The GSL program at Pitt opened so many doors for me to learn valuable lessons. Whether it be academically, professionally, or personally, I feel super fulfilled and satisfied with this past semester. To start, academically, I feel as if learning about the differences between service learning and volunteering has really opened my eyes. As someone who has studied abroad in the past, I hadn’t previously considered the long-lasting effects that can occur more specifically with volunteering abroad. This helped me be more conscious of my actions abroad to be a better global citizens overall. As I’ve mentioned in prior blogs, the “Points of Discomfort: Reflections on Power and Partnerships in International Service-Learning” article has stuck out to me the most. While I feel as if we didn’t cause any unintentional harm, there was a point in which our group was uncomfortable. This point occurred during our food distribution activity with Nature Seekers in which we visited less fortunate areas of Matura and handed out food care packages. While at some points we were uncomfortable, our group was definitely able to take some important lessons away from this. We were able to really experience and view this area of the world for what it truly is. It made me extremely grateful for everything I’ve grown up with and known all my life because the reality is, not everyone is as fortunate as I am.
When it comes to valuable lessons I learned professionally, I don’t even know where to begin. Our group was able to meet with our client multiple times throughout the semester. This helped me gain greater business acumen and helped me work on building professional relationships, something I would have never had the opportunity to do in any other class. Along with this, after having several lectures with Meade Johnson, our class was able to learn more about consulting and how to maintain relationships with clients. Having someone who worked as a consultant actually come in and talk to us was purely beneficial. Meade was able to give us her advice and guidance while also keeping our class super engaged and excited as to what she would say next. When it comes to the execution of our deliverables, I feel as if I’ve gained serious working experience. Our group was able to create our own scope of work which served as the foundation for what would come next. What we came up based off what we had heard from Nature Seekers was that they wanted an asset tracking system that could help them transition from paper records to electronic. Along with this, they also were in need of some marketing infographics that they could use to generate more engagement on their social media platforms. As a group who had never really taken part in the creation of either of these aspects of business before in the past, this seemed pretty open ended to us. Overall, I feel as if I’ve learned a lot about how to think outside the box to complete legitimate business requests. This is invaluable experience as many students don’t get the opportunity to do this so early on in their college careers.
On top of this, I feel as if this program has given me a huge sense of personal growth. I was able to learn about a new culture by completely immersing myself in it. Something I found particularly interesting about our specific time in the country was the fact that we actually had a good amount of time to spend at our client’s guest house in rural Trinidad. While the other time we spent in Trinidad was in the capital city, I feel as if going to a rural part of the country and experiencing their day-to-day life was life-changing. Seeing the passion all of the workers at Nature Seekers have while doing their work inspires me to find a job that allows for me to be the same.
When it comes to comparing my thoughts now to my initial thoughts before the trip I can confidently say any worries I had that came up we adapted to, and anything I was excited to learn came up and was able to help me grow as a person. I am super excited to continue finishing up our deliverables so that we can present work that we are proud of!
Regarding the transferable skills I’ve gained during my time apart of the GSL program, I feel as though almost everything I’ve done has given me something to take away. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve gained business acumen, skills relating to creating and maintaining business relationships, and valuable experience in aspects of business I didn’t previously have. As a result of this program I’ve become a much more well rounded out candidate for any position I would be applying for. I’m super excited to see what comes next and how I can use my newfound strengths to my advantage.
With respect to the importance of building our relationship with Nature Seekers, my group in particular had a unique case. This is due to the fact that it was Pitt’s first year really focusing on Nature Seeker’s organization for the GSL program. Prior to this, Pitt worked with another group located in Trinidad. I believe that our group was just one piece of the puzzle that has just begun. Apart from the once circumstance, I can only speak positively about every single situation that Nature Seekers gave us the opportunity to experience. While we weren’t building upon a long-lasting relationship, we had the chance to help start one. This was super rewarding. I am super excited to see how other groups in the future enjoy their time in Trinidad with the same group of people we worked with this past semester. Since we really kickstarted our project with Nature Seekers, we were able to get somewhat of a grasp as to what they need in the future. Considering that this is just the beginning, I can’t wait to see what future Pitt groups are able to bring to the table to help such an amazing group of people.
Concerning how I would address this program in a professional setting, unique is probably the word I would use. Being able to stay with our client, get specific feedback about exactly what they did and didn’t like, and getting to take part in each of their parts of work was something that no other program can give you. Not only was I able to build upon my strengths, I was also able to recognize my weaknesses and learn from it. Yes it’s a consulting project, but it was also so much more than that. Getting to meet people, spend time, and also live with them is something that a regular consulting project doesn’t offer. I can only hope that this gets brought up in an interview in the future as I’ll be able to go on and on about the whole experience.
Going forward, what would I tell future groups? Number one, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. A lot of this trip was spent in discomfort or at least living in a way that was not typical to me. While at first it took a little bit to adjust, I grew comfortable with the day-to-day and by the end of the trip I could’ve stayed another week. Secondly, think outside of the box. When we knew we had to make an asset tracking system, we had no idea how we were going to do it. We conducted research on practical ways that would be applicable in the circumstances we were presented with. Eventually, we found a way to create our system on excel which is a program they regularly use. While at first the task seemed daunting, after trial and error, and a good amount of time spent researching, we found a feasable way to complete what we needed to. It may seem intimidating, but no matter what challenge presents itself, take a deep breath, think logically, and come up with a plan of action. Finally, I would just say to enjoy yourself. Spring break was a month ago and I’d do anything to be back on the Matura Beach tagging turtles again. While it may not seem like it, time flies. Enjoy yourself while you’re there because before you know it you’ll be back in Oakland. Jokes aside, this experience is something I’ll never forget and I’m extremely thankful to have had the chance to be apart of it!