Global Perspectives
My Experiences Through 4+ Year of Multicultural Learning
https://global.ncsu.edu/meet-the-global-ambassadors-elena-betancourt/
My profile for the Office of Global Engagement's Global Eyes series! Continue scrolling for my collection of blog posts and photos!
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Milan, Italy in front of the Duomo! (May 2019) Sevilla, Spain (April 2019) Paris, France in front of the Eiffel Tower! (March 2019) Amsterdam, Netherlands on the river (February 2019) Frankfurt, Germany in the plaza (July 2016) Granada, Spain near Alhambra - (March 2012)
First photo with some of the Ambassadors, this was taken at the Global Welcome Celebration in August of 2019. The experience was a great way to interact with new international students, and I made friends that I would continue to interact with through other organizations I was a part of, such as CENet. Is that a...gingerbread necklace? Sure is - this was taken at the Global Engagement Night hosted by myself and the Global Ambassadors last September in celebration of the season of Oktoberfest! Hosted in the Student Involvement suite in Talley, we hosted students and led a presentation on the background history and celebration of Oktoberfest as it is celebrated in the world today, and had students paint gingerbread in order to make traditional gingerbread necklaces as worn in the German festivities.
Never did I ever believe applying for universities back in 2015 would I end up where I am today. When considering higher education, I knew my mom was pushing me to pursue a business degree as she had, yet I knew I could not dedicate the next 4 years of college studying something I quite frankly had no interest in. Sorry Corporate America, but I knew I had to pursue my passion for foreign affairs and languages further. Now on the eve of graduating, I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and memories made as a member of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. My classes in CHASS allowed me to gain across a variety of humanities disciplines, from Cultural Anthropology, to Non-Western literature, and even French art and society. Yes - these are all classes I took. But it was my time in my International Relations concentration classes which allowed me to gain further insight in my ever changing role as a global citizen.
I’m fortunate enough to have actually completed most of my Global Relations concentration classes while abroad. I believe this was an extremely unique experience which led me to gain even greater knowledge about foreign affairs from completely different perspectives. My classes abroad were taught by Italian professors, and the classes I took were based on International Relations in the Middle East, Cross Cultural Communication, and The European Union’s Transformation. I was extremely enlightening to take these classes from an international perspective, as major world events were playing out around me during my time abroad, such as Brexit. Coming back I understood that the knowledge I gained was very distinct and valuable, and it inspired my capstone paper written for my International Studies final research class. After learning about the unique circumstances of sovereignty in Middle Eastern nations (most specifically within the MENA region), I was inspired to continue to research the evolution of numerous states’ sovereignties post Arab Spring - which was a topic discussed heavily during my class abroad. It was exciting to present the topic to my class, as many of my peers were not as informed on the extensive evolution the region had been going through over the years. It was rewarding to be able to answer their questions, and I understood the value of the insight I had on such pertinent global events. My ability to discuss and research foreign affairs is something I treasure deeply, as I know that my peers studying other disciplines may not have had as many opportunities to directly focus their studies on international topics, or may not have even chosen to partake in study abroad programs. While these experiences have met everything to me, I know that my growth as a member of the global community is far from over. There is so much more for me to learn, and through continuing to seek opportunities for global growth within myself, I hope to be able to better understand and educate those around me on the vast importance of internationalization and embracing our big, beautiful, multicultural world. It’s almost impossible to go through everyday life without feeling the affect of internationalization in today’s modern world through some aspect. Driving to campus? Your car was manufactured in Japan. Drinking coffee before class? The coffee beans were harvested in Kenya. Going to Spanish class? Your Spanish teacher is originally from Venezuela. There’s incredible value in continuing to understand and appreciate the internationalization that affects your life, and I’ve become more and more eager to learn about the ways my life is constantly being impacted by the global world.
