Diana Livingston
Pre-Trip
Hi, my name is Diana Livingston. My Major is Elementary Education (K-6). I enrolled in this course because I enjoy international travel and learning about different cultures, experiencing new adventures, and thinking beyond the everyday horizons of life. This will also give me an opportunity to do my research for my Schreyers Honors thesis, as I incorporated an international component to my thesis questions.
I think this course is unique in the way it brings students and faculty together in a 15-day adventure and learning opportunity. Many colleges and Universities don't have these types of experiences available for students and I think this course is going to allow us all to become better global citizens. As many of the students traveling are Elementary Education Majors, I can't wait to see how this trip influences and changes our beliefs about teaching and allows us to see how other countries approach education on various levels.
Before the trip, the course met once a week for the last half of the semester and I feel as if that has given us time to bond together as a class before heading overseas. I'm a busy individual - being a Schreyers Scholar, taking on -average 21 credits, and being involved in many of the clubs and activities on and off campus - and this course has challenged me to become even more savvy with my time management. The course encourages you to become interested in the German culture and languages, which has been fun to learn about.
Post-Trip
I see myself as a global citizen and academic ambassador, one who's responsibilities is to share what I've learned through the entire trip with others so that they will appreciate people's similarities and differences with more open mind. Not only will I share my experiences with what I've learned and observed with people in my classes, but also with people around campus who I may not have another reason to interact with (people in the MPR, people I meet in Tully's, etc.). Not only will this help me generate a better campus culture but also spread awareness of a foreign country and its beliefs, economic systems, and other areas of interest.
Whether the trip had the same schedule or was slightly changed, I would definitely go on it again. I enjoyed the trip and learning experiences, but like we talked about on the trip, every time you go somewhere, there's always something new to see and experience that you hadn't been aware of before. There would be other students and other things to observe, nothing would be the same as this trip was. I would also encourage other education majors to consider the trip, as I want other students who have as great and invaluable learning experience as I had. The whole trip was wonderfully exciting opportunity that I want others to have and learn from.