The end of 2016 blessed me with the experience of a lifetime. I was able to travel to Europe for a whole semester where I went to go to school at the American College of Greece in Athens, Greece from September to December 2016.

At the American College of Greece, I was able to further explore my Franke GlI Global Theme and Challenge. My theme is human rights and my challenge is women’s rights. I had the opportunity to take a class called Family and Gender Roles, in which I learned about women’s roles throughout history, how men and women’s roles differentiate, how women have gained more rights throughout the years, and much more. I believe that this class has been vital to me for learning more about women and their roles and how I can contribute to women’s rights. I am most passionate about women’s rights within the human trafficking industry. While victims of the human trafficking can be men and children, most victims are women. Human trafficking remains a huge issue today around the world, and even in the U.S.  I believe that it is important to educate people about human trafficking and to help others understand that human trafficking is a huge issue that needs to be solved.

Along with learning more about my Global Theme and Challenge, I was also able to learn about European and world history, to travel to places I have always dreamed about traveling to, learn new languages, meet new people, and experiencing different cultures. One of the highlights of my trip was being able to go on a sixteen-day backpacking trip to six different countries. During this trip, I learned so much about World War II. I visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, learned about Hitler’s rise to power in Berlin, and learned about the many victims of WWII at Auschwitz in Poland. Being able to experience our history, even the terrible parts, has been a great opportunity. I know have a greater appreciation for history.

During this experience, I believe that I have developed my leadership skills. I went on several solo trips during my semester and learned how to rely on myself during these trips. I am a better leader now because I am more trusting in the decisions I make, I have learned how to make important decisions that need to be made, and I am more confident in my abilities. I believe that I am also a better leader because I have come home a more open-minded person to other cultures, beliefs, languages, and more.

This experience has taught me so much. I think that I have been changed for the better and I am extremely thankful to all that have made this experience a reality for me.