Being a Global Citizen: 2

 

 

Every year, faculty, students, and alumni from UWyo travel around the world, engaging with communities and making new friends. How we approach being a global citizen as we travel? What exactly is our role in the wider world? How do we learn and grow in that role?

Here are five more perspectives from the runner-ups of the 2022 Global Engagement Photo Contest:

 

Be Present by Scott Tedman-Jones

It is easy to see a place and move on to the next item on the itinerary, but these experiences can be fleeting and not register on the subconscious. One of my goals being overseas this summer as part of the UW in Scotland cohort was to take the time to be fully present in the places that I visited.

To support this goal I took many, many pictures during my 18-day trip. Many of the photos were of small details of what I called “textures” on my social media posts documenting my travels. These textures were moments that captured an essence of a location or an ephemeral feeling that I may have missed if I hadn’t been looking.

In this photo of a sculpture in the gardens at Abbotsford, I was only able to see it because I stopped and turned around to look at the sculpture from another angle. This sums up my experience of being abroad. Take the time to be present, to “see” from multiple perspectives. You don’t know what you might bring home with you. The photos I took all have deeper meaning to me because I was fully present when taking them.

-Scott Tedman-Jones

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Fishing on the Tahuayo by Vanta E. Coda III

My volunteer experience abroad was impactful due to all the people we met while we were there.

Meeting with indigenous Amazonian and looking into their day-to-day life was truly amazing. During the visit I learned how precious a community is and how it is interconnected. Everyone knew everyone up and down the tributary forming a bond that is very rare nowadays.

I don't think my global understanding was altered per-se, but it was enhanced. Building a school for the primary students will stick with me for the rest of my life. It not only showed me and the BTCV team that there are places like this, but that they are so closely knit together that one might mistake the village to be a family.

-Vanta E. Coda III

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White by Alirza Orujov

One of the most important questions we ask when to move a new place is “what the climate looks like?”

For me, the most important one was “are there mountains” and Wyoming was perfect in satisfying that. However, I was just a little bit afraid of extreme cold, which might prevent me from enjoying outdoor activities. I heard it can get so cold that you cannot leave your home for several weeks, but I was brave enough to experience by myself.

So, I did it and I would say I liked it very much! I started snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and doing wildlife photography during these white, cold days. This let me stay not only physically but also mentally active.

Wyoming is the coldest place I lived so far, and I do believe is same for most of the international students. Therefore, I give a friendly recommendation to all to find an outdoor activity in the snow! 

-Alirza Orujov

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Sport Time by Azizullah Saleem

Azizullah's grandfather (pictured here) studied at UW during the 1950s, coming from Afghanistan.

Azizullah wrote, "Spending time with boys playing rugby... It is very relaxing as the field is big and green. There is always time to recharge yourself before going back to class. Life is too short to just focus on studies, engage with the local society through joining events and social activity. It will make you realize that friendship is beyond boundaries and there is so much to learn of different cultures."

-Azizullah Saleem