Madalena
Pierangelino, Marketing Intern
It was an
ordinary summer night when I made a decision that would change the rest of my
life. I was sitting in my backyard during my senior year of high school,
roasting marshmallows on the fire and talking to my life-long neighbor, who, at
the time, was a student at the University of Kentucky (UK). She knew in the
upcoming months I would have to make an important decision: which college to
attend. I had already been accepted to UK and Furman, but I was utterly torn, so
she was advising me on how to make the best choice and what I could expect from
UK. Talking about her own experience, she mentioned things I already knew about:
tailgating, large classes, joining a sorority and, of course, UK basketball.
But one
thing she mentioned stood out in particular – the Global Scholars Program. It was a unique business honors
program unlike any other I had heard about. It included an array of ways to get
involved and a semester of studying abroad, which had been a dream of mine ever
since visiting my relatives in Argentina. I applied to the program that night,
was accepted two months later, and my decision became easy. Looking back over
the last four years, I realize that going to UK and joining the Global Scholars
Program was the best decision I could have made.
When August
of my freshman year finally arrived, I attended the Global Scholar orientation.
I was a shy, nervous freshman and out of the 40 new students, I knew no one. I
awkwardly tried to start a conversation with the girl I was sitting next to
(she was just as awkward as I was, but it’s okay to say that, since now she is
one of my best friends.) Then the senior Global Scholars proceeded to make
their way on stage to present their experiences abroad. Some had gone to South
America, others Europe, and some even China. Their amazing stories made it
clear that a one-week vacation was not enough to capture the true essence of
another culture. I couldn’t help but feel excited for my future travels.
Unfortunately,
I had to wait what seemed like a never-ending two years to leave the country.
But, in the mean time, I took advantage of other Global Scholar opportunities
to volunteer in the Lexington community, and I happened to make some friends
along the way. One of my favorite memories is when I attempted to get all 10 of
the required service hours in one night by joining the Global Scholar Relay for
Life team. What began as fun, “glob” bonding quickly turned into a cold, muddy,
midnight walk around the Johnson Center fields. But, the announcers made a
valid point - all those fighting cancer were going through a much more
difficult time. We then gathered around for a candlelight vigil to remember
those who had passed away. That part really hit me - hard. I realized that
walking around the track was more than bonding with friends; it was saving lives
and making a difference to others in the community. I felt touched, inspired,
and ready to find other ways to volunteer.
Soon after,
I started to volunteer at the Lexington Village Branch Library, a place where
primarily young Hispanic children go for after-school tutoring. I had taken
Spanish in high school, but did not use it very often. While at the library, I found
out two things. One, that I frequently had to use Spanish to communicate; and
two, that I loved using the language as a bridge between cultures. Without
hesitation, I added a Spanish major to my diploma. Yet despite the great Spanish
classes at UK, I knew the only way to become fluent was to live in a Spanish
speaking country. And so, the intensive search for my future study abroad
location began.
Months of
research finally narrowed it down to two countries: Peru and Spain - two
completely different locations, cultures and Spanish accents. Did I want to go
off the beaten path to South America or travel Europe? My decision: both! No
one in the history of the program had ever gone abroad for an entire year
before, but my best friend (remember that awkward girl at orientation?) and I
were determined to make it happen. So we did! And we got the best of both
worlds.
I spent my first semester in Lima, Peru, a giant, roaring
city with 10 million inhabitants. There I stayed with a Peruvian family that
ended up becoming like my real family. I tried local cuisine like guinea pig
and alpaca. And I went to school with Peruvian students where I was the only
blonde in the entire class! Besides the language barrier, certain cultural
differences like time made group projects challenging - Peruvians would talk
for hours before ever coming up with an answer! Their priorities were different
and a big part of going abroad was learning to be flexible. Beyond academics, I
had once in a lifetime experiences – I witnessed the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu,
swam with pink dolphins, fished for piranhas in the Amazon River, and cruised
in buggies around a desert oasis.
 |
| (Me while I explore the ruins of Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.) |
The comparison between cultures only grew once I went to
Europe in the spring semester. Though many people gasped at the fact that I was
missing basketball season, I would not trade the experience for anything.
Living in the little city of Granada, Spain, I had a historical Moorish palace
in my backyard and a grocery store in my basement. I immersed myself in the
romantic language and learned to adapt to the Spanish lifestyle of midday
siestas, three-hour lunches, and late night tapa bar hopping (tapas are small
Spanish plates of food that come with every drink you order, basically like a
free meal!)
 |
| (The Alhambra, a Moorish palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site, towers beautifully over Granada, Spain.) |
Taking what
I had read in my Spanish textbooks and applying it in a real life setting over
the course of my year abroad made my entire education come full circle. Most of
all I gained confidence and independence as I learned how to reach out and
relate to others from divergent backgrounds.
Returning
to UK was a hard transition. To be honest, all I wanted to do was leave and go
back to my foreign homes. I realized that my view of the world had broadened,
and the American things I once loved (like oversized lattés and driving my own
car) had actually become foreign to me. People had different interests, too. I
found it harder to care about formals and fraternities when I was focused on my
Spanish friends and Peruvian family. But, like all things, it got better with
time, and I started to remember all the reasons I came to UK in the first
place, the Global Scholars Program being one of them. The program has allowed
me to go places I never imagined and to discover qualities in myself I never
knew existed. I am traveling to Argentina over Christmas break. And, I now plan
to one-day live abroad - in Spain, Peru or perhaps somewhere new - and I have
to thank UK and the Global Scholars Program for making the rest of my life
story an interesting one. The world is ready, and now so am I.
For more
information on the Global Scholar Program visit:
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