Global Perspective and Studying Abroad

A global perspective is essentially viewing the world beyond one's local experience and seeing the world as a collection of cultures, values, and motivations. Gaining this perspective is exceptionally important, especially in today's modern society. Through advances in technology, the world is more connected than ever and it becomes increasingly important to understand other cultures, as the global market and advances towards global peace depend on it. 

There are several major benefits to studying abroad. Firstly, it is simply an enriching experience for someone to take; many people never go beyond their state or region - let alone outside of national borders - so it is certainly something that would expand one as a person. Secondly, since few people go abroad, it can make one stand out on one's resume or applications. Only around 1% of college students go abroad, so doing so makes one seem more unique. Thirdly, it can be a way of expanding one's knowledge of a foreign language one is taking. For example, a person learning Italian would be greatly helped by studying where the language is actively spoken and used. 

There are a few downsides though. Studying abroad can be expensive and scholarships are not guaranteed. Furthermore, study abroad programs may not offer certain majors or programs. Additionally, it removes one from their safety net in the States and could make a person feel more vulnerable or homesick. Lastly, some students have jobs that they need for schooling and taking a semester or summer off could negatively impact their work. 

I personally am very keen on studying abroad while I am at FSU. I've looked into a few places, but am most keen on applying for an internship in Valencia when I become fluent in Spanish. They offer medical internships, which directly relates to my field of study and Biology major. I've also considered Florence, as I had a friend go their this past summer and it looks like an amazing place. Unfortunately, they do not offer many courses that would make such travel truly worth it for me personally, so I likely won't be able to go there through Florida State.

Blog 1: Leadership

A leader is a person who provides motivation and guidance to others in order to accomplish a task or goal. Leadership reflexively refers to the qualities a leader has and to the capability of one to lead. A political leader is one who uses leadership skills within the political spectrum to enact change on the behalf of his or her constituents. 

In high school, I was a cadet in the Army JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps). It was a leadership education class, dedicated to teaching leadership and citizenship to its members. In my second year, I was promoted to the position of Staff Sergeant and was given the position of leading my own squad. I was in charge of teaching a LET 1 skills that would help them throughout the rest of the program, like marching drills, ranks, and other miscellaneous knowledge. I did well enough that I was given a second LET 1 and was promoted the next year to work with the highest ranked in the program. I won a NCO (Non-commissioned Officer) of the Month award and was in the running for NCO of the year award. On my final year, I was promoted to being a the headquarters company executive officer and was in charge of organizing the files of all the cadets and guiding their work to completion. At the last award ceremony of the year, I was given an award for being the best executive officer in the battalion. The program gave me plenty of leadership experience and I have been able to transfer those skills to other aspects of my life.