Submitted by Sarah Turturro on the 2020 winter session program in Tanzania sponsored by the Department of Art…
Looking at this program in terms of time, I cannot believe how fast these three weeks went. Every moment was so fulfilling, yet I feel like there is so much more that we could have done. Having my eyes opened up to a wider worldview for these 25 days was more than I could have ever asked for, and I know that this experience will continue to impact my life for a very long time. What I’m really appreciative for is how much we learned outside of our class syllabi. Yes, I gained a lot of technical knowledge while I was abroad, but we also had conversations and experiences that came up organically that were just as impactful, if not more. I learned so much about conservation and environmental impact, which has inspired me to try and live a less wasteful life back home, which is hard in our consumerist society. I feel like a true member of the global community now, and I made human connections with so many amazing people who I will always perceive as inspirations. This program has done so much more for me than I could have asked it to, and it has made me so much more aware of my role as a member of this community. Comparing our way of life back home to the lifestyles of the people in Tanzania was overwhelming and a real eye-opener. The world needs to change, and we need to be the ones to change it by being more conscious of our environmental impact.