Study Abroad Legacy
Still talking about your study abroad? Yes — but in a holistic context that is applicable to all major changes in one’s life. This is the study abroad legacy.
‘Reaching out to make a connection takes a second and doesn’t cost you anything. Sharing your story doesn’t impact anyone apart from yourself. The return on investment of compassion and human interatcion is extraordinary… funnily enough we’ll never be able to put a number on it because it’s that unique.’
The danger of a single story.
That was the TEDx talk we watched as a Gen UN group.
I tackled this issue with the MExU Project, and it is still something I think is notoriously corrupting our media, education and general knowledge-sourcing.
Your life might epitomise your success but doesn’t mean you should withhold it and silence others from sharing theirs.
I met up with Maryam today.
She was in the first cohort of Gen UN agents with me in Austin in September 2017.
I arrived back in the UK in December of last year and since then have only seen one other person from Austin.
I expect to see many more as I return to the States in three weeks, but it’s refreshing to see friendly faces on this side of the pond.
Maryam grew up in Karachi, Pakistan and is on ‘indefinite’ study abroad (if you will) at UT Austin.
She spends her summers in London and Karachi.
Her interest is in Law, and she hopes to make a trip over to the UK to study soon enough.
It was great to hear her interests past conversations we had in Austin.
It was almost challenging to imagine speaking to someone from Gen UN in London — I always encouraged people to meet in London whenever they had travel plans, but there were no expectations there.
I think it’s interesting that the people you met on study abroad still want to connect, and are genuinely interested in you and your progress.
You can only project as much of your personality on another person and suppose hope that some of it sticks.
That’s how friendships form and grow.
Study abroad not only gave me perception — it gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in culture.
Maryam’s culture is Pakistani, but she’s lived in the USA for two years now studying so clearly she’s adaptable.
I got to meet some of the best people in Austin, and that’s why I’m so excited to return.
I didn’t just meet people from the USA, but France, Spain, Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Venezuela and the list goes on.
Now, I have global friends.
I’m staying with my French friend while I visit Paris next week.
It’s a great way to explore the world, all because you were in the same situation with absolutely no clue how to survive.
We figured it out — it was getting to know each other and understanding the limits of cultural comprehension.
The people I met from America this semester validate the experience I had in Austin.
The warmth. The kindness. The strength.
I think there is a shadowing misconception of our friends across the Atlantic — and for good reason on some counts — but we shouldn’t generalise for a few stereotypes that we learnt in Hollywood movies.
People will surprise you — in more ways than one — the best thing to do is expect the unexpected.
The only life you can control is your own.
Study abroad taught me to embrace others.
Study abroad taught me more about myself than it did about human nature.
Study abroad legacy.