Studying abroad in Florence, Italy was one of the most transformative experiences of my college education. Before leaving, I thought I knew what to expect because I had already been to Europe twice before. I was familiar with the excitement of traveling, seeing historic cities, and experiencing different cultures, but living abroad independently was a completely different experience. I wasn’t just visiting Italy for a few weeks— I was building a life there, navigating a new city on my own, making new friends, going to class, grocery shopping, figuring out transportation, and learning how to feel at home somewhere so far from home. Being able to experience Italy in this way was both challenging and amazing. It pushed me far outside of my comfort zone and gave me a new sense of independence and confidence. Things that initially felt intimidating, like navigating public transportation or figuring out what to do when something didn’t go according to plan (shoutout Trenitalia), eventually became normal. I learned that being independent doesn’t mean always knowing what you’re doing; it means being willing to figure things out along the way.

My global theme is culture and politics. Living and learning in Italy allowed me to fully immerse myself in the cultural landscape of the country, and there is truly so much nuance to Italian culture that I would have missed otherwise. Beyond simply living there, I furthered my understanding through courses like Intercultural Communication, International Relations, Cultural Anthropology, and even Pairing Food and Wine. Across all of these classes, I gained a deeper understanding of the country I was living in. Italian history and culture are some of the richest and most complex in the world, and within that history come both highs and lows. When many people think of Italy, they think of Rome and the great emperors, and while that is certainly an important part of the country’s history and beauty, there are also periods of insecurity, political instability, and dictatorship, particularly under Mussolini in the 20th century. Italy is, in many ways, surprisingly similar to the United States. It experiences housing inequality, significant wage disparities, and major internal cultural differences. One idea that came up repeatedly was just how regional Italians are. People often identify more strongly with their region—for example, being Tuscan if they are from Tuscany—than with a broader national Italian identity. Experiencing these differences firsthand helped me understand how culture and politics are deeply connected to the communities and places people come from.

Outside of the classroom, I was able to experience this cultural diversity through travel. While Italy itself gave me countless opportunities to explore new cities, foods, traditions, and landscapes, I also had the chance to travel to Morocco, Spain, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Each country offered a completely different experience and challenged me to look at the world from a new perspective. Traveling independently also taught me how much I am capable of doing on my own. I learned how to navigate airports and train stations, plan trips, solve problems when things did not go according to plan, and feel comfortable exploring places I had never been before. Some of my favorite memories came from the moments that were completely unplanned—getting lost, finding a small restaurant, meeting someone new, or simply walking around a city with no real destination. Even though I had traveled internationally before, this experience made travel feel completely different because I was responsible for creating the experience myself.

One of the most meaningful parts of studying abroad was the friendships I made. I arrived in Florence not knowing exactly what to expect, and I ended up meeting people who became such an important part of my experience. There was something special about forming friendships while everyone was simultaneously navigating a new country and creating a life together. We explored Italy, traveled to other countries, shared meals, celebrated birthdays, and made memories that I know I will carry with me long after college. Looking back, studying abroad was so much more than simply spending a semester in another country. It challenged me to become more independent, broadened my understanding of culture and politics, and introduced me to people and places I never would have experienced otherwise. I returned home with a deeper appreciation for travel, cultural exchange, and the importance of seeing the world from perspectives other than my own. Most importantly, I came home more confident in my ability to navigate the unknown, and I know the perspective and independence I gained abroad will continue to shape me for years to come. There isn’t a day I don’t think about going back, I truly left a piece of my heart in Florence.

My name is Rachel Ottman, and I am a third-year student majoring in psychology and political science and minoring in English and international development studies. Along with my studies, I am a speech and debate coach for one of the local high schools in Missoula, with an emphasis on teaching political and current-events speaking. 

When I signed up for the Franke Global Leadership Initiative, I knew immediately that I wanted to prioritize the Culture and Politics Global Theme; it tied closely to my majors and was a centerpiece for many of my personal interests. So, when I had the tangible opportunity to intermix my Global Theme with my academic interests and career into my Beyond the Classroom Experience, I hit the ground running to plan out my excursion. After months of organizing, I went on a 2-week trip to Virginia to explore the relationship between adolescent access to civic education and how it can spearhead their involvement in social movements. 

