Global Experiences
Study Abroad: UF in Utrecht, History of Art
My experience studying abroad during the summer of 2022 was one that I will cherish forever. I was fortunate enough to spend six weeks immersing myself in various cultures and knowledge from around the world in Florence, Utrecht, and Berlin. With my future career in graphic design and my deep-rooted passion for art, I was ecstatic to embark on such a life-changing journey.
Throughout the six-week program, I learned about art from the Italian Renaissance, Dutch Golden Age art, and early German modern art. Each morning started with learning; our lectures were led by professors who specialized in teaching art to exchange students like me. The content was engaging and opened us up to learn more about different pieces of artwork and artists that we would later experience in person. Post-lecture, we would embark on tours around the city to explore various museums, galleries, and churches—learning more about the cultures and works of art throughout each city. Being able to visit and admire original works from artists such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Casper David Friedrich was a mind-blowing experience that I will never forget. By looking at such a wide variety of works, my adoration for these artists grew and gave me a better understanding of their styles and techniques. Although these three art movements that I studied are different from one another, they gave me a deeper understanding of cultures from different parts of Europe as a whole. Throughout the program, our group gained invaluable insight into learning about art, both academically through lecture topics as well as experientially.
My study abroad experience wasn’t only about learning new cultures and knowledge. It was also about the friendships I made along the way. Despite the program only lasting for six weeks, I was able to form lifelong relationships with people from all over the world who shared similar interests and passions as me. Although we were all strangers at first, my classmates and I would go on all sorts of adventures together in each of the cities we visited. Some of the most memorable experiences we shared include walking through Florence while admiring historical monuments and churches, tasting traditional Dutch food in Utrecht’s outdoor marketplaces, and exploring the bustling streets in Berlin.
This study abroad program provided me with an unforgettable experience and allowed me to grow in more ways than one. I now have a greater appreciation for cultures beyond my own, as well as a growing passion for art history. But most importantly, I learned the true value of intercultural friendships and am grateful for the lifetime connections I made during this trip.
Looking back on my study abroad experience, it is without question that it was easily the best part of 2022 for me. I am immensely thankful for having had the opportunity and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their global perspectives.
Global Experiences
International Coursework: GEA3600, ARH4312, and SYD3395
GEA3600, Summer 2020
Taking GEA3600 - Geography of Africa has been an eye-opening experience for me. Through this course, I was able to gain valuable insight into Africa's diverse cultures and global significance. The class consisted of hours of lectures over multiple weeks that outlined topics such as urban geography, natural resources, economic development, cultural perspectives, and more. In addition to the lectures, I read numerous journals and conducted research for assignments in order to deepen my understanding of Africa further. This course allowed me to explore Africa in depth like never before and appreciate its place in the world today. It also sparked my interest in taking more international courses to expand my global perspective.
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ARH4312, Fall 2022
ARH4312, Art History of the Late Renaissance, was an invaluable learning experience that allowed me to analyze and learn more about late Renaissance art. Throughout the semester, I had been exposed to some of the most iconic pieces of renaissance artwork, such as "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli or Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." The readings and lectures we were assigned offered a comprehensive overview of the political, social, and religious aspects behind this period in history, which gave me the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of these works. Furthermore, with my research papers, I was able to analyze how masterpieces from this era were related to larger questions about society and identity posed during the Renaissance. My journey through this course not only solidified my knowledge of the Italian Renaissance (which I acquired while studying abroad), but also enabled me to analyze and better understand the context surrounding masterpieces produced during this time.
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SYD3395, Spring 2023
To complete my sociology minor, I am currently enrolled in SYD3395: Sociology of Globalization. So far, this class has been an enlightening experience for me in understanding globalization from a sociological perspective. The course covers how globalization affects economic structures, social networks, and even commodities—all from the lens of sociology. Thus far, it has helped me to critically analyze the world around me and better understand how globalization impacts society. My interest in globalization has been further piqued by engaging in discussions with my professor and classmates about current events related to globalization that show us how these processes play out in our own lives. Although I am still taking this course, it has already provided me with valuable knowledge about globalization that can hopefully be applied throughout my professional career and beyond.
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Global Experiences
Campus Life Events: Masel Tov Cocktail, Sumergible, and Haitian & Dominican Relations
Masel Tov Cocktail, Fall 2022
On October 17th, 2022, I attended the Hippodrome Theatre's screening of the German short film Masel Tov Cocktail. Upon watching the film, I learned much more about the modern Jewish-German experience than I previously have known. The film followed Dima, a Jewish Russian whose family immigrated to Germany in 1991 and currently lives in a low-income, working-class city largely made up of other German immigrants. When Dima punches one of his classmates for making an insensitive antisemitic joke directed toward him, the film breaks the fourth wall, where Dima provides a meta-commentary about the challenges he faces as a Jewish man living in Germany. Even with everyday interactions with his friends and classmates, he is reminded of his faith and, by association, the dark history of the Holocaust. For example, when he was simply waiting at a crosswalk, his classmate walked up to him and expressed sympathy toward him, saying that his family was not Nazis during World War II. I understood his struggle of wanting to embrace his identity while also trying to move on from the past. Although this was a short film, it strongly impacted me and led me to realize how big of an issue antisemitism still is around the world.
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Submergible, Fall 2022
On November 16th, 2022, I watched the Ecuadorian thriller film, Sumergible at the Reitz Union Auditorium. The film's screening is part of the Ecuador Cinema Film Series, put on by the Center for Latin American Studies. Although I was not sure what to expect going into this movie, I was quickly immersed in this story—rooting for La Reina's escape and horrified by what had been done to her and her deceased friend. I quickly disliked Felix and Aquiles as characters, since they were greatly contributing to this young girl's trauma by trafficking her in the submarine. However, I progressively liked the "old man" Kleber, especially as it was revealed that he was only partaking in transporting illegal goods in order to try and see his estranged daughter in California. My favorite part of the film was when La Reina killed Aquiles as the submarine was flooding, it was so sudden and the entire theater gasped when it happened. As someone who has never seen an Ecuadorian film, I really appreciated this movie's visual style; the way that this was shot (despite being set in one location for virtually the entire duration of the film) was engaging, beautiful, and carried the tones of the movie excellently.
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Haitian & Dominican Relations, Spring 2023
On January 12th, 2023, I attended the Haitian Studies Institute lecture entitled, "An Island in the Chain: Haitian & Dominican Relations in the 21st Century." Interested in learning more about Haiti and the Dominican Republic and wanting to expand my global knowledge, this lecture provided me with very rich, in-depth personal accounts of the conflict between the two neighboring countries. The corruption of Haitian politics and society has led to a very anti-Haitian mentality possessed by those of the Dominican Republic. Although anti-blackness is an obvious issue in today's world, discriminating and marginalizing those who are Haitian is an increasingly dangerous thing that is currently happening—both in the Dominican Republic and the world (via those who leave the DR through diaspora). This has negatively impacted the lives of countless Haitian citizens, who are unable to live their lives regularly and feel safe at school, work, et cetera. By bringing this conflict to light and hearing from Dominican individuals first-hand, I think this lecture takes a necessary step toward public awareness and action.
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