In my Honors First Year Seminar course, we discussed the definition of global citizenship and the importance of possessing a global mindset. Through activities, readings, and engaging conversations, I learned that being a global citizen consists of respecting and accepting other cultural beliefs and ways of life. It is the willingness to have an open mind to learn more about others through personal encounters as well as reading and exploring. Experiencing and reflecting on my own culture was also a large component of this course, and it helped me characterize my beliefs and gain insight on the reasoning behind certain perspectives that I have. For example, I realized the predominantly white community I grew up in was not familiar or accustomed to interacting with those of diverse cultures, so it often led to the formation of negative attitudes and thoughts about others. The attached essay below describes my initial knowledge and experience of global citizenship along with how I wanted to develop this competency in my four years at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
I believe this experience helped me to meet Level 1 of Self-Awareness, which is “demonstrates emerging realization of oneself as a member of a culture.” In the essay, I discuss how I grew up in a predominately white, Catholic community and had little to no experience of interacting with those different than myself. Through composing this essay and reflecting on my own life experiences, I learned that I have always known I am part of an American culture that values family, faith, money, and hard work. Although it can be hard to admit, I also grew up believing many stereotypes about others and looked negatively upon these individuals, whether it be because of their ethnicity, religion, language, etc. This shows my acknowledgement to the existence of different cultures and the membership to my own culture as well. Taking the time to reflect on my childhood experiences and how they have influenced my mindset helped me realize how significantly I needed to grow to have an increased understanding of my own and other cultures.