How would you define your international education experience?
- Summer visits to family in India
What was your international education experience like?
My family visited India every summer when we were young. The family vacations were unstructured educational experiences that covered culture, language, history, and cuisine. It was a rich experience of sights, sounds, colors, flavors, and stories that are accessible only by the unique route of an elder sharing their knowledge with you. For us, that elder was my grandmother. Her home was our refuge and also a portal to a world so different from our real lives in the US. We were very blessed to have gained that experience and carry it with us to this day.
What message do you have to share with students and community members about the importance of international education?
The earth is a small place in the universe, a tiny speck of blue. At the same time, for us the world is huge - full of places, cultures, histories, and flavors we have yet to experience for ourselves. These experiences expand our mental horizons and allow us to envision our lives to contain so much more than the small daily lives we trudge through day in and day out. International education is a benefit gained by the travelers and the people they come across too. Our world community relies upon the goodwill of the international traveler sharing their experiences everywhere they go.