Participant Perspective - Lesley Bos

Students taking part in the Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.

Today we feature Lesley Bos from Grand Rapids Community College.  She is a participant in TRIO Student Support Services.

Blog Date:  July 14, 2019

Participant Perspective - Lauren Harvey

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.  

Lauren is a student at the University of Nevada - Reno.  She is a participant in the TRIO Student Support Services program.  

Blog Date - July 10, 2019

How to Survive Your Study Abroad Semester in Five Easy Steps

Step 1: Get yourself a muffin
No one who has eaten a great muffin in the morning has ever had a bad day. Think about it. Do you know anyone who has? No! So start your day off with a muffin because, if you're like me, you will soon have to go meet with a group of twenty other sleep deprived Americans in a wifi-less building -- trust me, you need that muffin.

Step 2: Go to class and be engaged
Take advantage of the amazing educational opportunity you have been granted. You never know when you will have this chance again. For example, today I worked with my peers to create my own social justice campaign as well as participate in a UN simulation where I had to negotiate with other "countries." I learned a lot from these activities and without my full effort I would not have benefited from these experiences as much. 

Step 3: Take some time to relax and reflect
After a five hour day of classes, remember to take care of your health. Whether it be napping, drawing, or watching Netflix, make sure that you balance your academics with self-care. Personally, I have been journaling my experiences as a student in a new country. I believe this is a good way to de-stress but also to preserve all of the memories and adventures of my journey across the world. Another thing I love to do is read. It helps to remove me from my own mind space when I am in a high stress environment. Currently I am reading I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter which is one out of the many books on my summer reading list.

Step 4: Have fun!
Despite the long school days and homework, keep in mind that there is a whole world beyond your university that you may never experience again! Go out with friends, immerse yourself in the culture and don't forget to have fun -- you owe it to you past and future self. Tonight, summer school students were invited to meet the deputy mayor and network with other students. When it comes to rare events like these savor every moment.

Step 5: Appreciate
And finally, appreciate the new world around you. No matter where you are in the transition to a new country, keep in mind that this new country has so much to be grateful for. You may love your new home but a new environment is good for you. It's not better, nor worse, just different. So be appreciative of the new sights, smells, views, and people -- chances are you'll miss it when you're gone.

Participant Perspective - Gema Lucero

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.  

Gema is a student at the University of Utah.  She is a participant in the TRIO Student Support Services program. 

Blog Date:  July 15, 2019

Today we started the week with ECHO, the Centre for Diversity Policy. They introduced their program with an interactive discussion about inclusivity in higher education and what that looks like in our own communities. We were then introduced to Seneha, an activist and scholar who was working to make her own university a place with a diverse student body as well as a space for people of all backgrounds to feel like they can pursue an education without feeling discriminated against. After a quick break, we were introduced to another pair of activists who worked towards inclusivity, but focusing on Afro-students, who are usually the most overlooked group in universities. After listening to their presentation, we learned about their Afro-student association and what it means to be a person of color in Dutch society, especially when racist symbols still exist as a part of Dutch culture. Learning more about what POC face in Dutch society in comparison to American society was a great way to start the week, especially because we are now prepared to see the cities in the Netherlands that hold this history and rich culture that was inspired by people who are still oppressed to this day.

Participant Perspective - Cody Walker

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.  

Cody is a student at West Virginia University Institute of Technology.  He is a participant in the TRIO Student Support Services program.  

Blog Date - July 7, 2019

I am an American student attending the 2019 Hague Summer School in The Hague, Netherlands.  During my time here I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge from the summer school, and fortunately I have been able to experience some Dutch culture.  On July 7, 2019 my friends from the summer school and I went to a local restaurant to watch the Netherlands Women’s National Team play in the World Cup Final against the United States Women’s National Team for the trophy.

We found one within the Den Haag City Center. The whole place was filled with Dutch supporters waiting to cheer on their team, while I (one of the lone supporters for the United States) was waiting to cheer on mine. I was able to feel all the highs and lows of the Dutch supporters as the game went on. In the end, the USA team was victorious. While I silently celebrated the victory, I couldn’t help but notice the vibe of the whole restaurant went down.  It was intense to see a whole group of people be affected by a soccer match.  It is rare to see that in the USA and I have never witnessed something like that in person.  This will be a moment in my life I will always remember.

