This class was a directed study that counted as my study abroad. I was a little sad this year because I was supposed to be in Costa Rica in January for my study abroad, but it was cancelled because of COVID-19. I knew I needed to get my study abroad done and Jessi sent us an email about a virtual study abroad opportunity. I took the opportunity as soon as I saw the email and I am so glad I did. This was definitely a different experience than the typical study abroad, but I am so grateful for it. We connected with Dutch students to create a Social Innovation for students in the time of COVID-19. I learned that we share a lot of the same struggles and are so much alike, even though we live so far away. The four of us in my group quickly became friends, so it was easy to create our social innovation. We decided to create a podcast that would be done by college students for college students to discuss mental health, mental illnesses, and ways to cope in the times we live in. This project was very important to me because I am a mental health advocate and I think it is important for the mental health crisis to be addressed.
Along with creating a social innovation, we were tasked with doing an interview with a Dutch student at the end of this semester. I did mine with Samira from my group and it was so wonderful. That was my favorite part of the course because I got to ask her things about her culture and learn more about her. Unfortunately, the file of the interview is too big to upload, so I uploaded my group evaluation instead. This artifact really encompasses our teamwork and the friendships we gained during this experience. I am so thankful for this experience.