By Sean Park
As a Seattleite, Heather Brekhus had some hiking experience. But walking up and down the Himalayas for seven hours during a study abroad trip tested her more than any Northwest range.
Her guide mentioned toward the end of the hike that they were on the 鈥渂aby version鈥 of the mountain. Brekhus thought to herself, 鈥淚f that was the baby, I don鈥檛 want to see the mother.鈥
It would be only one of the many eye-opening moments of turned out to be a trip out of her comfort zone and into a new learning environment.
Heading to India
This past summer, Brekhus, an Educational Studies major at the 糖心vlog视频, was presented with the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship.
The fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State and gives students of limited financial means an opportunity to study or intern abroad. Started in 2001 and named after the late New York Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman, the program has received more than 100,000 applications, and approximately only one in four are awarded the honor.
Applying for the prestigious fellowship was a personal 鈥渕ountain鈥 Brekhus climbed, and getting the news she would be a Gilman scholar made her feel as if she鈥檇 summitted. With this support, she headed to India as part of the study abroad program called Business India: Indian Society and Organizations in the 21st Century.
The group of 21 students and three faculty traveled through the cities of Agra, Bangalore, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hampi and Kochi. For three weeks, they learned about the features of Indian organizations and society and how they influence each other.
Learning through the real world
Although Brekhus is focused on education, she also has an interest in learning more about business. Her father founded a company called Brekhus Tile & Stone around the time she was born, and she鈥檚 always been inspired by his passion and hard work.
The group met with a variety of businesses throughout the course. After these visits, they would discuss the problems the organizations are facing and consider differences and similarities between nonprofits and for-profit companies.
Her professor would ask questions such as, 鈥淜nowing what you鈥檝e just learned about this nonprofit, how could you transform this model into a for-profit business?鈥 The students collaborated on thinking strategically and devising solutions, a process Brekhus says she enjoyed.
鈥淥ne of my future goals is to start a nonprofit related to educating children outside of the classroom,鈥 she said. 鈥淥ur studies helped me understand the ups and downs of running such an organization and what it would take to accomplish my goal.鈥
Empowering individuality
The most memorable part of the trip for Brekhus was when the class visited a Parikrma school in Bangalore.
The Parikrma Humanity Foundation, established in 2003, operates four K-10 schools and one junior college (grades 11 and 12) across Bangalore. More than 1,800 children 鈥 52% of whom are girls 鈥 are bused in from 99 slum communities and four orphanages to receive free education and three healthy meals a day.
鈥淧arikrma鈥檚 mission is to make learning enjoyable for the children, which ties closely to what I am learning at UW Bothell,鈥 Brekhus said. 鈥淭he faculty at Parikrma intentionally focus on empowering every child to think and feel like an individual instead of just being part of a big class.
鈥淲hile talking to the children, I could sense this individualism,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey were excited to be there, to meet us, to share their story and to practice their English on us. Given their circumstances at home, I was really surprised by their enthusiasm and positive attitude.鈥
Taking it all in
Brekhus saw first-hand that the responsibility of being a teacher isn鈥檛 just about class subjects. As she鈥檚 learned at UW Bothell, being a good teacher means knowing about students鈥 experience outside of the classroom, including their nutrition, living conditions and family structure.
鈥淎t Parikrma, the founder stressed this, too. I鈥檓 going to be very conscious of applying this when I start teaching,鈥 Brekhus said.
Meeting the students and seeing a vast number of people living on the streets also helped her gain a new appreciation of growing up in a first-world country.
For example, she made a decision to never leave food on her plate again. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to waste anything,鈥 she said. 鈥淔irst off, it鈥檚 disrespectful to throw away something so valuable. Second, every day I saw starving people on the streets begging for food, so how could I look at my full plate and not finish it?
鈥淭hese experiences hit me hard. Now I have a better realization of the privileges I have taken for granted all these years,鈥 she said.
Coming home
鈥淚ndia was the best destination I could鈥檝e chosen,鈥 said Brekhus. 鈥淚 knew little about it beforehand, yet now I want to go back after I get settled in to my career.鈥
Brekhus received an open invitation from the Parikrma school to return and help teach at the institution. It鈥檚 an opportunity she won鈥檛 pass up.
鈥淭aking the chance to study abroad was a great decision, and I鈥檓 glad I went for it,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hanks to the Gilman scholarship, I was able to discover a lot about myself and grow in ways that I was not expecting.鈥
鈥淚 took a big step out of my comfort zone, and now I鈥檓 going to challenge my students to do the same.鈥
