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Krystle
August 25, 2005
Dear COLAET and Rotary Members,
When I was trying to figure out how to begin this report, I started with the set-up of a traditional academic paper. However, I felt that such an impersonal form of expression would not have done justice to the feelings of great appreciation and fondness that I have for this program. While I understand that a letter format is perhaps less formal, I feel that it is more appropriate, so please forgive me if this is not what you had in mind.
Allow me to begin by briefly reminding you about myself. My name is Krystle Gomez and I am now a senior at Arizona State University. I am majoring in business and completing a minor in English. Currently, I am in the midst of applying for law school in order to become an International Corporate Attorney. This is the same information that I had informed you of when I applied for the London scholarship two years ago, as well as last year when I re-applied.
In both applications that I sent to you I expressed a desire to go to London in order to experience things such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and Westminster Abbey. Although I was able to visit both of those places, and so many others, I feel as though my London experience was affected by so much more than the places that I was able to visit. While I knew that I wanted to visit the historical sites that London had to offer, it hadn’t occurred to me the impact of some of the things that I feel were an amazing element of my summer. First off, I believe that the people that I met this summer were able to teach me so much. The only time that I had met the other four students that went with me to London was at the lunch in Lake Havasu. So, I think it is remarkable how quickly we learned to function as a group, which was really key in making this summer such a fantastic learning experience. Personally, I can’t honestly say that I am one that easily meets new people, so I particularly enjoyed stepping outside of my comfort zone and learning more about Jon, Kim, Stephanie and Eric. Still, I think that my experience was vastly improved by meeting friends from other countries. At Furnival House, where we all lived in London, I was able to meet quite a few people from Japan, as well as some people from Spain and various other places. I was able to become quite good friends with the girls from Japan. They were all studying English in London, so it was really fun, yet sometimes challenging, to talk to them and learn about their families, universities and all together about their lives. It was a very different experience to try to help them with their homework and explain a concept such as word usage, in terms that they could understand. It hadn’t ever occurred to me the complexities of learning English, but in trying to help them, I learned how to communicate in a variety of ways, whether by example or by pantomime. With regards to people, my last comment is that prior to this summer, I would not have been able to guess just how much true Londoners would have added to my experience. The people of London have a great pride in knowing the history of their city. While they were always very welcoming to me, they deliver a sense of unity amongst themselves that really does seem to set London apart from the other places that I have traveled to. I don’t know whether this attitude is one that developed after the bombings or not, but I was definitely able to sense a very uniform and strong uniqueness about the people of London. I was very appreciative of the chance to become involved in their way of life. This includes being able to enjoy time just sitting in a park for lunch or indulging in the organized chaos of places such as Covent Garden and Leicester Square.
A second instance which I felt really had an impact on my interest in international affairs actually occurred at the Common Council meeting where our attendance was organized by the program. During the meeting, an announcement was made about the second bombing attempts. I don’t believe that I will ever forget the reaction of the room as the news was being said. Although my words won’t do it justice, the commotion in the room was a mix of concern, anger, bewilderment, and sadness. Still, the news seemed to create this wholeness amongst the figures in the room. They seemed stronger and more perseverant to make a difference. The reason that this particular instance sticks out so strongly in my mind is that I have always been interested in international issues. However, I have never truly seen the response of political people who were hearing about the news at the same time that I was.
I was also asked to include in this letter what I thought worked and what I felt needed some improvement with regards to this program. Let me begin by stating that although I know that this was the first time that the program has used University of Westminster, and therefore there is no comparison to be made, I felt that this school was an excellent choice. It was truly a first-class affair with everything that they did. Martin Doherty invited all of the international students to a pub just down the road from Furnival House the night before classes started in order to allow everyone the chance to meet each other. The orientation on the first day of classes was extremely well-organized and everyone was very helpful. The University also offered a list of school sponsored events, including weekend trips to places such as Holland and Belgium, as well as Wales. I would highly advise future students to take advantage of these weekend trips. Since it is by bus, you are able to see areas outside of the city, as well as other countries. Also, the professors at the University were more than willing to talk to you, and were very informative. I took a course titled The Ripper’s London, which I would highly recommend to future students. However, I found that the course titles were a bit misleading. My particular course was more about the history of London in the 19th century than it was about Jack the Ripper. The Ripper was used as more of a transition to tie the history issues together. My class took field walks around the East and West ends of London, and we learned about architecture, statues, the Royal family, the people of the time period, and crimes that were happening in different areas. If a student enjoys walking and is interested in learning a lot about the evolution of London, then this course would definitely be a wise choice.
When I first made it to London, I would have probably said that the location of Furnival House was a slight problem. While it is in a beautiful and safe area, it is pretty far North and requires about a half an hour tube ride to get in to the city. However, by the end of the trip, my opinion on this matter had changed. I actually think that the location of Furnival is an advantage rather than a disadvantage. While there were nights that we decided not to go in to the city because of the distance, I think that part of understanding the culture of London is to know the importance of the Tube. I could easily argue that the single most important element of London is the Tube and that Londoners that live just outside the city like we did, learn to account for the time that it will take them to get around. Also, I think that living outside of the central part of the city gave us the chance to experience a different type of London. Highgate Hill, the area where we lived, had a very small town vibe. It offered a glimpse into the life of a suburban type of London living.
At this point you may be wondering about the relevance of these particular experiences and the impact that they had for me. I feel that the best way for me to explain how I have changed was to offer a few examples of the everyday things that I experienced in London, that I hadn’t been given the chance to learn in the last twenty years in the United States. For me, a person who occupies her time with academics, work, and family, I had never really taken the time to step out on my own. I have always had high goals and ambitions, but I definitely had limited time and finances to allow me to experience new places and people. London was a once in a lifetime chance for me to not only observe a different lifestyle, but join in. I now have friends in different parts of the world, who I have decided to go visit and who have promised to come to Arizona. I have been exposed to plays, museums, countries, and various other experiences that most people will never get the chance to know in their entire lives. What’s better, is that I have been able to do this at a time in my life when I am still forming the paths that I want to take in life. Spending the last few weeks in London has solidified my passion for big cities and the melting pot of cultures that arise from them. My adventures have taught me how to approach conversations with people from other backgrounds, and how to navigate places with which I am unfamiliar. Most importantly, I feel that the time I spent in London allowed me to find a second home. What I mean is that I was offered a schooling experience that was more about self-motivation than just meeting certain requirements. I was offered a new outlook on business elements because of a different surrounding culture. I was offered a chance to view politics from a different system. In the same manner that I have been raised as an American for the last two decades, I was raised as a Londoner for the last few weeks. In my new home everything was a new experience which taught me about life from the view of others. I feel that this is single-handedly one of the most important life-lessons that anyone could ever learn.
This past summer is certainly one that I could never forget because it has ingrained in my heart and mind the necessity of experiencing and understanding new cultures. As the future moves to a more integrated and global culture, it is mandatory that my generation learn to recognize differences amongst people as an advantage, in order to create solutions to some of the problems which create outcomes such as war. I am certain that this program is one which helps create awareness and appreciation of worldly differences, and I am honored to have been a part of it. Thank you so much for excelling my future.
With Sincerest Regards and Much Appreciation,
Krystle