Global Competence - Global Learning

I gained considerably more global awareness from my experiences close to home than from traveling! Just going to school in the Seattle area means being surrounded by international colleagues. My best friends have relatives in India, Bulgaria, Mexico, Israel, Iran, Germany, Nepal, Slovakia, France, China, and Taiwan. The list continues, of course.

I learned to respect dietary differences, spell names correctly, and celebrate each other's holidays. I like, for example, to share the Romanian custom of Martisor every year, and I loved it when my friend invited me to her Indian housewarming ceremony - and gave me a sari to wear.

We eat all sorts of food. I like Mexican and Italian cuisines the best, and Pho remains one of my comfort dishes.

From Education to Action: My School Experience

Northstar Middle School: expanding the minds of pre-teens

I had the chance to attend Northstar, a small, public, top-ranked choice school in Kirkland. Its amazing teachers and multidisciplinary, project-based approach exposed us to material that was both fun and eye-opening. We had courses in investigative journalism, Rock music appreciation, the Middle-East conflict, the role of infectious disease in history, the history of cinema (including difficult foreign movies like Nosferatu), and debate (on some of the most controversial issues you can think of).

Most importantly, the Northstar introductory social studies course packaged the complexities into a quirky class in which we were asked to imagine a hypothetical Fantasy Island country. It forced us to think both globally and holistically - about how countries interact and about all the components of a society. We even designed a genetically engineered crop and discussed the pros and cons.

Twice a year, Northstar had week-long educational modules (Conference Weeks) led by the parent association. Since our school was so ethnically diverse, you could see it in the conference material as well. Among other topics, we had sessions on international cuisines, yoga, art techniques, and Chinese writing.

The year-long passion projects provided another opportunity to broaden our horizons and those of our colleagues through research and sharing. For one of the projects, I self-studied French, and for another, I explored calligraphy. The Chinese writing session inspired me.

Northstar emboldened me to keep studying and to later take social studies courses that my colleagues shunned, such as the notoriously low exam-pass-rate AP Human Geography. I'm happy I took this class!

AP courses further shaped my global perspective

Taking AP Human Geography (AP HuG) and AP World History in high school has expanded and evolved my understanding of global issues.

APHuG goes well beyond geography to describe the world as a dynamic system shaped by migration, trade, conflict, and cultural exchange. One experience that sticks with me is a simulation in which I impersonated an elderly, male, muslim convenience store owner whose lifelong dream had been to become a painter. It gave me lots to think.

AP World History included a variety of experiences and a History Day project. My friend group is naturally mixed, but my project team really had it all: we were kids of immigrants from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and we were, of course, all very American. For our History Day project we picked Latin American Revolutions. We also did an Unsung Hero spotlight on Manuela Saenz. Having a hispanic friend on the team gave us perspective and motivation.

My high school courses further deepened my appreciation for how societies connect across time and space. I've learned to recognize patterns, make connections, and think about how to best tackle modern challenges - using the perspective gained from history.

Appropriately, my first tutor certification with Schoolhouse.world is based on my AP World History exam score.

DECA: 21st Century Skills include Global Awareness

As a Distributive Educational Clubs of America (DECA) Emerging Leader, member, and competitor, I enjoy all the opportunities it enables.

It exposes its members to business, project management, and leadership curriculum, as well as 21st-century skill-building - including cultural and global awareness.
The DECA.org organization has chapters in 10 countries and continues to grow internationally.
I was honored to participate in one International Career Development Conference (ICDC) and experience the sense of both competition and camaraderie from meeting kids representing other US states and countries. Strategically trading in the DECA Pin Exchange still brings a smile to my face.