A great view of Lyon and the Saône River from La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière
Global Citizenship Put into Practice
Six of my favorite weeks of my life were spent last summer 2017 in Lyon, France, working toward completing my third Honors Experience. I completed two courses at a Polytechnic Institute in Lyon, one of which was a Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry Laboratory course, and the other was an Advanced French course. This experience was particularly thrilling for me because it was the very first time I have ever found manner in which to combine, in a meaningful way, my two majors: Chemistry and French.
I learned a lot about global citizenship through my experience of living in Lyon and taking these courses for six weeks. Throughout my time there, I had a focus on talking and interacting with the other students in my international study program. The other students came from a variety of other nations, including Canada, Mexico, China, the UK, Turkey, and Egypt. It was influential for me to have the experience of studying alongside student peers from several contrasting parts of the world, together striving for excellence in our shared studies and experience in France.
Furthering my understanding of global citizenship was a project I worked on involving interviewing five women in my study abroad group and hearing their stories. These five told me about each her own personal experience growing up as a woman in her home society and the ways they feel they've been shaped by the world. Additionally, they shared about their views on American society specifically as well as their hopes and dreams for their futures, regarding their careers and personal lives. As a white, cis, American male, I wanted to simply sit back and listen to those who were different from me and take in what they had to say regarding their own human experiences while writing about it and trying to lift them up individually. I'm extremely glad to have known them.
I learned a lot about global citizenship through my experience of living in Lyon and taking these courses for six weeks. Throughout my time there, I had a focus on talking and interacting with the other students in my international study program. The other students came from a variety of other nations, including Canada, Mexico, China, the UK, Turkey, and Egypt. It was influential for me to have the experience of studying alongside student peers from several contrasting parts of the world, together striving for excellence in our shared studies and experience in France.
Furthering my understanding of global citizenship was a project I worked on involving interviewing five women in my study abroad group and hearing their stories. These five told me about each her own personal experience growing up as a woman in her home society and the ways they feel they've been shaped by the world. Additionally, they shared about their views on American society specifically as well as their hopes and dreams for their futures, regarding their careers and personal lives. As a white, cis, American male, I wanted to simply sit back and listen to those who were different from me and take in what they had to say regarding their own human experiences while writing about it and trying to lift them up individually. I'm extremely glad to have known them.
This spot was my preferred escape whenever I wanted to be alone in the city. It is on the Saône, right across from l'Église Saint Georges
My study abroad program ended July 12, so I immediately took a train from Lyon to Paris for the celebrations of Bastille Day (July 14) in Paris. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which honestly felt like a dream that came to life.
Above: Mariana Martin, native to Mexico City, Mexico
Below: Catrina Rateb, a North Carolina State University student, originally from Cairo, Egypt
These are two of the women whom I interviewed during my stay in Lyon. From Mariana and Catrina, along with the other women I interviewed who all grew up with unique cultural identities, I learned extremely valuable insights of what it means to be a woman in 2017 from many different views of our world and the challenges it throws at women today.
Below: Catrina Rateb, a North Carolina State University student, originally from Cairo, Egypt
These are two of the women whom I interviewed during my stay in Lyon. From Mariana and Catrina, along with the other women I interviewed who all grew up with unique cultural identities, I learned extremely valuable insights of what it means to be a woman in 2017 from many different views of our world and the challenges it throws at women today.