While it may seem like internationalizing your studies may be difficult if one is required to take set engineering, or textile, or education based classes - there are numerous ways to internationalize ones studies without taking courses which incorporate humanities disciplines. One way to do this is getting involved on campus in global organizations or attending global related events on campus. This can range from joining the Spanish club, to attending the International Festival held every spring, or even simply attending the “Taste of Japan” dinner at Fountain one evening. Through participating in these opportunities, one can learn new things about cultures they may not be familiar with, and interact with others. This is something I have valued about my time spent at NC State, as I’ve been able to participate in all these opportunities and more, and countless other acquaintances I have made through my time participating in these events feel the same way about incorporating international experiences into their lives. There is value in acquiring cultural competencies, especially in a world where there cross-cultural methods of communication are abundant and evolving. An internationalized world is our future as Americans and I believe that is something to embrace! I want to continue to learning about the world around me after graduation, and anticipate continuing to travel and explore different cultures. Hopefully my future career will allow me to continue to interact with people with different backgrounds and I will be able to gain insight on their cultures and norms through their experiences. As someone who now has had extensive experiences learning about global cultures both academically and through first hand experiences, I truly believe that the best way to learn and understand different cultural norms and traditions is to experience them. Whether it be what happens in Spain during the siesta nap time, the liveliness of Germany after they win a huge football (soccer) tournament, or the extreme attention that goes into Italian cooking - there’s only so much textbooks can teach you. Prior to understanding more about the countries I visited, unfortunately a lot of my knowledge on their way of life was solely based on what I had learned in school and what I saw in the media. Yet traveling and experiencing different cultures first hand allowed me to see how similar mine was to those I was discovering for the first time. Whether it be the importance of family and community, national pride, or just appreciation for the cuisine, the cultures of the countries I visited were indeed unique to that of the United States, but the values were essentially the same. In Germany my host family made it a point to aways eat dinner together, as does my family back home. In Spain, I witnessed the sense of community that exists within different neighborhoods, similar to in the U.S. boroughs of New York. In Italy, I witnessed all these values and more, and learned to appreciate a slower pace of life - focused more on enjoying the present versus panicking about the future (which I did tend to do).
Now back in the states, whenever I come into contact with people from other cultures I now have firsthand knowledge of I instantly bond with them over our shared experiences and favorite aspects of life there. Whether it be another student who studied there or an international student from there, having global experiences allow you to connect with people who could live anywhere from 4 to 4,000 miles away from you. When you put that into perspective, it truly is a small world after all. Study Abroad…those two words have meant so much to me for almost an entire decade, and it’s bizarre to come to terms with the fact that my experiences abroad are unique from many of my peers. As a magnet student from Kindergarten through high school, I was used to having my classes be in both English and Spanish, and additionally began to study German as a 3rd language in the 7th grade (which I continued studying into college as well!). Through the magnet program, I had the opportunity to study abroad not once, but twice before coming to college. First, in Granada, Spain for a month in the 8th grade as an exchange student in an international school in 2012. I lived with a host family, and quickly became accustomed to Spanish life and the beauty of the traditions and culture in Spain. My second time abroad was in Frankfurt, Germany following graduation from high school in 2016. After hosting an exchange student in the Spring, the German program whisked some of the students who hosted that semester to Frankfurt in order to participate in a summer program hosted at their upper level gymnasium school. Living with my exchange student was incredibly eye-opening, not only was I living with a traditional German family, but I was also experiencing life as a youth in the country and was able to compare her experiences to mine. As you can imagine, ours lives were very different from an outside perspective, but between us we bonded over everything from languages, to foreign travel, to politics. By the end of the summer when I returned to my hometown of Charlotte before beginning school in Raleigh, I was eagerly anticipating my next international experience.
