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Spring 2008
Winning essays examine cultural differences
Everyone who crosses cultures has a story to tell and these stories make great literature when we take the time to capture them. In a way to structure both the learning students gain from global experiences and the opportunity to reflect on them, the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) and the Office of Study Abroad host annual essay contests.
The winning entries for both contests were announced during a special International Coffee Hour that took place at the end of International Education Week, held last semester. The highlight of the reception was when the winners read their essays.
This academic year, judges for the OISS competition selected Maulik Dhandha, an undergraduate from India, as the winning international student essay. The essay, titled described his victories and defeats on his academic journey in a metaphor of battles in a war.
Ragini Bhadula won the Study Abroad essay contest with a moving description of her reflections on cultural identity while on a study program in India. Her essay is titled,
There were a number of recurring themes in all the essays. The most common theme dealt with the introspection and personal growth that came from their challenges in an unfamiliar culture. Many wrote movingly of their feelings of joy when they encountered success, but that joy was also juxtaposed against the discouragement of setbacks along the way. Some wrote of the stress experienced with the ups or downs that came with their experiences while others wrote of their many small daily encounters that surprised or otherwise made deep impressions on them.
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