Reflection
From middle school up until my time at Florida International University, I studied the Arabic language to the best of my ability. While my resources were slim, I made do with what I was given, and still made a phenomenal experience out of it. I never imagined I would ever reach the point of having a conversation with my grandmother, who knows not a word of English, until I studied at FIU. I proceeded to conquer my third language – Spanish – from the beginning of high school up until this point and have had the joy of applying my skills in my jobs and daily life while residing in Miami. While it is a common tongue, it presented to me an eloquence that could not be ignored, and I knew I must continue my perseverance in the language.
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The non-governmental organization I took part in a few years prior to attending FIU had to be what set my fate and changed me forever. Meeting with international college students from all parts of the globe in Alexandria, Egypt gave me a new understanding of the international connection that resides amongst us all. We thoroughly discussed issues that we, as a people, had in common, and found that we shared many alike. This experience taught me to understand foreign countries more, along with their struggles as well as mine. It led me to a self-discovery like none other.
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The Global Learning program inspired me to learn even more about a variety of cultures. Without this program, I may not have learned to step out of my comfort zone to find out new things about this world. I had shockingly taken on the minor of religious studies to accompany my major of international relations, and the two seemed a great fit (contrary to the warning of avoiding the topics all of my life). Should I have not participated in the Global Learning, I would not have had the pleasure of meeting so many fascinating and diverse groups of people. Along with this, for my final year at FIU, I had decided to step out of everything I knew and take on my fourth language: Japanese. Learning this language has been a severe complication in my life, but considering my immense passion for languages, it served more as a challenging hobby than an annoyance. It has taught me many things not just about the Japanese language, but about the region itself, along with how much I am capable of. These four years have truly been a remarkable honor, and it is certainly all thanks to the Global Learning Medallion program. While my time as an undergraduate has come to an end, I hope to never stop learning and allowing myself to be culturally and linguistically aware, especially in my journey as an interpreter.
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As a child, I began to grow an awareness to who I really was. I did not see other cultures, nor did I ever understand them. By the time I reached the first grade, I discovered that I had an Egyptian background, along with a Czechoslovakian mix from my mother’s side. At the time, I did not understand what this meant. Having foreign roots did not quite make sense to me. When I heard my grandmother in Egypt speak to me over the phone for the first time, I had the upmost mesmerizing yet bewildering emotions coming to life. Although I did not understand it at the time, it was then that I began my cultural and global journey and passion.
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Following these discoveries came middle school, when I met my best friend at the time. She was Peruvian, of a culture that seemed so far off from mine, yet our cultures always found ways to connect. I mingled happily with the Hispanic lifestyle, trying their foods and welcoming a new foreign tongue that I was not familiar with, just as I was still not too fluent with Arabic. The two of us often compared our cultures and traditions growing up, and found that while we are unique, we are not as different and had many things in common. This - I identified – was what made languages and cultures remain in a special place in my heart.
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Since that time, I have grown even further as each day passes to learn more out of what I know; to leave my comfort zone and discover the newest wonders that exist within the various people of this world. No matter how big or small the country, or how spoken or not spoken the language, we are all human beings with our own stories. It is because of this that it has been my dream, my passion, and my inspiration to be able to share these human’s voices if they are not able to. It is my upmost desire to assure that every story is heard. We must stick together throughout our struggles and hardships.