UF in Europe: Environmental Ethics and Sustainability Politics
Studying abroad in Europe was an integral component of my undergraduate career. Participating in this program solidified my desire to work on advancing environmental justice and enacting sustainable policies on a global scale. The program consisted of a group of 18 students, including myself, from a variety of backgrounds, such as sustainability studies, urban planning, and political science. Each of us traveled with our professor through Switzerland, Germany, France, and Italy learning about the various sectors in each of those countries that are affected by climate change and how they are coping with that reality. Given that climate change is an issue that is affecting, and will continue to affect pretty much every facet of life, all of us were exposed to guest speakers and industries in a substantial amount of fields. We did everything from meeting with Strasbourg city planning officials to touring the United Nations headquarters in Geneva to entering a wind turbine in Germany to meeting with aquatic farmers in Italy. Each of these experiences and so many more opened my eyes to Europe's sustainability practices, and reinforced in my mind the notion that the United States has much to learn from Europe in this regard, and if these practices are emulated, can become an influential role model for other countries in the fight against climate change.
Immediately upon entering Europe, I could see that the mindset around the design of civilization differed vastly from the American mindset. As Americans, we tend to be more individualistic, and that is certainly reflected in the way our cities are designed and how we approach adapting to long-term issues like climate change. European cities are not designed around individuals, but society as a whole. One apparent example of this that I saw everywhere I went is the ubiquity of public transportation options and additionally the numerous walkable areas of cities that are designed for pedestrian enjoyment and safety. Regional trains, buses, trams, bicycle lanes, and designated walking areas were all characteristics of European cities that I got to see in pretty much everywhere that we stopped and experienced for a few days at a time. Seeing this firsthand made me realize just how individualistic the United States is in its design, focusing primarily on car-centric infrastructure and sprawling suburbia, rather than diverse transportation methods and urban density.
The overall objective of this study abroad program was to reflect upon everything that we had seen and experienced, and ponder what we can borrow from Europe and advocate for incorporation into American society upon our return. Once I finished this program, I was required to write and submit an op-ed for an idea that can be implemented in the United States, based on what I learned in Europe. Prior to this study abroad, I had never written an op-ed before, and I did not think that I would be doing so until well after my college graduation and when I thought I would be qualified to talk about a certain topic when I am working in my future career. Due to my reflection of Europe's diversity mindset when it came to green energy, I produced an op-ed advocating for tidal current energy as my final project, and it was accepted for publication by the Gainesville Sun! It can be accessed here.
I am extremely grateful that I stepped out my comfort zone not in the sense of immersing myself in another culture, but by exploring an area of study that I had limited familiarity with and choosing to study it outside of an American setting. Because of this experience, I was able to figure out what I wanted to do for my career, and I am excited to see where it takes me in life!
Language Learning at UF: Russian
I consider myself very lucky to have been raised initially as a non-English speaker who eventually found his way to English fluency at a young age. Navigating the challenge of speaking Romanian at home and English in school and eventually in all other life situations gave me the ability to pick up other foreign languages with relative ease. I have also had the privilege of learning Greek, Spanish, and Latin before I started Russian. The excitement that came with being able to communicate with others has been a part of my life since then, and it has continued through my time at UF.
I decided I wanted to learn Russian because I thought that it is a critical language to know for those who aspire to get into politics, especially diplomacy and international relations. Ironically, I had already been learning Russian for one semester before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and after this happened my resolve to continue with the language strengthened. As with all foreign languages, there is a learning curve that is present. Firstly, I had to adapt to learning a new alphabet that I was not previously familiar with. Second came the vocabulary and the memorization involved with that. Lastly, and this is true to this day, is the grammar and the rules involved that I need to be aware of whenever I am speaking Russian. Thankfully though, Romanian and Russian have enough similarities which helped ease the learning process for me, despite these two languages being a part of two different language families.
Learning Russian helped me find another one of the many communities at UF I have grown to know and love: the Russian Culture Club. During my time in this club, I have made many friends that taught me about their language and culture, spoken to me about their lives and backgrounds, and exposed me to various Russian traditions and cuisines. Joining this club and partaking in the numerous opportunities afforded to me was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my undergraduate career.
Below I have attached some videos that I recorded for my third semester of Russian, in Dr. Gorham's Intermediate Russian 1 course. I am very proud of the progress I have made so far in Russian, and I cannot wait to see where I will have gone with it in the years to come.
Conversation Partner at the UF English Language Institute
My brief time as a Conversation Partner at UF has been nothing short of enjoyable. In this capacity, I have had the privilege of working with numerous international students, helping them to practice their English and better assimilate into university life in the United States. My two main objectives while being involved as a Conversation Partner were to meet one on one with an international student assigned to me every week, and also to help out with English Language Institute classes.
My conversation partners came from South Korea, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia. The students I worked with during their ELI classes came from all parts of the world, and I was excited to learn about where they came from and why they chose to study in the United States. I absolutely loved how they seemed very invested in improving their English and engaging with their Language Assistants and Conversation Partners. While every week consisted of different teaching activities to practice speaking and grammar, the enthusiasm was the one constant during every class session. The experience of helping these students taught me the value of patience and understanding. While I do not personally see myself pursuing a teaching career anytime soon, I believe I took part in an invaluable opportunity to set myself up for teaching competency should I ever need it. In addition to that, I improved my communication skills with people who come from different backgrounds, which conditioned me to be a better listener and more empathetic communicator.
I joined the ELI as a Conversation Partner during my fourth year at UF, and if I were able to start my undergraduate career over again, I wish I could have joined much earlier. Despite not having as much time with this organization as I would ideally want, I am grateful for the opportunities it afforded me to learn about other cultures and also better myself in the process.