20/20 Vision by Claire

20/20 Vision by Claire - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Imagine viewing an adolescent male leopard stalking a young impala for his dinner (a type of gazelle) whilst a hyaena lurked in the background waiting to pounce on the remains of the impala carcass. Seeing the dread in the impala’s eyes and the hunger in the leopard’s made me feel a primal sense of fear and anxiety as the leopard brushed by our open-aired jeep.

Your senses are involved when you embark on these journeys. When you breathe in the cool air as the sun begins to set and the entire sky turns fiery orange in color. The thousands of stars begin to shine with the absence of light. This sky will allow you to make memories that will last forever. When you read a book or watch a documentary you aren’t able to feel those same emotions nor utilise all five of your senses.

My family has a love for travel. I have lived abroad for the past three years in Sydney, Australia. My view of the world has vastly changed since living down under. I have been able to ride elephants in Thailand, herd kangaroos on ATVs in Central Australia, glide on camels across the red desert in the outback, and discover the tiny island treasure of Mauritius. Through this experience I have visited countries that before I could not even locate on a map. While visiting these countries a piece of my heart has been left behind with the native people. Becoming invested in their culture and lives I want to live there.

But, even more fulfilling has been the opportunity to live in Australia. As opposed to a vacation for few weeks, when it is your permanent home for a period of time you become fully invested in your new life. You become separated from your previous life. You locate an apartment, a grocery store, the bank and forge an alternate future. This is why every college student should be required to participate in a study abroad.

You learn to value friendships and experiences over material possessions. You realize how truly blessed you are in comparison to others. You desire to give back and to do more with your life. As the years of college are some of the most selfish years in a person’s life, undergoing a reality check of sorts is a necessity. By experiencing this world you learn concepts that would never be able to be taught in a classroom. You develop essential life attributes of compassion, determination and vision. And most importantly you are able to discover who you are. This is why every college student should be required to do a study abroad.