Global Identities: Assignment 1

Assignment #1

Address the following in this first assignment:

●      Introduce yourself: Home institution, major, living situation (host family, dormitory with other international students, dormitory with local students, other), study (where will you be taking classes—in a local university, a center for international students, etc.), type of internship (if applicable), thing you are most excited about in your host country, and any other information you want to share

●      Goals: Name 2-3 goals you hope to accomplish by the end of your international experience.  Why is each of these goals important to you?

●      Values: Think about your home environment and the people you lived/grew up with.  How did these people and places influence your cultural values, shared beliefs, norms, and customs?  What are some of your deeply held values?  What do you stand for?

●     Career: Below is a list of the top skills that U.S. employers are looking for in college graduates.  The list is based on the 2013 NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) survey.  Identify three of the skills that you hope to improve upon while abroad.  How do you think your international experience will facilitate growth in these skills?

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn Stanton and I am a sophomore at the University of Minnesota: College of Liberal Arts. I plan to major in Psychology and minor in Spanish. Due to the fact that I plan to minor in Spanish, I have decided to study and intern in Toledo, Spain. While abroad, I will be staying in a dormitory with other international students and will be studying at a center for international students: Jose Ortega-Marañón Foundation. I will also be participating in an internship course. I will be interning at either a hospital or an elementary school. Lastly, I would like to share with you that I am more than ecstatic to be apart of this study abroad program. I am excited about a number of things while being in Toledo. A few of these things consist of: the food, the culture, and traveling. I cannot wait to learn and grow as an individual throughout my journey.

The goals that I hope to accomplish by the end of my international experience mainly revolve around growing as an individual. First, I would like to improve my Spanish. In order to do so I will do my best to speak Spanish as much as possible, even if I end up making silly mistakes. Second, I hope to try new things and take in every moment as much as I can. When a friend or classmate suggests that we take a weekend trip to Paris, I would like to grasp the opportunity while I can and enjoy every second of it.

Growing up, my family was—and still is—devoted to our Jewish faith. Every Friday we participate in Shabbat by saying prayers over Challah bread, candles, and wine. My parents taught me that tradition, faith, and togetherness is very important for binding our family together. In addition, my family and friends taught me that being yourself and remembering where you come from is something you must always keep in mind when growing up. Times get tough and remembering that you have a special place to call home where people love and care about you is something that can help you get through the most difficult moments. Valuing family and home is very important to me.

After looking over the list of the top skills that U.S. employers are looking for in college graduates, I identified three skills that I hope to improve upon while abroad. First, I would like to improve my ability to sell or influence others. Second, I hope to improve my ability to work in a team structure. Lastly, I wish to better my ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization. By learning about new cultures and meeting new people, I believe that my experiences abroad will help me to broaden my horizons, ultimately improving these skills. Specifically, when interning abroad I will most likely work in team settings. Through my internship, I will hopefully be able to sell or influence others more, work more efficiently in a team structure, and verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization better.