When the time came to pick a study abroad program as an undergraduate student, I was…well…a bit overzealous. Not only did I want to study abroad for a full academic year, but I wanted to study abroad another semester entirely in another country in addition to that calendar year. While not exactly conventional (the life and school I love are both based in Raleigh - why was I so eager to get away for so long??), my unending desire to explore the world to the fullest extent while also working on my degree was not so out of the ordinary for me. I loved travel, loved meeting people from diverse countries and cultures, and was always up for adventure and challenges. Thus, when I eventually decided on the Spring 2019 semester in Milan, Italy, I was enthusiastic, prepared, and ready for whatever was to come my way as an international student. Upon arriving in Italy, I knew the experience was going to be special. I was not living with a host family, I did not know the Italian language whatsoever (besides my limited expertise gained through Duolingo), and did not know anyone in the entire country. That might have terrified some, but I was grateful for the ability to start fresh and let Italian life teach me lessons along the way. Oh and did it ever. After realizing that trying to live in two worlds at once (keeping up with friends and family back home while also attempting to integrate into Italian life) was unsuccessful and leaving me drained, I decided to focus more on living my life in the present. I made friends in my classes, got involved more in Cattolica’s student organizations, and went out more to appreciate the surroundings of Milan while I was lucky enough to be there. While many cannot say they have studied abroad 3 times (it’s bizarre to even write that out), the experiences have allowed me to understand many similarities between the unique cultures of countries I visited. Students abroad, as back home, take their coursework very seriously and are eager to succeed and go above and beyond what is expected of them. This motivated me to work even harder to be successful in my classes and maintain good relationships with my professors. Additionally, outside involvement is very encouraged. Extra-curricular activities are a big part of school life - and that does not change from country to country. Being able to partake in international organizations at foreign institutions was a great way to connect with local and other international students. Additionally, students generally do want to get to know other international students. I was never sure how I would be received each time I stepped foot into an international school, yet I managed to connect to my classmates in extremely valuable ways, and that I believe is one of the basics of being successful in global affairs. Never be afraid to get out of your comfort zone to experience something new. As a graduating senior, the COVID-19 panic has affected nearly everything about my last few months as a member of the Wolfpack student body. My LDOC arriving in early March instead of at the end of April, my on-campus job at the Joyner Visitor Center slowly adjusting to finding opportunities for students to work remotely, the clubs I’m involved in cancelling our spring activities with no rescheduling, and my graduation moving from May 9th to an indefinite date. Despite all the set backs, my international experiences gained throughout the past 4 years (and more) have allowed me to feel nothing but gratitude and appreciation for the moments spent engaging in the global community during my time at NC State.
As an incoming freshman, I knew I wanted to pursue International Studies as my major, yet I wasn’t sure where exactly I wanted to focus my studies. After a year and a half with a Global Cultural Studies concentration, it was my time in the International Studies club and Cultural Exchange Network (CENet) which allowed me to conclude that I wanted to focus on Global Relations to gear my future towards international politics. Following this change, I also decided to CODA into Spanish Language and Literature as a second major. After studying Spanish since Kindergarten as a magnet student, my knowledge of the language began to mean more and more to me as I realized the value of being multilingual when pursuing a career in foreign affairs. My study abroad experience in Milan, Italy during the Spring of 2019 further allowed me to connect to the global world as a student in a more direct way. As only one of 2 NC State students at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore for the Spring semester, I made it a point to interact and mingle with the other international students in my classes, and learn their perspectives on world politics and interactions. My time abroad allowed me to travel extensively to numerous new countries, and the memories I made while away for a semester inspired me to join the Pack Abroad Ambassadors in order to educate younger members of the Wolfpack on the benefits and lessons that can come out of study abroad experiences. I also now reflect fondly on my brief, but influential time as a Global Ambassador through the Office of Global Engagement my senior year. Each semester was spent working tirelessly on Global Engagement nights in order to showcase a global event or tradition and present it to the student body in Talley Student Union. We also were responsible for the Fall Global Welcome Celebration, and worked closely with Witherspoon and Dining in order to facilitate the Global Film series and Global meals at Fountain Dining Hall. It was through my connections made as a Global Ambassador that I was given the opportunity to help student teach an American Life and University Culture (ALUC) class through NC State’s Intensive English Program (IEP). Prior to helping out as a student teacher, I was not aware of the IEP or the rigor of work international students complete before becoming integrated onto campus as full time students. The experience connected me with young students from a variety of countries, who wanted to learn about my life as a college student and the experiences and traditions of NC State. Oddly enough, I just wanted to learn more about their lives and backgrounds. My involvement in these programs further solidified my appreciation for global learning, and I’m incredibly lucky to have had all the experiences I’ve had in 4 years - which seemed to FLY by! |
Elena BetancourtI am currently a graduating Senior double majoring in International Studies (Global Relations) and Spanish Language and Literature. I am originally from Charlotte, NC, but have proudly been able to call Raleigh home for the past 4 years. Through my time at NC State, I have been involved in programs such as the Global Ambassadors, College Mentors for Kids, the University Ambassadors, Student Teaching at IEP, Circle of Sisterhood, and many more. |