Student Perspectives: A Global Experience at USC
Welcome to college: one minute you’re navigating through your familiar neighborhood, and the next, you’re stepping into a world where every turn brings a story from a different corner of the globe. Growing up in my suburban bubble in Florida for 18 years, I came to USC with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. I was curious to see what I would find in a school on the other side of the country with 47,000 students.
Diversity:
USC has students from over 130 countries and more than 25% of our student body is international. For example, I live with three roommates who are from the Bay Area, Bolivia and South Korea. I love living and learning alongside students from all over the world since it broadens my perspective of the world and leads to exciting conversations inside and outside of the classroom. Attending USC has also allowed me to participate in festivals and events outside my own culture, such as Holi, Dragon Boat Festival, and Dia De Los Muertos. I’m a much more well-rounded person because of the diverse people I’m surrounded by, and that’s why I’m thankful to live in a metropolis like LA.
Cultural Assemblies and Clubs:
USC is home to an array of cultural assemblies, including, but not limited to, the Asian Pacific American, Black, Latine, Native American and Middle Eastern North African student assemblies. These are great ways to embrace and explore your cultural identity while making new friends. I was in a club called Korean Culture Night during my freshman year, where we directed and performed a show celebrating Korean culture. The show included Tae Kwon Do, K-Pop dance, pansori and short film screenings. It was an incredible experience that helped me embrace my own roots and meet like-minded friends.
Study Abroad:
USC has study abroad opportunities in over 130 cities in 50 countries of all types (short-term, semester-long, Maymesters, Problems without Passports, etc.). You have so many options, you can really choose your own adventure.
For example, during spring break of my freshman year, I traveled to Bangkok, Thailand as part of the Global Leadership Program. We spoke with high-level business executives and toured companies like Gulf Energy, Mondelez International and Thai Union. One exciting memory was a day-long race around Bangkok, where we communicated with locals, rode tuk-tuks and visited grand palaces. I had such a great experience, I decided to go abroad again during spring break of my sophomore year. This time, I traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia through the Marshall Honors Research Seminar. This was a client-based project to help small banana farmers, so we visited various farms and plantations around Indonesia and learned about agricultural challenges. There are also plenty of semester-long study abroad programs to choose from. My friend Kiley, a Theater major, spent a semester abroad in London that opened her eyes to new experiences: everything from riding the tube, to watching a football match, to seeing West End shows.
Studying abroad can seem intimidating, but the payoff is definitely worth the leap of faith. Anyone looking to expand their horizons (literally and figuratively) should consider studying abroad!
As I look back on the people, festivals, club activities and international adventures that marked my time at USC, I'm grateful for the ways they've broadened my perspectives. USC's commitment to diversity and global engagement has undoubtedly equipped me and my peers to step into the world as true global citizens, ready to embrace challenges and contribute positively to our interconnected world.
Written by: Grace Baek, Student