Global Scholars Year in Review

When I joined the Global Scholars program last September, I wrote down lofty goals for myself. I said that I wanted to understand more about why and how conflicts arise between countries. I wrote that I intended to diversify my consumption of news and examine world events with different lenses. Most of all, though, I said that I wanted to understand inequality in urban centers around the world like Hong Kong. I sought to achieve, and to varying degrees accomplished, all of these goals. I was able to hear profound speakers such as Reza Aslan, who talked about how pillars of identity can shape conflicts. While I certainly can't claim to understand how and why all conflicts occur or how we can best prevent and mitigate them, I felt that I was able to take advantage of the Global Scholars curriculum to explore the interactions that shape our world. Throughout the year, I had the opportunity to consume more news from more sources online, but I also had the chance to glean more knowledge from live events offered through the Global Scholars program. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Werner Herzog's documentary Meeting Gorbachev, which was followed by a live Q&A where Mr. Herzog personally addressed audience questions about the collapse of the USSR. Finally, I was able to explore inequality through my affordable housing capstone project. Through my project, I worked with Victor to secure grant funding for the Inquilinos Unidos Leadership Academy. We also created a panel discussion held at Poly that looked at the past and future of affordable housing on a local and global scale. The driving force behind all of these accomplishments and opportunities has been the Global Scholars program, and I am incredibly grateful for the support system that was created by Mr. Caragher and Ms. Diederich. Looking forward, I plan to continue to look at global events and learn as much as I possibly can.