Learning Beyond Borders by Ashli

Learning Beyond Borders by Ashli - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

Studying abroad would completely enrich my college experience. In the area that I live, there is a moderate amount of diversity but one of the things that I hope to get from college is experience interacting with people who are different from me. Living in the United States means that there are many people of different ethnicities but with the tendency to assimilate, it isn't often that I am able to have an "authentic" experience where I can interact with someone unlike me. I’m fond of the idea of immersing myself in another culture and learning about life from their perspective. I think that college is a pace where you should not only learn about yourself and further develop your identity, but also learn about others and really begin to contribute to society.
One of my biggest goals in life is to be multilingual. I have been taking Spanish classes for 5 years but the quality of education isn’t the same as it would be if I had to live the language too. Studying abroad, preferably in a country where Spanish is the primary language could help hearten my studies because it would feel less trivial if it was something that I needed to survive. This would also allow me too feel what life is like for many of the immigrants in the United States who come here for better lives and I struggle to learn the languages and customs of a completely new environment. Studying abroad would teach enhance my academics as well as teach me life lessons necessary to truly appreciate the trouble others go through.
Ultimately, I believe that studying abroad in college would give me experience that I need in my career later on in life. My dream is to be a dentist and plan to practice in the United States, but I also wish to serve a larger community. Growing up in the U.S, I am fortunate to have a lot of resources and good health care. I realize that not even everyone here has these benefits, but the circumstances are still much worse in many developing countries and I hope that once I’ve gained enough experience here I can practice in another country. I think there should be universal healthcare and more than that, everyone should have pride in themselves. Working abroad would allow me to contribute to people who are less fortunate and help them grow into the people they want to see themselves as.
College is an integral part of self-discovery, education, and adulthood. Studying abroad would give me the opportunity to continue to develop the skills I need to be bilingual, teach me about coexisting with people unlike me and respect for their culture, and it would open a door for my life post-graduate life plans.