Dessa Dal Porto, Advocate for Study Abroad
I would like to note
that although my story is but one of many, I feel that my passion for
my study
abroad experience and my appreciation for the opportunity that WSU provided
is shared by all those who have chosen to study abroad at WSU, regardless
of country and program.
I began my undergraduate career at WSU with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, and while I did graduate with a BS in Animal Science (May ’03), along with a BA in Spanish, I am beginning a Masters of Public Policy in the fall. Needless to say, my goals and dreams have changed over the years. The single most influential factor in this evolution of career goal was my Study Abroad experience. The novelties that I experienced both inside and outside of the classroom opened my eyes to a vast landscape of opportunities that I never knew existed.
I arrived in Rome and could not speak a single word of Italian, despite the fact that my father is 100% Italian. Until my venture to Italy, he had never had any contact with his Italian heritage or language. I never had the pleasure of meeting his parents, my grandparents, and thus had a life-long goal of visiting Italy and connecting with my family. Swimming in the excitement of the new environment I sent my first email home, titled with the classic Italian greeting "Chow" and I spelled it C.H.O.W. - a clear indicator of my language ability upon arrival, or shall I say lack of it? When I left Italy I was not only proficient in the Italian language, I had seen 13 other countries and cultures and returned home with no better souvenir than the new perspective I had on the world and my place within it. This fresh perspective developed as a result of both classroom and non-classroom experiences.
My classroom experiences in Italy were in every way as challenging as my classes at WSU. I studied art history in the classroom and then was able to walk down the street to the Uffizi and view the original piece. I critiqued The David while I was actually standing in front of it and was able to see the chisel marks that Michelangelo left with his own hands. I was able to sit and sketch The Birth of Venus between classes and attend nightly guest lectures about the architecture, artwork and history of Florence with the original pieces within arms reach.
My European Union (EU) class visited the EU Capital in Brussels for two days, as guests of the Italian representative. I was able to sit in on EU meetings, interact with top officials, and see first hand the workings of the European Union.
I was converted from a microwave, “instant macaroni and cheese person” to a connoisseur of fine Italian cuisine via my two Italian cooking classes. Not only did these classes provide me training in a field that I was obviously lacking, it changed my personal life for the better with healthy cooking. I now love to entertain family and friends with elaborate meals.
Learning outside the classroom is as important as learning inside the classroom. Education abroad provided me with an opportunity to not only think outside the box, but also to live outside the box. Daily necessities such as going to the grocery store and getting milk, become afternoon-engulfing adventures as everything is different - from the money to the type of store and the language spoken.
I learned a great deal from my study abroad experiences, not only in regard to educational matters, career goals and traveling but also involving people skills and interaction with my peers.
I not only learned things about myself, but also about where I came from - the United States. I learned a great deal about the acts of our nation and how such actions affect the rest of the world. I also came to realize how the U.S. fits within the world society. I was forced to see how others view our country and to realize the results of our actions upon the lives of others.
The personal skills, experiences and education that I drew from my experience in Italy, while they took place on Italian soil, are all experiences that I drew from WSU. World-class universities remain world class because they evolve; they do not remain stagnant. WSU is World Class, Face-to-Face now, but what a better way to continue with this theme than to promote the Education Abroad experience - to realize that WSU is not only roots, but also wings. The world needs and wants people with international experience in the workforce. This is not something that can come from traditional classroom training but is a hands-on experience. Although study abroad is outside the realm of traditional classroom education, it is within the reach of every educational facility within the United States, and I feel that it should be utilized to the maximum.
I know that my experience in Italy gave me the confidence to set out on a second Study Abroad program to southern Spain where I was one of three Americans in the entire school. I participated in intensive language classes for six weeks. I know for a fact that my education abroad experience set me apart from others who applied for the position I was offered at the Smithsonian Institute. I know that because of the travel skills and personal confidence that I acquired as a result of my travels in Europe I was selected to be a part of a group of Smithsonian employees who spent a month in Thailand, traveling and conducting a workshop for Thai scientists. I know that my diverse background and broad range of experiences helped me compete for graduate school and led to my terrible dilemma of deciding between Duke University and Georgetown University for the coming fall.
Study abroad is “on-the-job-training
for life.” A world class institution not only helps students develop
their knowledge base but also their experience base, and there is no better
way to do this than to participate in Study Abroad!
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