Reflexionemos

Warning: Please forgive the spastic writing and constant change of topics.

Because the semester is coming to an end, I thought an appropriate final blog post would be a reflection about my experiences in Border Beat. Not only have I enjoyed writing about the subject of higher education, but also I loved documenting the stories of interesting people.

 In addition, I must note that our Border Beat professor, Jay Rochlin, will be retiring in May. He has been, by far, one of my favorite professors at the University of Arizona. He has made a great impact on my life and I thank him so much for constantly encouraging me to chase my dreams.

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 When I first found out that we'd be responsible for weekly blog posts I was ecstatic. I currently have a personal blog that I try to update on a daily basis. Maintaining two blogs, while also creating content to be published on the Border Beat website kept me busy.

I can honestly say that I've never written so much content in my life - I forgot to mention that I also write about 14 articles a month for the University of Arizona College of Medicine alumni e-newsletter. 

But the truth is, I never got bored or tired of typing away for hours. Unlike many seniors graduating from the UA School of Journalism, I still love to write. Even after four years of learning ethics, law, AP style and more, I really do love interviewing sources, copy editing and creating content. 

Another thing that Border Beat helped me to do is realize I have a passion for photography. Half way through the semester I bought a Canon T2i camera, to make meeting deadlines easier. After a few of my friends found out I purchased a nice camera I started taking senior photos. Here a few of them below.

 I know that I'm not a professional, but I think this could be something I continue to do on the side. I am so grateful that this course pushed me to make this purchase.

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Thank you for joining me in my journey to investigate higher education and "the border", or rather, foreigners.

Hasta luego,

Shannon

Ten cuidado cuando está con los extranjeros...

This week I wanted to write about my experiences interacting with individuals from foreign countries.  While some of these scenarios took place in a classroom environment, others occurred during three community service trips to Buenos Aires, Argentina. All of my encounters with people from other places have not only taught me to respect the values and ideals of others, but also have helped me realize that sometimes it's okay to step back and laugh at things you normally would not. 

Last semester, I took a religious studies class with a woman whose family was from Mexico. Of course, it being a class that discussed Catholicism in great depth, my classmate felt the need to constantly provide feedback and affirmation for the the various things my teacher would explain. 

Just for the record, I too am Hispanic - 50 percent.  My mother's parents lived in Florence, Ariz. which was once a Mexican territory. Therefore, my grandparents have deep roots in Mexican traditions. 

Being that my grandparents allowed their children (my mom) to raise their kids freely, I did not partake in a few of the Mexican holidays or celebrations. I was naive to the fact that the Virgin Mary played such a key role in Catholicism - my parents began to attend a non-denomination church when I was young.

Now that you have a greater understanding of my religious and cultural background, let me explain what happened in class. When our professor asked how big of a role model the Virgin Mary was in our lives, as Hispanic Americans, I quickly said something like, "Oh, I'm more inspired by Jesus' story than my Mary's" - hopefully you will not take offense to this statement.  

My classmate, on the other hand, was livid and explained that she lived much of her life according to what she'd learned about Mary.  

Moral of the story: The way I was raised is not all-inclusive of the way every Hispanic American grew up. It's okay to voice your opinions, but leave room for others to do so, as well. 

Another scenario that comes to mind, when reflecting upon my interactions with people from other countries, is when my Argentine host sister thought it was funny use the "f-word" and "flip the bird" as a joke. 

Yes, if you're an avid reader of my blog you'll realize you've met Tefi before. She's a 23-year-old female who graduated from college with a degree in cinematography. 

Since she's interested in film, she's spent countless hours watching American movies. Of course, what does any viewer see in those types of movies… cursing, vulgarity and person-to-person insults. 

I couldn't help but realize Tefi kept using the "f-word" and "flipping the bird" at my camera when I'd try to take her photos. When I asked her why, she explained she thought it was a sign of comedy in the United States. 

