Reflection

When I was applying for colleges I was still quite uncertain about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, let alone after graduation. I thought that being the youngest would mean that I could see what my family would pursue and get a vision from their experiences, but everyone else in my family also seemed to lack direction. This was such the case that nearly all of my family opted to join the military. All I knew was that I did not want to go down the same path as them.

Traveling has always been my dream. I knew I wanted to find a career that would take me far from where I was raised. I grew up in a diverse community and was aware from a young age that things were not done the same everywhere. Some things I learned early was that some countries have less freedom and some countries have very few immigrants. I find joy in learning about how and why a certain cultural practice was created. I loved hearing stories from my friends' parents about their countries and cultures and how it brought them joy to think back on their times there. Unfortunately for my dreams, my family did not have the means to afford to travel, so we did not often leave my hometown. This led to my exploration of the world through books and vlogging. I enjoyed reading about and watching videos of all these amazing places and it inspired me to pursue an international career.

During my undergraduate years, not only did I internationalize my degree by involving myself with campus organizations or taking classes related to Asia, but by studying abroad and volunteering with students on exchange. During the summer of my junior year, I decided to study abroad in Taipei, Taiwan at the National Taiwan University through CET in order to further my Chinese language study. During my time in Taiwan, I found that people were more focused on the community and that they took the time to care for others. I was fond of how efficient society was and operated. Looking back at my experience in Taiwan, meeting so many amazing people, and exchanging culture and language, I hope I gave and received knowledge to be kept for a lifetime.

Since my sophomore year, I have volunteered with the English Language Institute at the University of Florida as a Conversation Partner. I am paired up with an exchange student every semester in order to help them practice their conversational English. During this time, I also actively participated in the Cultural Immersion Program (CIP) activities and met a larger variety of individuals. I learned that in South Korea, there are specific titles that only a girl would speak and then titles only a male would speak when addressing their peers.

Prior to my experience with the region, I only had a general interest in Asia because of how little I learned about it in school. I remember history classes were always focused on Europe and Africa. After my cultural exchanges, I fell in love with East Asia and my desire to travel and work abroad became focused in that region.

By internationalizing my degree and with every lesson that I have gained from these international experiences, I have started to become self-aware and confident in who I am and who I desire to be. At this moment, I have come to realize that all my hard work and effort have begun to make sense. These international experiences, exchanges, and opportunities that I have pursued, and will continue to pursue, have been leading me toward my future and are guiding the inspiration for my career.