The Thunderbird MAGAM program will be essential in my personal development and my future career. It will give me the necessary skills to take on the many challenges in the international development field. I expect to greatly expand on my past experiences, as well as grow and develop new skills in order to thrive in an international setting. I strongly believe in the Thunderbird mentality that profitable success and social good are not mutually exclusive. Helping private companies carry this motto to the forefront of their work in developing countries is precisely what I want to do for my career and I am relying on the Thunderbird School of Global Management to equip me with the right tools to do it.
In the fall of 2003, I left the United
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A constant yearning for experiencing new ways of thinking in the form of other cultures has been growing inside of me ever since. I have attempted to quench this thirst over the years by traveling to four different continents and connecting with several different cultures. Implementing the habit of veering off the beaten path has been a wonderful way of immersing myself in the local lifestyle. Every new experience has broadened my view of the world and has given me valuable insights that I have tried to apply throughout my …show more content…
Achieving a master’s degree at Thunderbird will set me on a direct course to achieve my professional goals. In my opinion, Thunderbird’s mission statement perfectly aligns with my ambitions. My goal is to work with forward thinking international companies to help them establish sustainable poverty alleviation initiatives in the countries they reside.
I take part in many different infrastructure development projects all around the world. Assisting in the more technical parts of the projects, I have noticed a common distasteful issue. Many aspects of certain projects are politically motivated and have great potential to overshadow the actual issues. There is not only a struggle between balancing the intentions of the donor organization and the beneficiary, but also what actually needs to be done in order to conquer the underlying issues. This is a common problem among international development
Other cultures are interesting because they are different and we don’t usually understand the things that they do and why they do them. Learning about other people’s traditions from all over the world shows the diversity in people’s beliefs, habits and routine occurrences in everyday lives.
Though trying new food and rooming with strangers seems like an insignificant aspect of almost every child’s life, it was not for mine. The experience went beyond just showing me other cultures existed; it made me want to dedicate a part of my life to helping preserve the diversity that exists among us. Since that trip almost six years ago now, I have volunteered a little over 100 hours of my time on weekends to helping set up and run culture exchange programs. Most of these programs take place near Valdosta State University, a college near where I live, and in these programs, I have the opportunity to meet and talk to people from around the world. The programs have helped me grow a greater sense of cultural appreciation by constantly reminding me that the world is full of different points of view. The basic ideals I learned on the trip to D.C. have helped to understand that there is more to the world than I can possibly know. That makes it essential for me to keep an open mind when facing new
As a way to learn and validate the research process, the students of English 1120 each conducted a survey with the other students in the class. The task was to compose surveys of two or three focused subject questions. It was especially pertinent to create questions with enough depth so that the results would reveal information about student behavior. In the class survey I composed, students answered questions based on their relationship with cultures different from their own. The first question asks students if they had ever traveled, and how far their adventure took them if they had. Ten students have traveled outside of the United States borders, and five students have ventured across the pond to other countries. Students then answered the question, “Do you desire to know about cultures that differ from yours?” Twelve students replied that they do desire to learn more, and seven students replied that they would like to learn other ways of life in some respects. The final question asks, “Do you think learning about different cultures is beneficial to you as a student?” Eighteen out of the nineteen respondents marked that they believe cultural learning is beneficial to them in their academic life. For the students who show a desire for cultural learning, what are their
Jamieson, D. (2005). Duties to the Distant: Aid, Assistance, and Intervention in the Developing World. Journal Of Ethics, 9(1/2), 151-170. doi:10.1007/s10892-004-3324-9
Growing up in Canada around a variety of remarkable cultures has helped me see the world in a different way. It gives me a more visual, mental, and emotional way being able to view the world. Being around the multicultural nature of this country has not only led me to learn more about other cultures but has helped me mold the culture I grew up around at home in my individual way. As I mature I have come to realize how growing up around many cultures and myparentsPakistani culture has helped “shaped the sight of my own particular eyes” from those of my parents and ancestors.
Talk me more, you, plus, please, plus”( Sedaris 15). When a person is fully integrated into a new culture they can truly see the value of that culture. Also when people learn about a foreign culture it allows them to be open to the different views of the people living around the world . Through embracing a new culture people learn how to coexist with each
...elopment of diverse understanding through my life. I found that The further you explore and understand your own culture, you will be better prepared to face counseling issues in other cultures while avoiding possible pitfalls like bias.
In conclusion, this book gave me a whole new view on life and how we can interact better with different people. The book emphasized that culture is key to understanding people. Sometimes it is hard to connect with others because they are indicated as different but in due time we can adjust. Every culture has their own traditions when it comes to what they eat, what to wear, dating, various ceremonies, holidays and more. Reading this book helped me become more accepting of who I am and where I come from.
In Monika Krause’s, The Good Project, it is argued that humanitarian organizations present a desire to help people in need of assistance, but their underlying goal is on creating profitable, sustainable projects to present to donors. Krause presents the work of NGOs as commodities, things that are sought after and can be “bought” or “sold” to donors and the beneficiaries, the people in need. In turn, because donors are choosing where to place their money, the beneficiaries become commodified in the decision of how they will receive the project and if they are beneficial to serve. Utilizing her argument, I will apply it to the proposal presented by Malaria No More. Throughout their proposal there is evidence of beneficiaries becoming commodities
...nity. An example is the way they raised and slaughtered animals rather than buying them packaged at a store. Although a year may not be enough time to become fluent in a culture, the stories of the students living abroad prove that a person can learn and become part of more than one culture.
Experiencing a society of multi-cultures is beneficial through a variety of concepts to epitomize each individual identity. A person may vary in the degree to which he or she identifies with, morals, or...
I built upon my cross-cultural experiences as I befriended exchange students from Belgium, Japan, and Korea. Each time, the friendships enriched my appreciation and understanding of not only my own culture, but the very concept of culture. What falls under the cultural blanket can vary from person to person, and I found it to be very interesting that while one person could claim lan...
It is important to come to the mindset of learning of the different cultures, and hold onto the humanity of treating others how one would want to be
To conclude, cultures are a major part of our lives and they constitute the image we see the world in. cultures can sometimes influence us, even in ways we don’t expect. Sometimes we find ourselves forced in cultures with negative stereotypes but that does not mean we should be ashamed of those cultural groups but rather embrace our culture and stray from the negative characteristics of that
One can read in textbooks about different people, cultures, and lifestyles, but experiencing it in person evokes a more personal meaning and truly makes the words leap off the pages and come to life. Being exposed to different