They call it Summit, I call it experience.
Agnes Scott is diverse, but it wouldn’t be significant if diversity was just different colors on this campus. Agnes Scott’s mission of educating women to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times wouldn’t be meaningful if it was not the true experience we get from being part of the school/ community. Agnes Scott has created a diverse environment where one is able to gain global experience, but most importantly, Agnes Scott has enabled me to learn and live its values through Summit.
My favorite topic under the summit/ global class was mindfulness. Under this topic, I read stories of people who were judged based on their identity and how it made their lives hard. These readings made me reflect back on my secondary school experience and how I always got questioned about my identity and how it was a draining experience every time I had to deal with it. The USA is my fourth country to live in (RDC, Uganda, South Africa & USA), nevertheless, I still experienced cultural shock and stories I read made me understand how my behaviors can impact someone’s experience either positively or negatively. Another important part was the research about the cultures and history of Martinique, a country that was to be a travel destination for my global class. In this research, I was able to connect people’s cultures with their history. Learning about people through their history is the best way of learning and celebrating diversity. In my classes, I was not only taught to be diverse but also my mind was challenged and every day I learned how to question my beliefs, my perceptions about different behaviors and accept other people’s lifestyle without compromising my values.
While I learned and questioned my perception, I found the courage to question some aspects of Agnes Scott operational culture. For the first few weeks at Agnes Scott, I felt the orientation had not prepared me enough to live in such a diverse environment. It was through a crucial discussion with professors and staff members that I came to understand how diverse the school was and how much the school have done to make everything possible. Through this, I was able to give feedback and also got involved in campus activities so that I can contribute to bringing changes that I desired. The following year, I was involved in the student orientation council where I participated in Orientation for first years. I was not only happy for contributing to first years’ experience as they started the next chapter of their lives, but also seeing that the feedback I shared was incorporated into the program. After this experience, I was determined to get involved in different activities in order to experience the beauty of Agnes Scott College. I am humbled to serve as a vice president of international students Association.
I am not only encouraged to be part of my community at Agnes Scott College, but beyond.
This experience relates to learning outcomes below
Identify and assess one’s values, interests and abilities
Analyze human behavior or social relations
Recognize, analyze, and employ effective teamwork
