Stephanie Nicole Muench
Buzune, age 14, holding the wheelchair, Fitsum, age 12, sitting on the wheelchair.
Owner of the warehouse where disabled individuals are hired to build crutches and wheelchairs.
As I was growing up, I was blessed to have a mixture of cultural experiences. I lived in Mexico, and spoke Spanish with my friends, I spoke English to my grandparents and they made sure we participated in American culturally significant holidays, and finally I attended a French school, where I primarily spoke French. Since a young age I understood how tricky it was to navigate through cultural differences, yet how important it is to be culturally appropriate. Having the ability to take internationally focused classes gave me the opportunity to take the awareness of cultural diversity and apply it to different aspects of academia and developmental projects.
Traveling with a group of individuals I had only previously encountered twice, would travel for an extended period of time, and had to work with, was a very delicate matter. Even though most students understood that since we were to spend two weeks together, the group as a whole had to learn to tolerate, learn and come to terms with our differences, some thought otherwise and did not integrate in the group or created conflict. Especially since in every experience abroad I had, there was always someone that had never been on an airplane or someone who had never left the United States before. It was difficult for me to relate to individuals that were not immersing themselves in the international experience and the culture, but I learned that not everyone was looking to have the same level of immersion as I was. I was able to practice boundaries and respect not only with the local cultural group but also with the individuals in my travel group that did not share the same values as I did.
"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you decide what kind of difference you want to make"
-Jane Goodall
Everything you do has an impact on the world around you. While in Ethiopia I was fortunate enough to meet Fitsum, a 12 year old boy that had polio and could not walk, and Buzune his best friend that would help him go up and down stairs. Fitsum had a wheelchair without tires, a chair that was too big for him, and a chair that needed to be pushed by someone else. I got a translator to help us have a conversation and I could help him financially to get a new chair. I talked to everyone from my group, everyone contributed. Together we were able to purchase him a wheelchair that was his size and he could navigate on his own.
In the Fall of 2014, at Santa Fe College I saw a man on a wheelchair that was struggling to get past a crowd of students, and nobody offered to help. I walked through the crowd and offered him assistance, he agreed and I was able to navigate him out of that situation. During the Spring semester there was a lot on construction happening at the University of Florida campus, which meant that some sidewalks were closed and people had to take different routes. This is easy for any student to realize and look for an alternate route, but what about a blind student? I was on the passenger seat of my friends’ car when I saw a blind student trying to find his way to the library, completely lost because of the construction barriers. There were a number of students close by that did not offer to help him so I jumped out of the car and ran to his assistance. I asked where he was going, “Library West” he said, it was really difficult to navigate to the entrance of that library without eye sight. I lied and told him I was going the same direction so I could help him make it there safely and in a timely manner. Both of these are examples of instances in the United States where I was faced with the opportunity to help someone in need. Throughout my study abroad travels I have learned to put aside what I believe in to understand and help the local individuals of the country I am visiting, however it is important to emphasize that everyone can create a positive impact locally as well, by putting aside anything that is stopping them from interceding and offering assistance.
I will be graduating from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Minor in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. Without my involvement in the International Scholars program I would not have been able to include the international focus on my degrees that I value so highly. The International Scholars program gave me the tools necessary to navigate through cultural differences, begin learning another language, and most importantly it pushed me to be a student in everything I do. Being a student sounds like a stage in life that one accomplishes, gets a degree and moves on. In my opinion, we never seize to be students. We continue to learn, to ask questions, to understand and to disagree. Being a lifelong student, and being aware of how you can create a positive change daily are the two most valuable aspect of life.