During my first semester of freshman year, I attended the study abroad fair. I left with stacks of books, flyers, and handouts on programs from Australia to South Africa. However, never in a million years, would I have imagined spending a summer in India. For most of my life, I have been driven by community engagement and service. However, it was not until I met Dr. Kumaran that I realized I could explore these interests in an academic capacity. In January of 2017 I met with Dr. K to discuss the possibility to attend UF in India for the summer of 2017. After meeting several times, we mutually agreed this trip would be an excellent learning opportunity for me as a student interested in NGO management. However, due to limited spaces on the trip I was unable to attend that summer. Instead, Dr. K offered to hold a spot for me on the Summer 2018 program. While 18 months seemed like an eternity, it was well worth the wait.

 

Prior to embarking on our program, we had several orientation sessions and completed a variety of papers and assignments to ensure we were prepared and knowledgeable about the course content and Indian culture. As this trip encompassed visiting nearly 20 different NGOs focused on an inclusive range of topics from agriculture to education to women’s rights, there was much to learn prior to our departure. On multiple occasions Dr. K told us it would take years to truly digest our experiences. This statement, 2 years later, holds remarkably true. While there were enumerable notable experiences during this program I will highlight two of my most impactful interactions as a representation of the culmination off my experiences.

 

While visiting a school in a rural community, I had the opportunity to speak to a few hundred students and teachers about my experiences and American culture as it pertains to my pursuit of dance and international studies. Following this, I was able to spend time working in a classroom in small groups with my peers and elementary aged Indian students on English. Most notably, myself and two other UF students were brought into a room of about 50 teachers, all of whom were women. The purpose of this interaction was meant to be an exchange of knowledge about international education systems. In short, the women asked us extensive questions about how to improve their school systems, engage girls in academics, and how to solve the inequities they faced as women in society. My peers and I were, at first, surprised by their questions. These experienced teachers were asking us, college students with no formal background in education, about solutions to systemic wicked problems. This electrified my self-awareness not only for the rest of this trip but still to this day. As American students, there was a misconception that my peers and I held mystical solutions, knowledge, and power. Rather, we were learning so much from these people who were willing to share their time and experience with us. 

 

Second, one of the NGOs we had the pleasure of visiting was Teach for India, a part of the umbrella Teach for All organization. This visit consisted of meeting with the executive director and listening to experiences and knowledge of NGO management. Following this, we were brought into a classroom and given the chance to interact with middle aged students regarding American culture. The children were so eager to practice their English and ask us about our holidays, schooling, and traditions. During this excursion, I was able to talk with the executive director and pick her brain about Teach for India. Reflecting on this experience helped me to realize my interest for working with underserved communities especially as it pertains to international education. 

 

Without a doubt, this program was one of the most impactful experiences I had during my college experience and deeply credit it for developing my academic interests and professional goals.