Diversity in Higher Education

E6 | Sunday, July 12, 2020 | lmtonline.com | Laredo Morning Times 50th Anniversary give them a better grasp on the sub- ject. The experience of hearing the stories and seeing the “Door of No Return” was life changing, Obscura said. During the trip, he recalled pass- ing by Jubilee House, the Presiden- tial Palace in Accra, and was told that he was not allowed to take pho- tos of it. Ten years passed and he re- turned to Jubilee House as a mem- ber of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s Congressional Delegation, where he was one of two photogra- phers allowed in the palace. “My experience started in Gha- na,” he added. “It was a full circle for me. It’s kind of reassured me of what I am doing.” Morocco, Turkey and the United Kingdom were other study abroad trips Obscura went to. He would cap- ture what life was about through his photos and learn about each culture. As a first-generation college student and Laredoan, the opportunity to see the world and learn more about these cultures was achieved through hard work and the opportunity presented by the Read the Globe program and Hickey. “Having the ‘I’ of International in TAMIU is definitely, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects to that institution because it creates that idea of culture and international idea, the idea) that we are not alone. We are welcoming everybody,” he said. Student Experiences Rebekah Rodriguez, TAMIU Writing Center instructor and former student, said that growing up in Lar- edo left a lot to be desired when it comes to interacting with different cultures. With a passionate interest in learning more about the world around her, she managed to land the opportunity to travel abroad to both South Africa and Spain. Her experiences out in the world helped her learn more about herself, and the pride she saw in others gave her a deeper sense of pride in her own Mexican heritage. From learning about the different customs and values to improving her Spanish in Spain, the trip opened the door to meeting people from Germa- ny, Italy, Ukraine and more. She also learned about how different culture inside a country can change as her travels through Spain did not prepare her for Catalonia, where the culture is vastly different. In South Africa, she realized how much cultures have in common re- gardless of distance. Even 9,000 miles from home, she saw parallels in African and Hispanic cultures and was inspired by how the people overcame apartheid. By sharing their stories and Rodriguez sharing her experience of living on the Mexico- U.S. border, two cultures learned more about each other and better un- derstood a unique perspective. In Peru, Yvette Garza, Speech Language Pathologist and former TAMIU student, experienced the Peruvian lifestyle while living with a local family on her trip. She also saw parallels with Mexican culture, such as greeting with a kiss on the cheek. The family spoke about their culture, the Incas and the terrorism that plagued their life in the past. Despite the trove of information that can be found on the internet, experi- encing history through the stories of those that were present impact one’s life far more. Aside from some serious topics discussed during the trip, there was a lot of fun as well. Garza added that she has also studied in China and visited landmarks such as The Great Wall and Machu Picchu. She visited museums, ate pastel (a sandwich in Peru) and took photos throughout her trip. All this created an unforget- table experience that only a diverse world mindset could provide. Courtesy of Rebekah Rodriguez Rebekah Rodriguez traveled to both South Africa and Spain learning about her heritage. Courtesy of Itzamara De La Cruz As a part of TAMIU’s Study Abroad program, Itza De La Cruz visits Rio De Janeiro.