See stories from GVSU Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients before, during & after their adventures abroad.
I am living in a new country for the next year. I would have never had this opportunity without the Padnos family. The amount of cultural insight that I have learned during just this first month is incredible. For example, today I went to a rap concert in the Heart of Amman, the concert was in Arabic and because of the classes I was able to take with the Padnos Scholarship, I understood some of the fast passed raps. The rap music seems to be a coping mechanism for youth dealing with the constant war in the region and it was really amazing to hear music advocating for peace. At one point one of the rappers asked everyone to hold up the peace sign during her song and rapped about the region regaining its stability, the concert was called ‘The World is Yours.’ As the refugee crisis is heightening, being in the Middle East and having the ability to talk with refugees and go to lecture hosted by UNESCO, USAID and other humanitarian organizations from around the world, I am receiving an education that I never dreamed of having access to. On top of this, I am also learning how to build a new support system in a foreign country far from the comforts of home, a life skill that I will benefit from once I graduate and get thrown into the working world.
Currently I am still in college. However, this next year, living in a foreign country and being able to travel to nearby countries such as Turkey (where I visited Kyle and David, two other Padnos scholars) and hopefully Morocco, Egypt and possibly the Holy Lands, I will see some of the most ancient history in the world. The Padnos scholarship is an amazing opportunity and I intend to take full advantage of this unique opportunity and gain as much insight into the world and culture around me during this next year.
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