Submitted by Cameron Johnson on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of English…
Now that I am deep into my second week of the program and I am sadly entering the third week, I have begun to reflect on my experience here and my life in the United States. I have made close friendships in the short time here that I honestly can say will last beyond college and into our adulthood. It’s strange how you can get so close to people in such a short time, but the people on my program are a group of insanely smart, compassionate, and overall beautiful human beings. I feel lucky to be given the opportunity to travel with these people while learning Biblical and Classical Literature.
This week, I really began to think about privilege and my place in the world. I had the opportunity to visit the Melissa Network which is a non-profit organization for migrant women in Greece who promote empowerment, communication, and active citizenship. This experience has forever changed and impacted my life. I was able to hear stories about women’s struggles and the situations that they had to overcome in order to get to Greece and it made me emotional. It made me think about my family, friends, and the certain things that I take for granted. I have always been an individual that recognizes the sort of privilege that comes with being an American citizen, but it was highlighted while visiting this wonderful organization. Also, I began to realize that while the United States has many wonderful opportunities for my future profession as a teacher that maybe I shouldn’t discount any chances to teach abroad.
I began to think about some of the conversations that I had with my Mother in regards to teaching and I am now seriously considering going abroad to potentially teach English after graduate school. As a future teacher, I always think about the best opportunity for my students, and I would love to travel abroad and help others grasp the English language.
I still can’t believe that I’ve had the opportunity to travel and study in Greece and everyday that I am here I realize how at home I feel here. If I could bring my parents and dog, I would not mind settling here in the future.