Of course, I wasn't offended by her word or actions, but instead took the time to explain to her what those two things really meant. In the end, she learned the American point of view, but said to people in Argentina it's perceived as hilarious. 

Lesson learned: Slurs, words and actions can vary in every country. It's imperative that we familiarize ourselves with the cultural norms before we drop an "f-bomb" or flash an offensive gesture. 

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos...

This past week I was speaking with a University of Arizona senior about her plan to move to Miacatlán, Mexico, in June to teach special education. As she leaves the United States, she will be working for minimal pay, at an orphanage that not only feeds and houses children and some family members, but also pays to educate residents until they finish college. After I left the interview, I could not help but do more research about the organization called Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos.

NPH has a rich and interesting history that dates back to 1954. Since its founding, the organization has expanded and is now present in nine countries including Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican, Peru and Bolivia. The homes in each country not only provide shelter, but also an education, community work experience and vocational training. The various NPH communities are nearly self-sufficient. Andrea Mee, the UA senior, said the community is complete with farms, water supplies and more. She also said that everyone living in an NPH facility works together to provide for their peers.

As you will see in my upcoming article, Mee will be leaving the U.S. to volunteer with NPH for one year. She said that if she enjoys her time of service, she will have the opportunity to extend her contract.

Below is a video that showcases what the Miacatlán location has to offer.

For more information about how Mee is preparing for life after graduation in Mexico, stay tuned to the Border Beat website.

Las experiencias en el extranjero...

About six months ago, I got a phone call from a dear friend of mine explaining she'd be moving to Buenos, Aires Argentina to pursue an internship with the U.S. Department of State. My friend, Kelly said she'd listed me as a reference on her application and that I may be called or questioned by the government to confirm she'd be a good candidate for the program. Although I was never contacted, I have made an effort to keep in touch with her throughout her trip. This weekend she allowed me to interview her about the various experiences she's had abroad.

A little background information is necessary to best understand my respect for Kelly. We met at camp when we were about 11 years old. Neither of us went to the same school and while Kelly was very athletic, I was about as girly as you could get. Regardless, she became a great friend and we've been in touch ever since.

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This photo of Kelly and me was taken in Feb. 2010 when we volunteered at a Scottsdale Bible Church camp for Club 56 students. Although the weekend retreat was held at a different location, it was with the same organization that enabled us to meet nine years before.

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I distinctly remember Kelly starting high school at Veritas Preparatory Academy, a charter school in Phoenix. While comparing our class schedules, she told me she was now forced to learn Latin. I could not figure out why they'd made that historical language necessary when Spanish was and is so prevalent in Arizona. That aside, Kelly picked it up like a champ. I remember being in conversations and she'd randomly tell me the Latin root for a particular word... A few years later, she had the opportunity to learn Spanish. Even though I'd been learning the language for years, Kelly seemed able to pick up grammar like a professional. She was quickly speaking better than me.

Fast forward a few years and the 21-year-old Arizona State University student can speak English, Spanish, Tajik and Farsi.

Kelly's ability to learn a language is like no one I've known before. I am blown away by her desire to pursue study and work abroad experiences, while still working towards obtaining her undergraduate degree within the Barrett Honors College.

Please continue to read on for a short interview with Kelly about her experiences traveling and working in foreign countries.

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SM: Why are you currently in Argentina?

KR: I am interning for the U.S. Department of State. I work in the public affairs section, Cultural Affairs Office. I plan events, coordinate cultural outreach programs, and sometimes act as the face of the embassy when we have a cultural ambassador coming to visit us.

SM: Where else have you traveled for work/school-related purposes?

KR: In the summer of 2010, I traveled to León, Spain and studied Spanish culture and linguistics; in the summer of 2011, I lived in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and studied Tajik and Farsi- two Persian languages.

SM: How have you adapted to culture shock each time you've moved somewhere new?

