Challenge Accepted!

I consider myself to be very focus driven. I always have a game plan of everything that I need to accomplish in the short amount of time that I give myself to achieve those goals. I never had study abroad in my game plan. But one day I decided to try a program in Greece. And I can honestly say, this has been a life changing experience.

My main focus in life is to help minority groups obtain basic human rights that every individual has for simply being a human being. Due to this, I was fascinated by the exchange program in Greece that deals with working towards alleviating discrimination and prejudice that occurs within the Roma community by communicating with local community members such as; lawyers, teachers, local officials etc.

I came into this program not knowing what to expect. Not knowing how severe the prejudice may be and not knowing how to deal with discriminatory behavior if it were to occur in front of me. I have faced a ton of challenges in coping with the severity of the discrimination in Greece and because of this I’m grateful that I decided to apply to this program.

As a minority living in the United States, I can truly say that I have never experience as much discrimination as the Roma community in Europe has faced. And because of this, I’m grateful that I was a part of a program that is trying to help mend bridges between the Roma and Non-Roma community.

Not only did I love the program, but I also love the country. You learn a lot while Studying Abroad. You learn about different cultures, languages and perspectives, which can often times, lead to you challenging your own beliefs. When studying abroad, you might go to a country that you may or may not know anything about. And that’s okay. Embrace the culture! There’s so much more to the world that we may not know about. And the University of Washington provides us students with the opportunity to explore the world and study abroad! I challenge each and every one of you to get out of your comfort zone and take a leap of faith. Try exploring a new place!

But before you get all excited about your trip. Keep these key tips in mind:

1. Pack lightly! I made the mistake of over packing and it will make the end of your trip hard once you have bought so many cool souvenirs that you want to bring back.

2. Pack comfortable shoes. Depending on the time restraint that you might have, you might not have enough time to explore. With that in mind, you’re going to want to pack comfortable shoes if you want to spend a full day roaming around places. And I guarantee you will be doing a lot of walking! So be prepared to get your steps in.

3. Befriend a ton of community members. I bet that they know more cool places to visit than what you can find on Google.

4. Try learning the language, even if it’s a few key phrases! It will get you by and the local community members will really love the effort.

5. Have fun! Whether you’re a part of a 3-week program or a 9-month program. Do as much as you can because study abroad is a great experience that not everyone has the luxury to do. So have fun with it!