As my time at FIU is coming to an end this semester, I can't help but reflect on the role this institution and the Office of Global Learning has had not only on my time as an undergraduate student but in my life. 

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My journey at FIU began Fall 2017 when I was transitioning from a small, single-gender school where my graduating class consisted of thirty-three girls, to the fourth largest institution in the United States. The place I called “home” for seven years with 300 middle and high school girls combined was replaced with this place shared with about 50,000 students. When arriving at FIU, I wanted to continue the patterns of high school where I excelled academically but was intimidated by this unknown territory. I knew I wanted to get involved but wasn't sure how to do so.

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As an engineering student, I somewhat thought my undergraduate experiences were limited to my area of study and there was no way to tie in a global learning aspect to my curriculum. My drastic change in perspective came when I realized my degree did not limit the opportunities I could seek out. I remember thinking that Washington D.C was not a place for engineers and I could not have any type of impact in this setting. However, I soon realized that there WAS a place for technical folks in the sectors of public policy and research. Although my previous experiences were all in a lab setting, my quest for knowledge did not have to remain within the walls of the lab. As an engineering student, the possibilities are endless and I wish I would have adopted this mindset earlier! 

 

Before venturing into this Global Learning experience, my understanding of the world did not extend beyond a couple of courses I took in high school. As the semesters of my undergraduate career started to go by, I began to realize that I was not as globally aware as I had liked to be, and my understanding of world cultures was minimal. As a global learning student, I have gained a global understanding of the world to tackle distinct issues affecting the human population on a global scale. I have been encouraged to look beyond my engineering curriculum into addressing global issues by seeking other opportunities that will cultivate these skills. I have come to understand the value of a global ecosystem which requires research leaders to be skilled in collaboration, not only at the national level but international as well.

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I will continue to grow as a global citizen post-graduation by enrolling in an interdisciplinary graduate program at the University of Southern California. I will be pursuing a Master's in Product Development Engineering, which is jointly offered by the USC Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Daniel J. Epstein Industrial and Systems Engineering Departments.

 

I graduate this semester as a Global Learning Medallion student as not only a more skilled researcher and engineer but a global citizen which will also make me a more competitive engineer in the global market.