Hi, I am Syeda Habib. I am a junior at Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics. I am a student of the Opportunity Network where I had the chance to meet Fulbright students. It was an interesting experience having the Fulbright students at The Opportunity Network session. They brought diversity from all across the world. Just listening to them talk and hearing their accents, I felt Egypt, France, New Zealand, Australia, and Tanzania were all well represented.
I personally never met anyone from any of these countries and I was exposed to different cultures that were unique and rich in ways other than money-wise. Benoit introduced France, a country that is very diplomatic and through their museums, rich in culture. Ali introduced Egypt, the oldest country in the world full of history. Chye-Ching introduced New Zealand, popular for being environmentally friendly. Kanthi Lewis introduced Australia, the oldest, driest continent. Kemi Kafanabo introduced Tanzania, where 120 languages are spoken in a land rich in animals.
It was also interesting to have foreign opinions about the United States. I learned about a typical day at school and work compared to the United States. Learning about all these cultures put the United States in a different perspective for me. I felt lucky living in the United States because America really does have many opportunities available. For example, I was very surprised to learn that in most other countries, people have to choose their field of interest at the young age of thirteen. I am almost seventeen and I am interested in engineering and environmental science and still not sure if I want to get into those fields. It was a unique opportunity to learn about different countries from people born and raised there. It was a pleasure having them at OppNet.
Syeda Habib
Opportunity Network Student
Hello! I am a junior from Richard R. Green High School of Teaching. I saw Global Classroom at the international panel held by The Opportunity Network, a career preparatory program. Global Classroom was a wonderful experience for me as I learned a lot from this session. I was very interested by the comments that the scholars made about their daily life here, compared to that of their country. I could relate a lot to their first impressions of the U.S. This was awkward for me because I always felt that nobody ever had the same feelings that I confronted when I first arrived to the U.S.
What I found most astonishing about the scholars was how quickly they assimilated into the education system here, considering that every country has a unique educational system. I know that I never would be able to fit in so hastily if I were to participate in a study-abroad program, especially if it is for college. College, by itself, is difficult and the transition from high school to college would be even more challenging if I were to go study in another country. I have always had a desire to study abroad and the scholars from Global Classroom inspired me to follow this dream of mine. I am very grateful to them for making me realize this.
Not only did I learn about the first experiences of the scholars in the U.S., but I also gained a lot of knowledge about their native country. I have always had the dream of taking a trip around the world, but that is not possible. In the small session with the Global Classroom, I felt that I had done exactly that. The scholars did an excellent job of describing the overall political, economical and cultural aspects of their country of origin. I was most fascinated by the descriptions of Niger by one of the international scholars, Idrissa Mamane Rabiou, because we, as students, rarely get the opportunity to learn about Africa and I feel that we should be mandated to study this continent further, since the worst events such as genocides are happening at this place now.
The lifestyles of the scholars, in addition to their experiences and their countries, taught me a lot more about them. I didn’t expect them to lead such an enjoyable life because I thought that they would be more serious and studious. Nevertheless, I felt satisfied knowing that they had such an interesting, yet normal life. This also made me consider if I should become an international student as well. This is essentially why the Global Classroom was a remarkable experience for me as it introduced me to a new field of study that I probably will consider in the future.
Sadea Shahan
Opportunity Network Student
No comments:
Post a Comment