Participant Perspective - Kuverua

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.

Kuverua is a student at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and is a member of TRIO Student Support Services.

Blog Date:  July 14, 2019

The best part of my experience here in The Netherlands was when we went to Parliament. As part of our field trip we went with our Professor and there we met a gentleman who shared with us the Dutch history, politics and culture. It was interesting to learn that the Kings of Netherlands in the past had all authorities and power and later on they handed on the whole governing responsibility. Religion also played a crucial role in Dutch politics. Being an American citizen by birth and someone who was raised at Namibia, I never saw the insides of Congress or even the White House in America and here I am in The Hague learning the culture, history and politics. It’s just a privilege and an honor; I am humbled. 

We also visited Humanity House, hearing a story from a gentleman from Congo who came to Netherlands as a refugee. The suffering he went through to be where he is today was very inspiring. He reminded me of my own Dad, who went to the USA as a refugee from Namibia through Botswana.

In the future, when I am done with my studies, I am now thinking of working in world peace keeping organizations such as UN, AU, and SADC. What I have learned here has helped me to see things from a different perspective, or paradigm, as they say here in The Netherlands. 

Participant Perspective - Lois "Lo" Walker

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.

Lois is a student at Arizona Western College and is a member of TRIO Student Support Services.

Blog Date:  July 4, 2019

Today was a great day in our General Module class. Exciting! We looked a bottom up approach with insurance in India. This brought up good debates about Private Sector Development and if they were actually beneficial to developing countries. We had three guest speakers and they talked about: Globalization with the growing international economic and financial interaction; Resources, Security and Development Demography, employability and Education in Africa; Introduction to Dutch Politics. We watched a movie with all of our study peers which was nice and I had dinner with my exit buddy Lauren at our dorms.

Participant Perspective - Aneesa Addarich

Students taking part in the Council for Opportunity in Education Keith Sherin Global Leaders Program have been tasked with documenting one day out of their journey in The Hague, Netherlands.

Aneesa is a student at the State University of New York - Binghamton.  She is a member of TRIO Student Support Services. 

Blog Date:  July 5, 2019

This mirror at the Humanity House summed up my day very well in one photo. The point of the mirror was to put you in the shoes of a refugee who feels invisible, so when you look in the “mirror” you don’t see yourself. It is an unsettling feeling to be looking in a mirror but unable to see yourself. On a surface level, it reminded me of how I felt every morning for the past week because there are no long mirrors in the dorms, so I never know what my outfit looks like before I walk out of the door. I get dressed and hope for the best. This is has been an adjustment for someone who usually checks the mirror 15 times before I leave the house. On a personal level, the mirror reminded me of how this trip has already changed how I look at myself and how I think others look at me. Everyone has an image of themselves in their head, what we think other people see when they look at us. Looking in the mirror, I saw nothing but I knew I was there. I could feel the weight of my body, my feet on the floor. But in the mirror, who was I if I couldn’t see myself? Being in a new country is a highly conscious moment of the differences between who you are and you hope to be when you are abroad. All of the sudden you are aware of your unconscious mannerisms and regular habits. You notice how you always pull doors that usually push. You notice your body feeling tired when it’s still daylight outside (even though it’s 10pm). You notice how you hesitate to drink the water you just filled up in the bathroom sink. I have become very sensitive to everything that I am, everything that I do, everything that makes me who I am, because those things make me different here. When I look in the mirror at home I look exactly how I think I do. When I look in the mirror here I see nothing, and I am left with the nagging question of who do I want to be in this unfamiliar land?

In my head I am: Aneesa, freshly turned 20 year old, college student, book lover, Barista, future world traveler.

To the guy in the Lighthouse Cafe I am: girl who doesn’t know how to open a garbage can.

Traveling is a whirlwind of emotions. Highs and lows. Today was my favorite day so far. I ate (many samples of) cheese, Greek food, ice cream and my daily stroopwaffle. I am grateful for everything I’ve learned and everyone I met. I’m ending the day feeling very grateful and introspective about my place in New York, in the United States, in the Netherlands, in the world, in relationships with friends and family, and most importantly with myself.