KR: I don’t think that culture shock has ever really hit me hard. I guess when I have gone to new places, I have just been of the mindset that I better not expect anything to be “normal”- or at least what I would deem as such. Going into a trip like that has seemed to help me out a lot. I think that goes along with the whole “don’t be an ugly American” ethnocentricity thing; don’t expect that a foreign country is going to offer you everything you have at home- it’s not going to. I guess the thing I miss the most when I’m away, is the endless supply of ice and big glasses that we have in the states. I know- it’s weird.

SM: Do you prefer to live in foreign countries or the United States?

KR: I think I would prefer to live in the U.S. but have the ability to travel often. Having a consistent base to call home and then go do TDY (temporary duty) assignments would be great.

SM: Why do you have a passion for travel, foreign languages, cultures, etc?

KR: I love hearing someone speak and being able to figure out where they are from based on their accent. I guess that is where my love of linguistics comes in. But I love new challenges and adventures, there is so much to see and experience in this world; that’s the traveling part. I think it’s a sign of respect to go to a foreign country and speak their language. I can’t even imagine expecting someone to speak English when I’m not in an English-speaking country. Additionally, if you speak the language of a certain culture you will most certainly get a better perspective of what life is really like there. I don’t want a “surface” experience, I want to dig deeper than that. So, that’s probably a long winded answer as to why I love travel, foreign languages, and cultures. I could probably talk about this forever though.

SM: Has your family supported your past & current travels?

KR: Absolutely, 100 percent. They have certainly missed me while I’ve been away, but they are so excited to hear from me about my new experiences and see pictures. They always want to see pictures.

SM: Have you celebrated any holidays abroad? Please compare your Easter experiences in Argentina vs. the U.S.

KR: I just celebrated Easter down here in Argentina. It was quite a different experience for me. Back home, we all go to church as a family and then have a huge party for the rest of the day and into the evening. So, since I’m not with my family and I don’t really have a “family” down here, it’s been a bit different. I spent the 4^th of July in Spain in 2010 and that was fun. We went to the beach, stuck a couple of little American flags in the sand and sang the National Anthem. There’s something to be said for having national pride, but celebrating in a respectful way- I hope we came out on the respectful side.

SM: Please explain how you've been able to take a few semesters off to study/work abroad- your scholarships, Barrett, etc.

KR: Financially speaking, I have been able to do these trips because my grandmother started a college fund for me when I was born, and then I got a scholarship to go to ASU that has pretty much covered all of my expenses; however, I have worked throughout my entire time in college and have saved money as well. Academically, I haven’t really taken a lot of “fun” classes. I have stuck to the classes that I need to take for my major and certificate. So with that, I have some time that I can play with a little bit. While I am not doing this current internship for credit, I could, but that just means paying more money for credits I really don’t even need.

SM: What's been your favorite memory abroad?

KR: That’s a really tough question; I have loved different aspects of my times abroad. I guess I can give you my favorites of my different trips though. Spain 2010 was definitely being there when they won the World Cup for the first time. I didn’t really get to see what happened after the last whistle blew for the game to be over, but I did get to spend the night celebrating with the Spaniards. They love to get into fountains when they celebrate- I said, “When in Rome…”. In Tajikistan, it wasn’t a particular event, per se, but the whole experience of going from being a part of the majority in every way to being the minority in every way. I spent a little over a month in the 98 percent Muslim country of Tajikistan during Ramadan. That means no water, no food, nothing can enter your mouth from sun-up to sun-down. I really loved that experience of being completely out of my element from the inside out.

SM: Would you encourage others travel?

KR: Absolutely. No doubt about that. It certainly is not cheap; however, do whatever you can to travel abroad. And when you do it, no matter what country you go to, do not spend all of your time with your study abroad group. Go talk to other people, get the local feel, you’ll waste your time and money if you stay within the security of your own group. I think that traveling abroad is something that everyone should do to experience something other than their own culture. But do it with an open mind and don’t be so quick to always say “Well, we do it this way or that way… and it’s the right way”. Appreciate the differences in the world- it’d be a boring place if we all ate, spoke, and acted the same.