During the first week of my trip, I chaperoned my students at the National Speech and Debate Association’s 101st annual tournament in Richmond, VA. At this tournament, my school brought five students who competed in four different events, ranging from performances of poetry to ethical debates on the morality of governmental policies. Along with coaching my own students, I also judged over a dozen rounds of debate and was selected for the judging panel in the final round of the tournament. 

For the second week of my experience, I stayed in Arlington, VA, and I commuted daily to Washington, DC, to explore a variety of different museums focused on historical movements to gain insight into the interactions that children and adolescents had with these events. Notably, I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Holocaust Museum. At these museums, I learned about the historic involvement of children in wars, the impact of adolescents in crucial movements like the Civil Rights Movement, public advocacy of teenagers in response to the Holocaust, and a variety of other topics. 

In exploring these issues, I was able to relate them closely to the advocacy done by my students. While my students have greater distance from many of the issues they discussed when related to teenagers during historic social movements and conflicts, the solutions they advocate for are much closer than one may think. In analyzing the topics of their speeches, my students spoke out about the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ youth, the undermining of civil liberties in the United States, and the growing intensity of international conflicts towards minority groups. My students feel passionate about these issues and actively seek out the knowledge to inform older generations. These teenagers care about the world they live in, and they respond in a way that is familiar to them. They speak out. 

The Beyond the Classroom Experience allowed me to explore Culture and Politics in a wider context, encouraging me to understand that, while the environment we live in has changed, the reaction to it has not. Young people continue to be passionate about the issues they and many others face, and they express that passion by speaking out and advocating for themselves. They just need the understanding that outreach is an option, and they need the skills to do so. As a result, there is an institutional obligation to teach young people about civic engagement and their rights to give them the skills needed to be successful in our ever-changing world. 

My name is Neveah Killsnight and I participated in a Cheyenne Language class taught through Virtual Reality this summer. The Cheyenne Virtual Reality Project was created by Northern Cheyenne Community members through the American Institute for Research (AIR). The purpose of the class is to learn how Virtual Reality (VR) can support language learning. There were 13 total students and 2 instructors from locations all over the United States. All of the participants are Northern Cheyenne tribal members. The program provides the participants with Meta Headsets. All of the participants were at different levels, so I wasn’t sure how much we were going to learn. I had no experience using virtual reality headsets either, so I really did not know what to expect. 

The class met weekly on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for 1.5 hours at a time. The class started in March and ended in August. In addition to these meanings, there was homework assigned outside of class as well. The goal was to get 10 hours of language learning a week. These 10 hours were a mix of individual and group practice. All of the students were starting from a different level; some had never taken a class before, some were being taught at home but never taken a class, and some were more advanced. In other words, there was no requirement for the participants’ Cheyenne language level. As far as the virtual reality space, it was created to look like the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. There was a small teepee village, a fire, a sweat lodge, a wood cabin, river and spring, and animals.  

I came into this program only having taken one Cheyenne class at Chief Dull Knife College the summer prior. I lived with Cheyenne speakers who taught me a few words, and I would hear them speak the language to each other. I knew basic words and how to say my name and introduce myself. During this class, we learned how to introduce ourselves and others, animals, how to introduce our family (mother, father, grandparents), how to say what you were doing or where you came from, and other basic phrases. As class progressed and we became more comfortable with VR, we stopped being able to see the spelling of the words and only learned by ear. Learning this way brought us closer as a class because we had to interact more and learn from each other. Even though we are at different locations we have become closer as a group. Additionally, working with people who were at different levels was actually beneficial for our class. The ones who were at a higher level were able to assist others, and we all learned from one another.

Learning in the virtual reality setting that was created to look like the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, reminded me of stories that my grandparents would tell about how he grew up. My grandpa and grandma were both Cheyenne speakers, it was their first language and English was their second. My grandpa would always tell us about the wood cabin he grew up in. I remember once we were driving on the highway, and he knew the land so well. As we drove and he would tell us the history, he pointed at a small creek and told us that was where he used to play, he pointed at the abandoned buildings and told us who lived there, and other stories. Learning in this setting that looked like home made me feel more connected to my culture and family, even when I was across the state in Missoula.

