After spending 10 days in Europe traveling to Paris and Barcelona the summer before my freshman year at the UW, I realized that living abroad and embracing another culture and system of values offered an insightful perspective about my own country. This newfound interest pushed me to learn more about the study abroad programs offered by the UW and take GEN ST 197 taught by Shannon Koller my freshman year. This class educated me on not only what the UW offers for study abroad programs, but also what I must do in order to have a successful and safe experience. I became interested in the UW’s exploration seminars and decided to participate in the Art London Exploration Seminar this past summer. London is a multi-cultural capital and an ideal place to experience other ways of life, giving me an open mind and respect for different cultures. I was able to overcome the challenges of living in a foreign country and mature into an independent, flexible, and adaptable person. Studying in Prague will allow me to mature and experience personal growth by being immersed in a new culture and independently taking on the challenges of living in a foreign country. My personal growth will be channeled through the variety of CHID and PolSci courses the program offers and also engage in intellectually stimulating international field trips. Although I will not be dealing with a language barrier in my classes, I will come across people of many ethnicities and customs throughout Prague and Central Europe. From now until my departure, I plan to research Prague’s numerous cultural aspects to increase my respect and understanding of its social and cultural norms and not confuse them with my own. I am qualified to participate in the CHID Prague Program since I have had much success in taking analytical and critical thinking business classes here at the UW, maintaining a 3.58 cumulative GPA.
We live in a diverse world ranging from economic to political to personal differences. Studying in Prague will allow me to grow academically and prepare to be a global thinker post graduation into the business world. After taking Introduction to International Relations and Introduction to Law, Societies, and Justice this year, I gained further knowledge of how history has shaped international politics, justice, businesses, and the world we live in today. With these classes under my belt, pursuing a career in the business world post graduation, and an interest in learning about Central Europe’s politics and culture, I believe it is essential to my own personal growth to enhance my cultural awareness and respect for others, and achieve my own academic and career goals to study in the diverse countries of Central Europe. Also, I consider myself a “history nerd.” In my free time in London, I found myself fascinated by its history by exploring the Winston Churchill War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum I am interested in gaining insight into the Czech’s lifestyle and learn about the history and politics of Central Europe. The CHID Prague program will allow me to immerse myself in other cultures around Central Europe and gain a global perspective on political and international affairs in which I can utilize in my course work at the UW and future employment.
The recent “Great Recession” of the US has spurred numerous countries to re-evaluate their business operations. For example, Merrill Lynch serves customers in more than 150 countries and has become the largest brokerage in the world. In order to remain successful, they re-evaluated the global economic, financial, political, and cultural issues surrounding their business decisions. As a business major looking for internships and jobs post graduation, I must learn how to be a global thinker when understanding the important global business and political issues that I will experience throughout my career in the business world. Employers will be interested in open-minded students with a deep understanding of global issues, politics, and cultural awareness that take place outside of the United States. After returning from the CHID Prague Program, I will successfully gain knowledge for global politics, culture, history, and international law that I will apply to my business coursework and future business internships. Additionally, the CHID Prague Program will increase my global awareness and aid in my ability to constructively solve global issues while performing my job responsibilities. Finally, this experience will teach me the importance of flexibility and change, allowing me to adapt to new situations and circumstances, live and work independently, and have respect and understanding for other cultures and nationalities.