Prior to living in Miami I grew up in a small town where everyone celebrated the same holiday, ate the same food, and lived an identical lifestyle. When I was in high school I knew I wanted to reach out of my comfort zone and move out of state for university. Moving to Miami was a huge culture shock, I had the opportunity to meet people from other cultures and learn about their different perspectives on the world. Opening myself up to this alien life was challenging at first. Everything was new and unfamiliar and it made me want to grow my global awareness even more. Which is why in my freshman year at FIU I decided to be a part of the Global Learning Medallion Program. 

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During my time at FIU I was given assignments that allowed me to research information about previous and current global news. In these courses I expanded my global awareness and realized how interconnected our world truly is. Especially in the eyes from a business major, learning about the value chain and seeing how a single event can have a domino effect and disrupt an entire distribution line. Case studies on global news also affected my global awareness, when I learned about the crash of the two Boeing 737 Max Aircrafts in Indonesia and Ethiopia I analyzed how the tragedies of these two aircrafts affected airline industries across the world. 

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It was in my third year that I was able to volunteer at Church World Service and serve as a mentor for youth refugees. During my mentorship my global perspective broadened and as I spoke with mentees from all over the world and heard about their experiences growing up in the countries they once lived in. The mentees I spoke with were open to talking about the struggles they faced as a refugee in the United States. The challenges of pursuing a higher education, finding employment, and acclimating to a new country. It made me realize how fortunate I was to be born in the U.S. 

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Being a part of the Global Learning Medallion program has broadened my perception of the world and helped me become more open-minded. It introduced me to new passions that I wouldn't have discovered on my own and encouraged me to pursue a career in global sustainability and global development. After graduating I will apply the skills that I've learned from the program and use them in my professional and personal life. There is still so much to learn about the world however the Global Learning Medallion program has taught me the necessary skills to expand to my global engagement and become a global citizen. 

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