Through this experience, I learned the importance of making language learning more accessible to tribal members throughout the United States. Our tribal college offers language in-person classes, but it might be hard to access them unless you live on our reservation. Almost half of the total enrolled Northern Cheyenne tribal members live off the reservation. The Cheyenne language is also considered an endangered language, due to assimilation, colonialism, boarding schools, and other government policies that discouraged speaking of native languages. Our language is crucial to our identity and holds so much cultural and spiritual significance. It is important that we continue to learn our language so it does not disappear. This is a good way to make that accessible to tribal members living off the reservation.

Before this class, I never even thought that learning a language through virtual reality was possible, even the online classes I took were challenging. The language classes I have taken were very structured, and we were always able to see the language spelled out. This class was very immersive. Through this experience, I was able to learn Cheyenne the way our ancestors did; through interacting with each other and hands-on practice. This expanded my knowledge on how we learn a language, and I hope that this can be used to make language learning more accessible in the future.

I spent a semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy. I was very excited for this experience, but I didn’t really know what to expect. Before leaving, I had done a lot of reading and research on Italy and Italian culture. Although this helped my understanding of the culture, nothing can compare to living there and experiencing it first-hand. Many things were exactly as I expected, but many things also took me by surprise. Adjusting to a new culture is difficult, but I found that to be one of the most fulfilling things about studying abroad. There certainly things that were frustrating, but I learned that cultures tend to be very quick to judge another culture. Learning to keep an open mind was not always easy, but studying abroad helped with that and taught me that cultural differences are not always bad, but different. Doing things differently does not make it wrong. I’ve even adopted some Italian ways of doing things into my daily life since moving back home.

My global theme is resources and sustainability and the challenge for my beyond the classroom experience was how to make food production, consumption, and disposal more sustainable and ethical. I took a class called ethics and justice in food systems. The class focused on ethics and sustainability in food systems in Italy, as well as around the world. We discussed a range of topics, including food waste, the economy around food, social movements regarding food, and even learned about organized crime around food and agromafia. Learning about food while living in Italy was fascinating, since Italians have a proud culture surrounding their food. It was interesting to learn about food systems in a country where it tends to be more sustainable and then compare it to the food systems in the United States. A very memorable moment from my experience and this class specifically was learning about and trying lampredotto. This is a traditional Florentine street food. It is made from the final stomach of the cow, cooked in a vegetable broth and served inside a bread roll. Italians have a tradition of “cucina povera,” which translates to “poor kitchen,” but is a style of cuisine in which no food is wasted. Because that part of the cow would usually be thrown away, lampredotto is a great example of this. My professor taught us about this but wanted us to try it and truly experience it. Although it wasn’t my favorite food, I am very glad I tried it. After our meal, a few of us sat with our professor and discussed our eating habits back in the United States, compared to Italy. We talked about grocery shopping, cooking, and how we dispose of food. It was interesting to discuss the differences on such a personal level. Because of this class, I’ve changed many of my eating habits to be more sustainable. For example, I try to use everything I buy to reduce food waste, and I try to buy from more local and sustainable producers. They are small changes, but even that can make a small difference.

Studying abroad was instrumental in my personal growth, especially my leadership skills. I have become more confident and outgoing. Because I met so many new people, my ability to connect with new people has improved. For example, I noticed and improvement while at work over the summer. I worked at a state park and was easily able to connect and converse with guests and was more confident enforcing park rules. I was able to confidently train new employees and take the lead on multiple projects. Overall, I had a great time studying abroad; I learned a ton, I gained new perspectives on peoples and cultures, and I grew as a person.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uxfXkUzDvcgpnP3C6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JVYLtJL6NoGqcMbS9

I spent my Beyond the Classroom Experience in Thailand for three months. I had little expectation for what my journey was going to entail. I had my preconceived ideas about Thailand and the culture there. Now, having returned home deeply reflected my time there, my expectations were beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  I spent time in remote villages, elephant sanctuaries, 30 meters/100 feet under water, and many street markets.