Apoya la causa...

Charity Adusei is a first-year medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. The 24-year-old is originally from Ghana, Africa, but moved to the United States to attend one year of high school before beginning her undergraduate education at the UA in 2007.

Adusei completed her undergraduate work with a degree in molecular and cellular biology. As she began to prepare for medical school, she knew the transition would not be easy. But, she does have a motivation that has enabled her to commit herself to her coursework at the College of Medicine.

After seeing a disturbing video on the Internet about a hospital in her homeland, she was determined to act as a change agent. Adusei, along with two other individuals, has created a project called, Beds For Life, to create awareness and fundraise. The goal of the group is to raise enough money to purchase beds for Ridge Hospital, where there is a lack of beds, forcing patients to reside on the ground.

Adusei explained that Ridge Hospital was built years ago, before there was such a high demand for good doctors. She said that now, with a higher need, the same facilities and beds are being used. The lack of equipment and overpopulation leaves the women to floor space only.

“Then they are on the floor groaning and moaning, and they have nowhere to go and they are in pain. There is no bed available so basically they all end up on the floor, waiting for their turn on the bed,” she said. “And if luckily their baby decides to come when a bed is available, then they get to have the baby on the bed for like five minutes or 10 minutes. If they are not lucky they have to have the baby on the floor and the conditions are not sanitary.”

Adusei intends to practice obstetrics and gynecology and said she understands that these unsanitary conditions pose problems.

“They don’t even have time to clean this floor because there are always women on the floor. They have only one toilet and the conditions are so bad. I was particularly surprised because this is supposed to be a nice, big hospital. It made me more scared for the small hospitals in the rural areas,” she said.

As a current UA medical student, Adusei is working to fundraise as much as possible to contribute to the cause. She said she also hopes to return to Ghana one day after finishing her education.

“I want to return home to Ghana, that’s always been my goal. After residency, I’m hoping to work here [and] get credible,” she said.

Until then, Adusei said she will continue to fundraise as much as possible to purchase beds for the hospital in her country.

Bendiciones, orgullo y oportunidades...

Keegan Cooke is a 23-year-old international student athlete at the University of Arizona. As a member of the track team, he competes in the ten events that comprise the decathlon. I met Cooke in a religious studies class this semester and have found him to be very interesting. Although he is from another country, Harare, Zimbabwe, he is completely articulate and aware of his surroundings in the United States. Based off his class presentations, I knew I wanted to write an article about experiences at the UA.

This blog post will preview all that you can learn about Cooke through my next Border Beat special project, to be published in April. My classmate, Lauren Sokol, and I will be taking a close look at what it means to be an international athlete, 24/7.

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Although Cooke is from Africa, he did not ride an elephant to school, and yes he drives a car and has a cell phone. In our first interview he joked that these are the questions he's asked when he tells people he meets where he is from.

He said he's also had to face a few stereotypes since moving to the U.S. "I’m white and from Africa," he said. "A lot of people think that all Africans are black."

With generalities aside, Cooke said he has dealt with culture shock. During our conversation in the Lohse room, in the McKale Center, he recalled two stories that truly explain experiences.

"My transition from Zimbabwe to America was a huge culture shock. There were a lot of things I had to learn, like driving on the other side of the road and not jaywalking and things like that. But, my biggest culture experience that happened right after I got here was in California. I was staying with some friends next to the UCLA campus and they’d been talking about this Undie Run that everyone was going to do, and because it was a run I knew that it was something that I wanted to be a part of. I didn’t understand the undie part of it and that weekend I found out that it was a run where everyone took their clothes off and went for a long run. It was quite funny, but I knew that was the beginning of learning about how people do things different in another country."

My classmate and I couldn't help but laugh along with Cooke about his experience, but the stories didn't stop there.

