Studying Abroad and the Fight for World Peace by Margaret

Studying Abroad and the Fight for World Peace by Margaret - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying Abroad and the Fight for World Peace

I live in San Mateo, California, a suburb of San Francisco, located in the tech-crazy Silicon Valley. Children here are taught to strive for Stanford or UC Berkeley, they are told to pursue careers in computer science or engineering, and they are brought up to believe that where they live is the greatest place on Earth. I admire the spirit and comradery of this mindset, but have developed a distaste for the ignorance it carries with it. Many of my peers would never dream of leaving our sunny home of California, much less the United States. This is not necessarily because they dislike other parts of the world, but merely because they feel that California is enough. They have everything they need. They don’t need to experience other places to feel complete. Though this is a sweet sentiment, it is something I believe our society should strive to correct. The beauty of experiencing new cultures and ideas is that it allows us to grow into people we never even dreamed of becoming. By requiring students to study abroad, universities could ensure this growth and aid their students in becoming the most well-rounded, intelligent, creative people they can be. Choosing not to study abroad is choosing not to learn and grow, which is why I believe it should not be a choice. Universities should require all students to study abroad, so that students don’t get the chance to miss an opportunity.
For me, the decision to study abroad has always been clear; I have always planned on traveling abroad as soon as I had the opportunity. My family’s financial state kept me from such an opportunity, but that didn’t vanquish my insatiable need for adventure and discovery. So, when I was given the chance to travel to Heidelberg, Germany as an Au Pair this past summer, I accepted the offer faster than a cheetah chasing its lunch, and I had the trip of a lifetime. Living there for a month, I explored every inch of historic Heidelberg. I learned essential German phrases, appreciated the unique parenting style, met university students, and became a part of the lifestyle and culture there. My experience, though short in the grand scheme of things, changed the way I think and feel; it changed the way I view the world; it changed the way I am.
Thanks to this experience, I have grown into a well-rounded, accepting person, and yet I don’t feel completely fulfilled. I look around at my peers, and I know that many of them will never have the same opportunity, whether it be because of finances or ignorance. Traveling abroad is believed to be a luxury, when in reality it is a necessity. Every beauty queen will remind you that we should try to achieve world peace. While this is a broad, seemingly unattainable idea, it is simpler than one might think. Right now, approximately one percent of all college students choose to study abroad. Only one percent of college students choose to learn about other cultures firsthand. Now imagine a world in which one hundred percent of college students study abroad, where every student is forced to look outside of their own little world, and realize the beauty that lies in the unknown. I have to believe that the world in which we live would be exponentially more accepting of other cultures if this were the case, and the more accepting we are, the less conflict there will be. I recognize that this is a simplified, idealistic view to hold, but I firmly believe that studying abroad would give students the tools and experience they need to be global, compassionate, intelligent leaders. If universities required their students to study abroad, they could save their students from ignorance. They could save the world.