By Isabella Falero
Born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida in a Cuban-American household, I always felt connected to other cultures. My best friends growing up were Croatian, French, and Brazilian. I was constantly surrounded by different languages, food, and customs that instilled in me from a young age a thirst for learning more. Miami made it easy for me, as a melting pot of people from every corner of the globe. However, when I moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, that thirst deepened because I no longer was thrust in the middle of cultures naturally. Because of this, I sought out opportunities that would allow me to learn and experience new people and communities. That first looked like me studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain, a country I have always wanted to visit. My ancestors were from Spain before they emigrated to Cuba, and so there was something about visiting the land of my family that really inspired me. I ate great food, practiced my Spanish-speaking skills, and most importantly opened my mind to an international advertising perspective. That was the beginning of my love for travel and the idea of perhaps moving abroad to work in advertising.
It wasn’t until my last semester at the University of Florida when I discovered the International Scholars Program through a class I was taking called Game-Changing Ads. In this course, we examine great ads from across the globe that have won in their respective categories, but because they are made for markets other than the U.S., it counted as a requirement for ISP, something the syllabus mentioned that I had never heard of before. Immediately I went digging, saw that it was doable before I graduated, and signed up. In just three short months, I visited four events on campus that continued to broaden my international perspective and developed an e-portfolio that was the culmination of my learnings, which you all are reading right now! I now get to reflect on my time and why I believe I am leaving UF a bit more knowledgeable and thankful to be an international scholar:
Awareness of Cultures Other Than My Own: Being a scholar in this program leaves us in a constant state of awareness that people are all different. This is especially use in my advertising degree where target audiences differ often, especially in Miami where I hope to work someday.
Open-Mindedness: Engaging with diverse viewpoints and traditions have challenged my preconceptions and broadened by intellectual horizons. I now make it a point to be open-minded in every situation I find myself in, because that is how you learn and grow.
Instilling in Me the Value of Curiosity and Lifelong Learning: This is only the beginning of my journey to connect with people with diverse backgrounds than myself. As an advertising professional, I am constantly curious, trying to find answers to life’s questions and how I can help bring light to otherwise dark situations.
For these things and the many others that I have had the honor and pleasure of learning and gaining from being an International Scholar, I will forever be grateful. My advice to my future self is to not be afraid to take risks, try new things, and listen and act on those deepest desires your body is telling you you want. Go after it and enjoy the journey!
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