"Another culture shock that I had since I’ve been in America was this last weekend, actually, here in Arizona. I got pulled over by a cop. I hadn’t been pulled over by one yet so I was pretty nervous. He pulled up to my window and asked for license and registration. I don’t have a license here in America, so I gave him my Zimbabwe driver’s license, which is like a little metal disc. He kind of laughed at it and thought I was joking, so he had to call another cop to come verify that it was somewhat legitimate. And then I learned about registration and how you have to keep up-to-date with your insurance, and things like that. Obviously I wasn’t quite following the rules, so I learned very quickly that that’s another thing that’s different from Zimbabwe."

Cooke continued to tell us about his daily life as a collegiate athlete, but always made sure to talk about his journey to the U.S. as a blessing and opportunity. Through his interview you can tell he is very proud to be African, and to represent his country as he works towards his goal of competing in the Olympics.

Make sure to check out the Border Beat website to find the full story about Cooke in late April.

Educación durante el viaje...

Last week I spent four days of my spring break in San Diego, Calif. Although I didn't do much schoolwork, I did take time to think about various elements of life. On the drive home I observed and began to count the number of Border Patrol vehicles that were posted along highway. There must have been 10 of them within a 20-mile radius. I began to realize that the people in those white sedans and SUVs are doing their job, and a job of their choice. Those who spend their days watching over the border are people, working to make a living too.

At that moment I remembered that my friend, Courtney, mentioned her 25-year-old brother was applying to become a Border Patrol agent. I was so interested that I sent her a text to get more information. She explained that the application process was, and still is lengthy- her brother is yet to hear a final world from the government agency. She also said he's required the support of family and friends along the way.

Due to short notice, I was unable to get in direct contact with Courtney's brother- I'll call him Mike for the sake of his privacy. But, Courtney was more than willing to share her side of the story.

The 22-year-old Tucson native recently applied to the University of Arizona College of Nursing. If accepted, she will begin nursing classes in the fall, keeping her close to home. Just as Courtney is looking to obtain a job in the field of service, so is her brother.

"Mike does not have a college degree. He has been interested in Border Patrol for several years because friends and family have told him about their experiences with the department. Not only does he want to protect our borders, but he is also interested in a salary, insurance, retirement plans, etc.," she said.

But the application process is more than Courtney said she would Mike has been very dependent upon our family during this long process. He continues to need emotional support when he is frustrated with the process that seems to be never ending.

"Becoming a Border Patrol agent is not an easy task," she explained. "First, he had to fill out an application. This application was several pages long. He had to provide references for each school he attended, job he maintained and residence he lived in. He also had to pass a physical test, a lie detector test, had an interview and had to pass a very extensive background check."

But the investigation and backgrounding did not stop there.

"He also met with a private investigator to question him about anything and everything regarding his past and present. That private investigator has shown up at my grandma's work to question her, my uncle's house, Mike's girlfriend's house, etc.," Courtney said.

With all the work that's gone into the process, one can only imagine amount of time it's taken. Mike first applied for the job in August 2012. Although the determined male is yet to hear back, his sisters says his family and friends will continue to give their support.

"My family is excited for him. Although there is a possibility we would not get to see him as often as we do now, we know this is something he is very interested in," she said. "He could be mandated to live in a couple different locations. As a family, we're obviously rooting for somewhere close to Tucson. Mike, on the other hand, would really like to be living in San Diego, Calif. Although he can ask to work in a specific location, they don't make any guarantees."

Courtney could not help but express how proud she is of her older brother.

"Not everyone would be willing to work in 100-degree weather, chasing illegal immigrants and pursuing drug smugglers, but Mike is excited to do it. He wants to protect our borders, which as a Tucsonan is super important to me and my safety," she said. "I am amazed daily that he still wants to become a Border Patrol Agent even though he has been waiting almost two years. Most people would have already given up out of frustration."

Pictured above is Courtney and her two older brothers, Leland and Mike. She is the youngest child and extremely proud of her brother, Mike [pictured on the right], who is is currently applying to be a Border Patrol agent. I have permission to use this photograph which was taken by Lexi Moody.