UGRADs Give Thanks
For many UGRADs, this November marked their first celebration of the American tradition of Thanksgiving. In the spirit of the holiday, we asked our students what they are thankful for this year; the answer is: a lot! Jorge Luis Rojas Ortega of Costa Rica shares his thoughts.
In this photo you can see my new American friend and her family. They hosted me during the whole Thanksgiving week in Southern Arkansas.
As you can imagine, I’m thankful for what I’ve learned since I left my country. I’m grateful not only because I’ve met so many American and International friends from all over the world, but also because I have had the opportunity to meet their friends as well. I was at one such friend’s house recently for Thanksgiving, and I became aware that I’m a different person than I was before. I appreciate that. Now that I’m here, I realize that I’ve become more open minded.
Being involved in a new and different culture from my own provides with me a chance to practice another language, to understand the world in a different way, and even to adopt new values. But for what am I grateful? I’m grateful to the life opportunities that I have received. I believe that life has given me the opportunity of living this international experience that I had never before could have imagined. Lastly, I’d like to say that – from my point of view – the best way to be thankful is by working hard to give others the same opportunities that we have had.
Read more on what our UGRADs are thankful for by clicking below.