La Trobe Personal Statement

I have always had an intense draw to not only travelling the world, but experiencing the world through people. Through their cultures, ways of living, art, and where they reside. Creating opportunities for myself to learn through such life changing experiences is my biggest personal goal, which has now taken me down the path of realizing I can make this into a profession as well. Being an Art major with a Global Studies minor, I see immense importance in understanding different cultures. I have found that within different groups, the arts can often act as a magnifying glass, giving a time stamp of what has happened in a community, and how they may have changed or evolved as a result. This is one reason why I will be a part of the La Trobe

To experience the world through people, I need to develop my tolerance for ambiguity. Through prior global studies courses, I have learned to do this on my home campus. I have spent time at The Mills center engaged in Language Circles, I have been to religious gatherings (of which I do not subscribe) to respectfully engage and ask questions to the members of the faith, and I have reflected on my own cultural biases, to name a few examples. While these experiences have pushed my comfort zones and helped me to grow towards my personal and professional goals, I know my next steps need to be much more immersive. This leads to my second personal requirement when choosing a program, I need an experience where I can be fully immersed in the culture and way of life, just like the local students. As a result of the learning, I have already done here at UO, I am ready to take on this next challenge. La Trobe University and University of Oregon have a partnership to allow students to take part in a direct exchange, which is what I will be engaged in. This means a wildly independent experience, with no familiarity to cling to, which for me will be incredibly motivating and allow for growth. La Trobe University also does not separate international/exchange students in classes, housing, or within any other university activities. This is exactly what I am looking for. I want to experience the Melbourne, Australia way of life from the people that live it every day. I want to engage in meaningful conversation, ask questions, and be curious about soon-to-be friends from a culture unfamiliar to me. I will be living, learning, and experiencing life right alongside these people. An independent and immersive program is not only offered at La Trobe, but