My interest as a global scholar began when I was very young.  I grew up in a town where many refugee families were resettled.  I have gone to school with first generation immigrants and refugees for my entire life and I have gotten to know a lot of their stories.  Hearing their stories about their home countries and learning about their different cultures made me want to experience those places for myself.  Growing up, my family never traveled outside of the Midwest.  My first experience outside of the Midwest was when I was 17 and the music department in my high school went to New York.  I fell in love with the big city and with the culture there.  That was the first time I noticed a "travel bug" within me.  Since then I have craved to experience new places, even if those places are just a few states away.  

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My Freshman year of college, I learned of a two week study abroad program to Ireland.  My college plan was to always spend a semester abroad in Japan, however, once I got to college, I didn't feel right about any of the Japanese study abroad programs.  They felt too long, considering I have never left home and an entire semester or year away was scary.  This two week summer program was the perfect introduction to global travel and an ideal opportunity for international outreach and service.  It proved to be the right choice, because I fell in love with Ireland--it felt like home.  I would love to return one day and to see even more of Europe.  

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Moving forward, my greatest travel dream is to visit Japan.  Ever since I was young, I've wanted to go there.  I look at pictures, and I just know that I'm meant to be there one day.  Now, with graduation approaching, and needing to leave home, Japan is the next destination on my list.  I plan to apply for the Jet Program where I will be assisting English teachers in their classroom.  I've always enjoyed working with kids, and I think Jet is the perfect opportunity for me to live and work in Japan doing what I love.  Once my time in Japan is over, I want to find a job that allows me to work with refugee families.  The knowledge I have gained from global scholar and my own life experiences has prepared me for what the world has to offer, and I would like to spend my life creating a safe and wonderful home for the people around the world that need to claim sanctuary elsewhere.