AUTUMN RITTER
Minnesota State University - Mankato, Class of 2022

SYNTHESIS OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EXPERIENCE

Global citizenship is something I have been passionate about since I was fairly young. I grew up in an extremely small town - population 1,005 - where there was practically no diversity. Everyone looked like me, enjoyed most of the same things as me, had families that mirrored my own, and had life experiences fairly similar to me as well. I was very aware of this all through high school, and I knew when it came time to select a college, I was going to choose one that would provide me with more awareness and diverse experiences. That eventually led me to MSU, and I am thankful it did.

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Even without my enrollment in the Honors program, I do feel that I have been provided with opportunities to become a better global citizen; however, the Honors program has been able to promote and enrich these experiences further than what I believe is the "college norm." It has encouraged me to think more actively about sensitivity to cultural differences, as well as recognize personal biases and stereotypes that I may have never realized otherwise.

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My most foundational experience was Sensitivity to Disability (REHB 110W), where we discussed the prejudices that often exist around various disabilities. I grew up with a grandfather that was a quadriplegic and a grandmother that was paraplegic, so I felt going into this class that I already was a seasoned "global citizen" when it came to disabilities. However, I was able to become much more self-aware and really examine my internalized perspective on all disabilities, not just those with which I had been previously acquainted. To apply global citizenship to my business major, I also took an introductory international business course (IBUS 380). This course increased my awareness of distinct cultural differences that can exist within a business transaction, and I was able to not only gain knowledge of diverse cultural business practices, but also how to understand and overcome these barriers.

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My primary real-world global citizenship experience is my current internship at Feeding our Communities Partners (FOCP). The nonprofit sector obviously requires me to have a huge understanding of different life experiences and cultures, as many of the individuals being served do no share my same identity. This internship has allowed me to put my current knowledge to work in the real-world, and I have already noticed a lot of growth in my awareness of cultural interactions within this internship. I am more knowledgeable on economic disparities and all the factors that may affect it, and that allows me to better serve FOCP's consumer demographic. In terms of language development, I was also able to put my Spanish-speaking abilities to work within a volunteer project with Habitat for Humanity. I further discuss my internal doubts of my language abilities within the corresponding reflection, but ultimately, this experience had a profound impact on my confidence speaking Spanish in out-of-classroom scenarios.

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Overall, I do feel that I am able to leave college satisfied with my growth as a global citizen. Learning about cultures different than my own has led me to many topics about which I have now become deeply passionate, such as racial justice, socioeconomic disparities, and so much more. Within the Honors program, MSU has given me the global awareness I had been desiring so strongly in high school, and that is a pursuit that will continue long after I graduate.