Hello!
The two international organizations I chose to be affiliated with this year to meet the requirements for the global engagement fellowship program was OU Cousins and the Asian American Student Association. These were both two programs that I hoped would spark my interest in the international community, but unfortunately I did not have much success with either. Not to critique the programs, because I believe both hold values of bringing diversity and including the international community on campus. Because I didn’t feel as if either group was the right fit for me, this just means I have another chance to explore new groups next semester that fit me and my personal interests! OU Cousins I full heartedly adore the purpose behind the organization of OU Cousins. Not only is the organization beneficial to the international student, OU cousins is such a blessing to those who choose to give their time to spend and learn about someone else and their customs. Unfortunately, because of the willingness of people to give up their time, there were far too many people to be matched with international students, and I didn’t receive one :( I didn’t let this stop me though! I was pretty upset that I didn’t have the opportunity to receive an OU cousin, but in the end it was a blessing in disguise. In October, I was at Starbucks (my saving grace this semester!!) when I met Connie. Connie was in front of me at starbucks in line when she realized she had left her ID in her room and couldn’t pay for her coffee. I offered to pay for her coffee, and in buying that cup of coffee I received a friendship that I’ll cherish for a lifetime. Connie is originally from Malawi, and is studying engineering here at OU. She has such a bright humble spirit and has many qualities that I hope to one day develop. As interested as I am concerning her heritage, she’s just as interested in my own and we have wonderful conversations and I’m so thankful that she left her ID that day!
0 Comments
|
Hello!My name is Kelsey Norton and I'm currently a freshman here at the University of Oklahoma. This blog will involve all things international and will contain reflections for a program I'm involved in here at the University, The Global Engagement Fellowship program. ArchivesCategories |