As I began my first semester as an undergraduate student at the University of Florida, I was young, inexperienced, and wildly curious as to what the future held for me. I quickly fell in love with my science courses and started my journey towards a lifelong career in medicine. Despite choosing to major in chemistry, there was a small spark in the back of my head that wanted to explore the world beyond the University of Florida and beyond my own community. While taking an introductory Spanish course during my sophomore year, that spark turned into a burning passion when I was introduced to the International Scholars Program. After joining the program, I began to take internationally-focused courses relating to subjects like global health, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and more. While still keeping on my path towards the medical field, the International Scholars Program allowed me to fulfill my desire for learning about the intersection of cultures and how modern society is shaped by cultural influences that date back to even the most ancient civilizations of humanity. However, my path did not come without its share of bumps in the road.

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During my freshman year, I was eager to join a study abroad program for a semester. My plan to go abroad was put on hold though, as the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled all study abroad programs through my sophomore year. Despite this challenge, I was able to overcome it by attending a medical mission trip in Antigua, Guatemala that was offered through my involvement in a pre-health organization on campus, UF’s pre-med American Medical Student Association (AMSA). I had only travelled outside the United States once before in my life, and I was going on the trip with a group that mostly consisted of other students I had never interacted with before due to the sheer size of the pre-health club. However, I soon became friends with the group and we worked together as a team to set up free clinics in the surrounding villages of Antigua to provide basic healthcare services to the underprivileged population. This experience was crucial to my character development and a pivotal part of my time as a international scholar. I was placed in an uncomfortable situation, from which I was able to grow and develop my skills as a leader, communicator, and team player. I also experienced first-hand the lack of healthcare access to people within the local region of Antigua, Guatemala, and I gained a new perspective on the contrast of healthcare systems in different cultures.

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As I progressed through my later years of college, I was also able to attend several campus life engagement events through the International Scholars Program. These events gave me a new perspective on subjects such as art, and how these subjects have been affected by cultural influences over time. Events hosted by the Harn Museum of Art provided me insight on how artists are inspired by their own culture, along with cultures outside of their own, when producing their artwork. Many artists use their artwork to celebrate their own culture, or to send a message to their audience concerning social issues present in our society.

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The International Scholars Program allowed me to chase my passion for exploring the world beyond campus and outside of my own community, specifically focusing on how cultural influences from different regions around the world play a role in a variety of subjects on a daily basis. Through this program, I learned that our world is even more connected than I thought, while many of our cultural differences still keep us unique. My most valuable experience as an international scholar was my trip abroad to Guatemala on a medical mission trip. Along with providing me a new perspective and immersing myself in a different culture, this trip gave me an opportunity to practice my Spanish knowledge that I learned while taking language courses at the University of Florida. Between my internationally-focused courses, campus life engagement events, and my international experience abroad, the International Scholars Program significantly enhanced my educational experience at the University of Florida and provided me a path to explore my interests in global topics while continuing my studies as a pre-medical student. As continue on after graduation, I hope to continue exploring international topics and learning about new cultures and their influence on my own community and beyond. My goal is to lead a life where I have a positive influence on others, and use what I have learned in this program to positively impact my community no matter where life takes me in the future.