Within both the English and Public Policy classes that are a part of the program, my fellow  Sondheim Scholars and I have had numerous times to reflect on the many experiences, positive and negative, inspiring and confusing, that we all had at our service sites this semester. Below I have included some excerpts from some of our reflection sessions as well as from my longer and very inclusive reflection essay  from the end of the year.

On apprehension prior to serving:

My excitement about my upcoming service experience was soon followed by apprehension. My primary worry was that I would not be able to relate whatsoever to the learners – and relating to people is really important to me, especially when I’m trying to learn about something new. I also worried that the learners might be resentful of me (even though I now recognize that as an absurd worry), since rarely do people like to be told what to do or how to do something by someone considerably their junior. But once I got to the Learning Bank and got the feel of things, I began to recognize that everyone working in the adult literacy program is extremely grateful to have the help. After learning about the myriad of reasons why adults are illiterate (poor experiences in school, undiagnosed learning disabilities, outside distractions, et cetera) and come to literacy programs like the one at the Learning Bank, I more easily understood the learners and was able to better help them progress in their academics.

On the community of the Learning Bank:

The Learning bank is found in West Baltimore, an area apparently ridden with drugs, muggings, and other unsavory activity. The people who envisioned and started up the Learning Bank must have intended to inspire change within the community, considering how the clean, pale yellow building stood out among its down-trodden, gated-up neighbors. The community within the Learning Bank reflected positive improvements like those the building’s clean, simple facade had on the neighborhood: among some gloomy surroundings, the learners there were out to improve community life. [...] After a long day of work (or searching for work), these dedicated adults probably look for a positive place and a supportive environment. [...] By improving their own education and trying to rectify the reasons why they did not initially succeed as on might hope in school, the learners at the Learning Bank hopefully are in turn improving their surroundings by having a positive influence on their children, family members, and members of their own communities.

On service learning:

I feel that service learning has made a positive change on me and on my understandings of policy problems in Baltimore, the state, and the entire country. I cannot imagine a more effective way to help a student better understand a topic completely foreign to him or her than getting into the heart of the matter, which is possible through service - experiential - learning, intending not only to help the members of a community in some way, but creating in students a very different and better informed world-view. Thanks to my service learning experience with the Sondheim program, I have gotten the opportunity to develop a rapport with some excellent, caring people, while also expanding my opinions and comprehension of a group of people whom, prior to going to the Learning Bank, I knew very little (if anything) about.

My entire essay is found here: Service Learning Reflective Essay.

Through the Health Administration and Public Policy department at UMBC, I took the course International Field Research with a mix of undergraduate and graduate students with different interests and research goals. All of us were able to center ourselves and projects around the class’ theme: A lifespan approach to health and aging.

My project looked at school lunch programs in America and Switzerland and how they reflected or influenced the greater cultural attitudes about nutrition and diet. Through a background literature review, I prepared for my qualitative research exercises in Switzerland.

While in Switzerland, I practiced participant observation, informal sampling, and interviews to come up with findings. By examining the types of food the Swiss eat, the actual practice of eating a meal, the kinds of transportation they use, and stress reduction practices they engage with, I came to my conclusions on why the Swiss are a healthier nation than the United States, on the whole.

A quick take on my findings:
1. Longer meal periods allow for a slower, more enjoyable meal experience
2. Easy access to public transportation defeats tendencies to lead a sedentary life
3. Physical activity, such as hiking, is a value instilled in the native population from a young age
4. Ample vacation periods from school and work allow for proper stress reduction

Overall, the class emphasized the importance of international education and inter-cultural communication to my classmates and me.

The adjustment was difficult at times, due mostly in part to how differently the University of Edinburgh ran itself versus how UMBC does. But overall, I can’t, and won’t, complain. In fact, all I seem to be able to do is sing praises of my semester abroad.

My coursework involved a politics class, a literature class, and a Scottish studies class. But my learning stretched far beyond the uni lecture halls. With my free time I was able to explore the city, its history, its politics, and get to know some of its people. I’m not sure there’s a friendlier city in the world.

My study abroad experience cannot really be summed up in a few lines, but since my courses have instilled the practice of concise writing in me, I’ll include below a few quotations from the articles I wrote as a Foreign Correspondent for The Retriever Weekly.

On scratching the surface of the Douglas heritage with my parents and sister:

After a few days in Scotland, my dad rented a car to drive us all to the lowlands, where we made our pilgrimage to the small town of Douglas. Maybe it’s a little uncouth to be so interested in seeing one’s own surname on a post office, but honestly, the visit to Douglas was exciting. Finding my roots was why I came to Scotland, after all. [...] We took in the views of the hills that are impossibly green. We came up with many more things to Google about the Douglases. We had made the Douglas pilgrimage and felt pretty satisfied.

On my amazed frustration at how the natives dress, given the temperamental Scottish weather:

Perhaps it’s the fact that the people here have become acclimated to the weather, but there is still so much that I fail to understand regarding how the girls here can wear skirts and dresses all the time without absolutely freezing. Obviously, the guys do not have this issue – until the kilts start showing up. I guess it would figure that a country where the wind bites and the rain pours is one that promotes the wearing of a kilt.

From an interview discussing the always interesting Scottish political scene:

As for questions of independence, there’s still a great deal of controversy. The Scottish National Party, which stands on a platform of a future independent Scotland, gained a slight edge (one seat) over the Scottish Labour Party in the elections of 2007, putting it in control of the Scottish parliament. This election meant a gain in twenty seats for the SNP. There’s a notion that a vote for the SNP would equal a vote for independence, but Stefan assured me that it’s quite the opposite, as polls indicate that there’s not enough support for a referendum on Scottish independence in the near future. Stuart, who indicated that he is more likely to support the SNP than other parties, said that Scotland “could be a great independent country as long as it lives within its means.”

I miss Scotland, but I sure am glad to be back at UMBC because it gives me a greater appreciation for what I had in Scotland: a really, really great time.