That’s right. Amanda, a senior at the time, applied and accepted the opportunity without knowing where in the world it would lead her. Amanda took this risk because, although she was very involved, she had never traveled abroad and it was an exciting opportunity to branch out and learn about new cultures. Not knowing where she would be headed was actually a draw. “I loved the fact that it was a mystery and that we would also be getting to know different people in our team as well while learning a new language,” says Amanda. The location was revealed in November. Amanda and a select group of students, Alumni and Faculty would be headed to Poland in February 2017.Annie Nguyen, the Coordinator of Study Abroad and Global Education at York College explains that the purpose of the program is to give those who have not had the chance to participate in world travel the opportunity to “introduce them to other global communities and allow them to connect with locals.”

The lessons Amanda learned as a Member of our organization were integral in her confidence and excitement to participate in this adventure. The Fraternity has taught her to be accepting of new ideas and ways of life and she takes to heart the lessons in our Ritual, that tradition and ignorance can be detrimental to learning and growing. By being open to new experiences, Amanda truly immersed herself in all that her trip to Poland could give her, which as she discovered, was immeasurable. She says, “before this trip, I just thought it was a title I could use to show that I have traveled somewhere and learned about its culture and history. Now I see it as almost a badge of honor.”

The group took in the sights and sounds, spoke the language and ate local food. They visited many historical sites throughout their two week stay, including castles, cathedrals, the Market Square and the monument to the Warsaw Ghetto; however, the most impactful part of this trip for Amanda was traveling to the concentration camps Auschwitz and Majdanek: “It’s so different reading about the death that occurred there compared to actually walking on the soil that the prisoners walked on everyday. Millions of people were slaughtered because of prejudice and ignorance. We can never let this happen again.” The experience led her to reflect on the message of the inhumanity that occurred there and at other concentration camps during World War II. Upon returning from the death camps she gave an impassioned plea on social media. “I urge you to never forget what has happened here. [...] All I can ask is that we never stop questioning and informing ourselves about the history that surrounds us. It is so important for those that perished, but also for the future generations to understand the gravity of this in history so it may never occur again,” she wrote. Vigilance against hate and discrimination is never ending. Amanda realized that in a very stark and intense way. For Amanda, this experience made her impassioned about preserving the history of the Holocaust. “Buildings are beginning to fall apart and history is being lost. Many of the last survivors are passing away, and it makes it harder for the newer generations to understand just how horrible this part of our history was.”

By going out of our normal comfort zones, especially with a trip such as this, Amanda believes that she and others can allow themselves to live more fully into the ideals of our Fraternity and our mission of social service. She explains, “Something this trip taught me was to keep in mind that everyone is different and it’s never right to discriminate against those differences. To do our best to understand that every human being is unique is the easiest thing we can do to serve mankind.” This was a goal of Annie Nguyen’s, that Amanda and the other students present would take “full advantage of the opportunity to truly experience the culture and history of Poland. Service starts with empathy and having conversations with those whose experience is different from your own.”

Going forward, Amanda plans to take the lessons she learned to stay open in her thoughts and actions, and pass those ideals onto others for generations. “I believe I was already open, but going on a trip like this really made me focus in on how to improve on certain aspects such as cultural behavior. Some things that Americans may do are not normal for other cultures. Being able to take a step back and apply that to the work world, relationships, and someday raising my own children, will make a difference in the long run,” she says. Kia Kuresman, York College’s Director of Academic Advising who also traveled with the students, expressed that is was the hope of the educators involved in planning the program: “Most of the experience was interpersonal and watching the students work through these ‘ah ha’ moments was powerful. I hope they continue to challenge themselves by looking past their own culture and interacting with others different from them.”

The only regret of the trip for Amanda was that she wished she could have stayed abroad longer. She says she now has the travel bug and can’t wait to visit more of the world. She encourages others to take advantage of their own international travel programs because, “once you get out of college, they will be much more expensive and harder to plan” and that everyone should experience something that challenges their idea of the world.

So what does being a Global Citizen mean to Amanda now that she’s experienced the program? She sees herself as a Global Ambassador and says “It gives me a certain pride to say that I traveled to another country and experienced some things that are very hard for most people to understand in history books. We all have a duty to be Global Citizens and connect ourselves with the world around us. Even though we may live in separate cultures, we are all still living on the same planet.”