Mission Possible by Braxton

Mission Possible by Braxton - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

One of the best experiences that college students will have while in school, is the opportunity to study abroad. It can be one of the best ways to expand your way of learning and broaden your horizons on your personal views. While in high school, I have unfortunately never taken the opportunity to visit another country, however, my sister was recently a part of a missions trip that traveled to Honduras. While in a rural village in Honduras, they installed and repaired water filters into homes that didn't have access to clean water for drinking and washing. This was no simple task, as the filters were challenging at times to get installed or replaced and also required the use of the families much valued personal stores of water. These families had often walked for miles to obtain. She learned a lot in the short time she was there and she shared a lot of what she learned with me. She also came back with the knowledge of how others live with much less and also appreciate. After her trip we have all tried to be more aware of our waste and consider how others live. I feel, that type of knowledge is what you can get out of a study abroad program. Whenever you are taken out of your comfort zone, you have great opportunity for growth. Studying abroad can remove some distractions in your life and It not only allows you to continue your education in a different setting, but it also gives you the opportunity to take away the knowledge and experience of how people live in other countries. It can be very different in other countries and this is certainly not something that is always comfortable to everyone.

Although I feel this is very important to take advantage of these opportunities, I don't believe that every student in college should be required to go and study abroad. As positive of an experience as it is, there are many factors that make it difficult for every student to study abroad. The most prominent, of course, being the cost. A semester abroad, let alone a full year can cost a fortune and can set many students back a great deal. Not only is studying abroad very costly, it also may not translate well with some students. There are a wide range of talented students with different strengths, weaknesses, and confidence. By making the opportunity to study abroad optional, it allows those students to truly set their sights on something they want to do, rather than feeling stressed out about doing it. For me personally, I am not certain I would prefer to study abroad but I do hope that my academic path does take me to a place where the opportunity to service or participate in a missions trip.