For the first month or so, I spent my time with Growth International Volunteer Excursions, otherwise known as GIVE Volunteers. Upon arrival, I was truly blown away by the attention to detail and consideration they had. From the start, we were given a short Thai lesson and were told about culturally appropriate attire. GIVE did a phenomenal job making sure the volunteers were emerged in the cultures surrounding our work and learning as much as we could. If not for GIVE, I do not think I would have experienced Thai culture in the same way. While volunteering, we worked in schools to teach english based on the curriculum the teachers were following. At one of the schools we built a garden for the children to grow their own produce. Another part of volunteering was learning about ethical elephant tourism and how sanctuaries do their best to keep the elephants healthy and have safe interactions with tourists. The final part of volunteering included getting scuba certified and exploring the importance of ocean conservation. In Krabi, we took coral reef and Black Tip Reef Shark surveys.

My Global Challenge during this experience was exploring the overlap between culture, sustainability, and conservation in indigenous communities, and how has western colonialism interrupted this connection. I had the opportunity to learn from local guides about the Indigenous Peoples of Thailand. While volunteering with GIVE Volunteers, my fellow volunteers and I spent time learning about local culture and traditions. Many of these practices took more than one person. Because these tasks require more than one person, their culture is very community focused and centered around helping each one another out. This idea made me think about how my actions would affect these communities we spent time in. Spending baht, the Thai currency, in a 7-Eleven does not go as far as it did at the local shop in the hill tribes. My perspective on the community and my own actions in the community have changed. I have a greater appreciation for the small day-to-day things. I also find myself being more mindful about the small things I do in my life that could have lasting change.

After I departed from the give, I made my way down to Koh Tao. Koh Tao means “Turtle Island.” Koh Tao is considered a remote island in the Gulf of Thailand. I spent several weeks here scuba diving and completing different specialties that work towards becoming a Master Scuba Diver. I had the great privilege and opportunity to see some of the most beautiful reefs and deep dive sites. The dive company I dived with, Black Turtle Dive, is a conservation dive center. They work with organizations around Koh Tao to establish a healthier relationship between tourists and the coral reefs. I had the opportunity to learn about artificial reefs and divers perceptions of them from one of the dive students I was certified with. I spent time diving with people from all over the world. I had dive instructors who were Scottish, French, Thai, and English. It was awesome to be a part of an activity that does not exclude anyone based on race, religion, or gender. That is one of my favorite things about scuba diving. Anyone can do it no matter who you are, with limitations to physical health factors.  

Thailand is a melting pot of cultures, religions, travelers, and expats. One thing I learned to practice was to remain curious rather than being judgmental. Spending time around people from all over the world meant I was going to see or hear things that were outside of my cultural norms. However, taking a step back and remembering that whatever is abnormal to me, may be normal to someone else. I found this was an easier topic to think about rather than doing it. It is easy to sit in a classroom or at home and believe you are to be open-minded and welcoming to all ideas. Experiencing cultures far from your own is destined to make one feel awkward. Two things can be true at once. I was fascinated with the cultures I was surrounded by, and sometimes I was unfamiliar with the cultural standards of others. With that said, I tried to remain curious and not judge other peoples’ experiences. I can use what I have learned about curiosity instead of judgement in leadership settings. I can ask people about their approach to a conflict or any situation that requires someone to step in.

I feel lucky that my family was able to spend the last few weeks with me. We spent time on the islands Koh Tao and Koh Samui. Afterwards we did a liveaboard in the Andaman Sea, around Koh Lipe. Then we traveled to Railay Beach and took a boat tour through the Phi Phi Islands where we saw the world famous limestone cliffs.

When I reflect on my time in Thailand, I feel a wave of bittersweetness. I could go back and spend a few years there learning about the culture even more and learning more about myself. At the same time, I love my home and community in Missoula. It is a great privilege to travel to another country and spend so much time with yourself. I now walk through life with more gratitude and appreciation for my life.