I Am Cultured - Raisa
My Major: International Affairs and Modern Languages (IAML)
My Degree Designator: International Plan
Why I chose my major...
I have always had a general interest in politics and current affairs, particularly on a global level. My family and I moved to the United States from Brazil when I was very young, leaving an entire extended family behind there, so I grew up traveling between the two countries. Not only did this give me a wider cultural perspective of the world, but a wider awareness of issues that need to be resolved outside of our first-world comfort zone. Thus, more than anything, my own development has been characterized by a profound desire to help people and solve problems that I feel occasionally unfold while ignored. I sincerely hope to combat this tendency to ignore serious problems.
Additionally, I chose to study French alongside International Affairs because I have been studying French since I was ten years old and have been fortunate enough to visit the country twice to study the language there. Therefore, I wanted to continue improving my French so I could also study there again, which I plan to do with the Georgia Tech Sciences-Po study abroad program.
My favorite classes so far...
My first International Affairs class, Intro to International Relations with Professor Edward Keene, made a large and positive impact on me. I learned so much in his class, and it made me realize that I had chosen a path that I am truly interested in and thus helped me sediment myself into my major.
I also enjoyed a French class on French Cinema. We were given the opportunity to watch classic French movies from the Avant Garde to New Wave to recent years that essentially changed the face of cinema throughout the world. Overall, it was a refreshing class that offered an innovative manner through which to further my French language education.
During my study abroad in Milan, Italy at Università Bocconi, I took a course on Visual Arts, with a focus on photography. I had never taken a class like this before, and it was quite eye-opening. We learned not how to take photographs, but how to interpret photographs and uncover meaning through the photographer’s technique. I never realized before how framing, lighting and focus, among other things, could contribute so much to the actual significance of the photograph. Since that class, I started taking pictures from a new vantage point.
Liberal Arts at Tech has diversity...
My Georgia Tech experience has been marked by amazing friendships from numerous parts of the world and by a further widening of my international outlook. One of the most important factors in my decision to come to Tech was its global perspective on education and its diversity. I found out about the International Plan early on and was instantly drawn to it, for suddenly my college experience would be extended almost infinitely beyond Atlanta.
In the meantime at Tech, I knew I would be able to enjoy a unique cultural experience with an impressively diverse student body. Living in the International House my freshman year and being part of clubs focused on cultural diversity have allowed me to meet very interesting people from many different countries with whom I have much in common. And after two years at Tech, my circle of friends still amazes me, since we represent nearly every corner of the world – from Latin America to Southeast Asia. Therefore, I have no doubt that the diversity of Georgia Tech and the cultural opportunities it offers have enriched my college life to the fullest, and it is something that I could not have easily found anywhere else.
I am very involved outside the classroom...
I participate in a variety of organizations: Vice-President of the Brasilian Student Association (BRASA), and member of the International Affairs Student Organization (IASO). I also participate on the GT Club Soccer team.
My internship experience...
I am currently an intern at the European Union Center of Excellence here at Georgia Tech for the fall semester and I just completed my study abroad semester at Sciences Po this past spring.
Last year I did a small internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here in Atlanta. My main task was to review PowerPoint presentations and documents related to health/physical activity promotion in Latin America and translate them from English to Portuguese and vice-versa. The job was quite interesting and helpful because not only did it help me further hone my Portuguese (language skills could always use practice), but I actually got to learn quite a bit about the process of health promotion and program evaluation using the techniques of one of the most respected health agencies in the world. It also opened me up to new avenues for pursuing my future career, for public health plays an enormous role in country development.
What do I hope to pursue as a career in the future?
My dream career would be to work with a multilateral organization, such as the United Nations, UNESCO or even the WHO, with a focus on international development and perhaps conflict resolution.
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