember after my first 2 weeks at Florida International University my to-do list seemed endless, and my direction felt even more misguided. I recall hearing the "International" part in Florida International University, without the words weighing as heavily as they do now. At the beginning of my time at Florida International University, it's safe to say that I was very one dimensional and close minded in what my immediate community felt like. Today, I have learned and respect that my immediate community is the entire globe. |
In The Beginning.
Having grown up in Miami and being raised in such a diverse cultural melting pot, I remember starting off in my first semester at Florida International University and believing that I was well knowledge and well versed in diverse cultures already. I remember believing bank global issues were important but not really believing that those issues where is pertinent to my life as they were two others across the world. It wasn't until I started my global learning journey at Florida International University that the gravity of modern global issues started to weigh heavily on my end and my outlook on the future.
Global Awareness.
My global awareness was truly awakened during my oceanography course which was a global learning course at FIU. Not only did the course entail information about the Biscayne Bay area that was local and even part of the other FIU campus here in Miami; but it also helped to shed light on more global concerns such as the mass coral reef bleaching events, the warming of our waters, the loss of our sea fauna, the decrease in numbers of fish globally, and also the need to stop finning sharks for shark fin soup. My second global learning course known as Myths; Rituals, & Mysticism really helped to awaken my global perspective. This course highlighted spiritual and cultural beliefs found across many diverse cultures all over the globe. Many assignments included collaboration with students from diverse backgrounds and deciphering symbolism found in everyday life from the viewpoints and lens of different societies and cultures.
Global Perspective.
Moving forward in my academic career, I would take on different roles of leadership including Social Media Chair and eventually, Vice President of my National Honor Society for transfer students known as, Tau Sigma. During my time holding these positions, I was able to demonstrate my newly found knowledge on global perspective when considering solutions to complex problems within my organization and all of our culturally diverse members of both the society and the University. Tuesday Times Roundtable sessions, like the EDELAC initiative between FIU and GlobeMed, among other Tuesday Times Roundtable sessions allowed me to gain further global awareness with many diverse topics and countries involved. I also gained valuable knowledge from the sessions that were about advocating for Veteran rights and National first-generation Day, to name a few.
Global Engagement.
In terms of my global engagement, I was able to demonstrate my competency of this element through multiple avenues during my time at Florida International University. I had the honor of working with the Church World Services, or CWS, and the Broward County branch of the organization for their virtual mentorship program and my capstone internship experience for the Global Learning Initiative at FIU. During this time for an average of five hours a week I participated in actively mentoring recent global refugees that had arrived at the United States of America looking to assimilate to their new diverse culture and life. Many of the activities I helped with was professional development, resume-building, career, academics, technology use, and even English lessons, in some cases. As a mentor, it was my responsibility to aid my mentees and provide the tools they needed in order to navigate, succeed, and thrive in a new country. Additionally, I used the knowledge gained from my oceanography course and also decided to show my active global engagement by participating in weekly coastal beach cleanups. Throughout this pandemic there has also been a large increase in families that are experiencing food insecurity, and so I also volunteer with Feeding South Florida to aid and provide food for at risk and low-income families in four different counties. Prior to the pandemic, Feeding South Florida mainly focused on two local counties, however, due to the surge in loss of jobs and income the number being served has more than doubled.
Final Verdict.
These combined activities and the experience as a whole, have helped me to realize the importance of acknowledging our differences and understanding each other’s perspective. It has allowed me to realize that in such a vast world where we think we know and have all the answers - we don’t. Working together while maintaining mutual respect and awareness for the diversity of the world and people around us is just one of the many things I have learned. Consequently, it has also sparked a drive and passion to give back to others and to serve for the greater good in global endeavors. As my time at the Florida International University comes to a close, one thing remains certain and that is my drive for health and my drive to contribute to global perspective, awareness, and engagement. I aspire to earn an OD in optometry and after my schooling and having gained the knowledge to do so I intend on giving back to not only my local community but to my global community. A big part of clinical training during optometry school involves practicing your work at free clinics for low-income families and children. I feel that this is a wonderful way to ‘pay it back forward’ and I intend on holding bimonthly weekends in which eye healthcare screenings would be free to families facing economic challenges. However, this is only on a local scale, and I know that though partnerships with local Colleges of Optometry a global outreach for free eye care screenings to low-income countries would be feasible in time, as well. I am thankful for my newly found outlook on what I define as my community and the future I envision for myself and world. Thank you for joining me on my journey through Global Learning at Florida International University and reflecting with me!
WE ARE ALL Global Citizens & Global Learners for Life!