Like many Nigerians, I was encouraged to seek a career in medicine, engineering, law or even business- the narrative of success and security. However, this narrative never made me excited in the way that studying the globe did. I even tried to pursue a minor in Health Sciences and ended up adding a minor in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance instead. As a first year, I didn’t know what these studies entailed and neither did my family members; yet, it only made the journey more meaningful.

 

Born abroad and raised in a Nigerian household in the States, I was fortunate to have an early exposure to the global community and the way in which culture can transcend nation-state boundaries. Beginning in middle school, my parents made it a priority that our family make annual summer trips to Nigeria to visit our family and know our culture, to know ourselves. Before long, I was traveling solo to visit family and work with a local non-profit organization, Anawim Home Rehabilitation Center for three summers. This experience gave me a great context for beginning my globalized learning at UF.

 

Anawim Home Rehabilitation Center, located in Gwagwalada, Nigeria, is a center that provides for the mentally ill, orphans, and young mothers. The reverend sisters who run the establishment were not necessarily accustomed to having young students from abroad volunteering on-site, so my jobs around Anawim Home were quite varied and flexible, allowing me to build my adaptability skills. I organized medical files in the clinic; typed final exams and graded papers for their nearby school; and organized a school supply collection drive in conjunction with my county’s Key Club organizations. Most importantly, I listened and learned. I met so many different people with different stories that I still hold dear today. It was a fruitful experience that taught me about hospitality, rural living, poverty in one’s physical condition but richness in spirit.

 

Reflecting on my work with Anawim Home after learning about development in my studies, I realize that my school supply drive may have been well intentioned but was not sustainable. Moving forward, I am challenging myself to seek opportunities for sustainable development in my work and in my actions, in order to enable others for the long term rather than sustain them for the short term.

 

After my first year, I fundraised my way to a remarkable study abroad program: UF in the Dominican Republic. This trip specifically caught my eye because it was a service learning trip – one in which I was both learning in the classroom and serving in the local community. Both my host family, mi familia afitriona, and my service in the DR were some of the most memorable aspects of this trip. My two younger sisters showed me what an average day in the DR was like, from watching Disney channel in Spanish to visiting the local market. My host mom and dad were some of the kindest individuals I have ever met to this day. They were willing to communicate with me and my roommates through “sign-language” while urging us to progress in our language proficiency, and also took us on adventures through the mountains.

 

Through the child social service organization, Acción Callejera, I worked in a public-school classroom called Centro Peña Gomez alongside the main teacher and another study abroad student to teach children how to read and write in Spanish. The school was located in a less affluent part of Santiago, giving us the opportunity to work with students from tough backgrounds where education would become less and less of a priority. As in most service projects I choose to take part in, I was both a teacher and a student. I was challenged to teach these children in my developing Spanish proficiency and humbled when the students corrected my Spanish. It was exactly what I hoped to gain from the experience: a challenge and exposure. From the classroom to recess, the students truly wanted to learn something in everything that they did. They reminded me that every experience lends itself a lesson.

 

After my study abroad program in the Dominican Republic, I switched my language courses to continue my goal of learning new languages. As a first-year student, I had wanted to take a copious amount of languages; I later learned that depth would be more valuable than breadth. These courses, from Beginning French 1 to French Grammar and Stylistics, made me fascinated in the francophone countries of West Africa. The coursework and the French grammar were a challenge for me compared to what had seemed simple comprehension in my Spanish courses. The first four semesters made me ask myself if I truly wanted to learn this language, especially since I would not be completing a major or minor in French. Fast-forward to my sixth semester and I could not be more grateful that I stuck with the courses as they have only deepened my interest in francophone Africa and encouraged me to persevere with my goal of learning languages, no matter how challenging.

 

Through my determination to learn French and most importantly, through the resources provided in the International Scholars Program, I learned about the opportunity to apply as an intern for the UF Sahel Research Group – perhaps the best way I could have spent my final year at the University of Florida. This group surrounded me with professors and doctoral students who are nothing short of inspirational in their drive to understand and share the political, social, economic and cultural dynamics of the West African Sahel region. With every weekly newsletter I make and every conversation I engage in, I reinforce my French proficiency and understanding about the diversity of the African continent. The questions I had about International Studies-Africa during freshman orientation are being fulfilled every time I step in the office.

 

By internationalizing my degree, I have gained an appreciation for people’s stories and the diversity in the world in ways that I could have only imagined. I have grown more empathetic towards the challenges that are experienced globally; more analytical of development procedures; more inquisitive of all there is to learn. This curiosity and willingness to learn would not have been possible without the help of the International Scholars Program. Every newsletter that they released revealed another opportunity that exists at the local and global level to learn about the world. Through events like “Success in Service: Life After Peace Corps” and “When Does Aftermath Begin?”, I was challenged to think long-term about the implications of service abroad and development work. I also learned more about myself. Through my courses, study abroad programs, involvement at UF, and ISP seminars, I realized that I love being in positions where I can lift others to their highest potential and learn throughout. It is for these reasons that I was able to more confidently apply for the Peace Corps and will have the honor to serve as a Food Security Extension Agent in Benin beginning in the Fall. The service and the learning does not end here; the experiences I have had as a Global Gator will be with me for a lifetime.