My Global Scholars Essay

When I joined middle school debate and the current events block in sixth grade my world opened up for the first time. Although I had access to the internet and media at that age, I had never thought to branch out or try to learn more about the world around me. Suddenly, I found myself researching everything from economic sanctions between countries to US relations with Saudi Arabia. I was captivated by the constant instability and evolution of our world and the way we internationally interacted with each other. The complect nuance, motives, and effects of our actions on other countries continue to fascinate me. My first experience with the global initiative's program was in seventh grade when GIP scholars came to talk about their capstone projects. At that point, I was deeply enjoying my geography class with Mr. Johnson and the middle school debate program and quickly developing an interest in international relations and knew that I would be interested in the program when I finally got to high school.

For the duration of my high school career, I have been the Developmental Editor for the Outspoken, a student-run opinion newspaper. Throughout this leadership position, I have had the opportunity to read other students’ opinions on global affairs through editing their articles, as well as develop my own set of opinions through my own research and writing. It has taught me to learn and listen from the people around me, and preserve a diverse variety of opinions in group projects and work. Although I don’t agree with every article that I help to edit, I know that each one provides me with new perspectives and I believe that our newspaper’s audience deserves to hear the same range of opinions that I get to. 

Sophomore year, I worked with Published Points of View, a non-profit organization created by the editor-in-chief of the Outspoken in collaboration with The Los Angeles Times Insider and the non-profit ENGin, to edit and assist Ukrainian students in writing articles. I had to practice overcoming a language barrier since many of them spoke in broken English and I was not at all proficient in Ukrainian. Through long sessions of Google translate between us, they told us about their stories and life in Ukraine. 

Maria, one of the students, told me about how her mother would tell her to stay away from the windows whenever she heard sirens, and how the power went out so frequently that she often had difficulty completing her homework in the dark. I was amazed by the resilience of the students, yet shocked by everything they had gone through. Their drive and diligence was inspiring; despite setbacks like cold dark schools, wifi and power outages, and their teachers often having difficulty getting to campus, the students had a hunger to learn and overcome their circumstances. They used to get to have classes that were 45 minutes to 1.5 hours long and now their classes are only 35 minutes long and they often have to move to the basement due to the threat of the war. Additionally they don’t have the opportunity to participate in school sports programs anymore and they also don’t have lunch served at school. Their lives on the weekends and outside of school are also much different. While my peers and I can go out to eat or go shopping on the weekends, teenagers in Ukraine no longer have that freedom. By talking to citizens who were actively experiencing the effects of international relations, the people I had learned about in statistics from research, were humanized into families and everyday civilians who were facing insurmountable consequences. 

This past summer I worked in medical clinics for nine days in Jamaica. While I was in direct communication with the Ukrainian students, in Jamaica I was present at the site of injustice and poverty. Often we hear about how lucky we are and in conjunction we hear various statistics about how unlucky others are, but being at the site is a completely different endeavor. Thus, the people I read about in statistics or saw in videos, were right in front of me and I was confronted with the fact that every statistic correlates to a living, breathing human.

The country, in the summer, is stiflingly hot and paired with the humidity it often can feel difficult to breath. My peers and I know that if we get sick we will have access to prepared institutions like hospitals, urgent care, and research centers if need be. The people we helped in Jamaica did not have this luxury. We set up our clinics in very rural areas, where the average home was a tin roofed shack with cement block walls and no air conditioning or running water. Illness and disease do not recognize these difficult circumstances, but rather they thrive under them. Many of the people I helped to register knew that they had ailments like diabetes or worms in the children, but they did not have easy access to the diabetes medication or antibiotics like the majority of the U.S. does. When I helped in the optometry clinic, one of the women didn’t realize that her name was spelled wrong until she got a new pair of glasses. Another older man had cataracts so severe he could not see or walk without a cane, but within an hour a cataract surgery gave him back his vision. We are so lucky to have quick and easy access to these types of services here in the U.S, but we must also remember that it comes with the responsibility of helping those who don’t have access. 

 Additionally there is an unimaginable amount of pressure on many of the physicians in Jamaica. Since there are few compared to the general need, many of them must learn to become specialized in multiple aspects of the healthcare system, compared to America, where doctors are usually only specialized in a couple of procedures on one area of the body. The lack of resources, heavily affects the healthcare system, but it also presents itself in the resiliennce of the people who live there. Many of them were willing to stand in long lines under the beating sun just for a checkup or a pair of glasses. Even after all the tedious waiting, they were still so patient, kind, vibrant, and gracious. I had to test eye pressure and stick a machine into their eye that would repeatedly push against their pupil. Although this was undoubtedly uncomfortable and perhaps a little bit scary, I was touched by how trusting and friendly they were. 

Too often when we see impoverished communities we assume that its because of laziness or lack of initiative, because that allows us the freedom to ignore the suffering and pain of others. From seeing them first hand I can confirm that the initiative and desire for healthcare is only amplified by the difficult circumstances and throughout the trip I was inspired by the communities’ drive, kindness, and determination. 

Through each experience I have physically gained proximity to the issues that I strive to understand, but they also instilled a deeper sense of care and respect within me. When I see students who don’t have the chance to go to school normally or children who don’t have access to simple antibiotics, I’m confronted with my own privilege of stable education and healthcare. When I see statistics or numbers or news stories now, I see people who are more similar to me than I previously realized and I want to share that with the Poly community; behind every problem are people suffering; behind every number is a person. Through my participation in the Global Scholars Program, I aim to build upon my global awareness, leadership, and communication skills to educate myself and try to solve complex global social issues. My experience with international relations, public health clinics, and journalism has cultivated in me a sense of civic responsibility to serve and learn from others. 

I hope that the Global Scholars program will expand and deepen my global perspectives through international exposure, cross-cultural learning, and the interdisciplinary curriculum. Every time I’ve gone to see one of the speakers or panels, I’ve been impressed by the caliber of the speakers chosen and the connections formed between the scholars and the speakers. I think that in my personal experience, speaking to people directly has helped me immensely in growing my empathy and understanding, and I would look forward to experiencing that even more frequently in the future. Additionally the GIP program has done an impressive job hosting a wide range and variety of events, which I believe is due in part to the wide range of interests the Global scholars have year to year. Moreover, I look forward to sharing my specific interests in global issues and engaging in stimulating conversation with peers and scholars who are also passionate about making positive change. For example, when we learned about the Uyghurs, before Mr. Caragher's class and the GIP event I had no idea about the ongoing genocide, but I was deeply touched by the experience and thankful for the opportunity. It highlighted the importance of examining and addressing complex global issues, and I am eager to continue exploring them through my participation in the Global Scholars program.

In conclusion, I am confident that the Poly Global Scholars program will provide me with invaluable experiences and opportunities to enhance my understanding of the complex issues facing our world today. By meeting people from diverse backgrounds, engaging in the interdisciplinary coursework, and channeling my own interests and passions into independent research, I am eager to become a active and aware global citizen. As someone who is deeply invested in understanding and creating positive change within my community I believe that my participation in the program will be crucial in helping me to achieve my goals. I am excited for the prospect of being a part of passionate and engaged community of learners, and I loook forward to developing into a better global listener, learner, and leader.