Spring 2022 Learning Plan Update

It’s been many years since I started the ISS program and I’ve been lucky to have taken many amazing courses. Since starting the program in the fall of 2015, I have studied many interesting and important disciplines like Anthropology, Sociology, Communications, Economics, Natural Sciences, and more. While I expected there to be some overlap in the connection between the courses, I did not expect there to be so much. Throughout my ISS journey, I prioritized my interests and feel that each course has built upon the last to help me create a broad understanding of the systems and structures that have affected the world throughout history and how that shows up in society today. Each course has challenged me in new and different ways. I think one of the more important concepts I’ve learned from my courses is just how interconnected everything is. Nothing exists in a vacuum and knowing this requires you to stretch your understanding to look at any number of issues through a broad lens. For instance, I originally studied American Race and Ethnic Relations in Sociology, which discussed racism from a historical and modern-day perspective. I did not expect that the Anthropology and International Health course I took would expand on this information to better understand the root of slavery and how racism has affected global health to this day. Another Sociology course called The Family, expanded on how incarceration rates affect BIPOC families perpetuating negative outcomes for people within that community. I am constantly blown away by these connections and love the chance to add new layers to my understanding of the topics I have studied. With each passing quarter I learn new information, expand my understanding of the world around me, and feel compelled to reevaluate my role as a citizen of my local community as well as the world. My coursework has also helped me build many personal skills. My writing abilities have improved greatly since 2015 and my ability to use the various tools to find materials and information to support my work has also improved. My communications courses have helped me to evaluate my communication style and efficacy and work to make improvements with my immediate family and friends, as well as everyone I encounter through spoken language as well as digital communication. One of the most important things I’ve learned throughout my time is how strong and capable I am. There have been so many instances during my ISS journey when I wanted to throw in the towel, but I’ve persevered through those moments, and it has given me a great sense of pride and the knowledge that I am smarter, stronger, and more capable than I ever thought possible.

Revisiting my keywords after seven years has allowed me to reflect on what I’ve learned over the years and decide if the original keywords I chose still fit my interests and goals. I ultimately decided to change all three of my keywords after realizing that rather than focus on issues within our systems, I wanted to focus on the solutions. This meant changing my keywords from “racism, gender, and media” to “family, community, and connection.” The connection between the disciplines inspired me to look at the positive systems and supports we have and highlight them. Looking back over my coursework I think that these new keywords have always been the story that I have weaved through my research and papers. They also best illustrate my current pursuit in thinking about how to be a part of solutions that will hopefully help lift our society out of the current messes we are in, especially regarding race and women’s issues, gun violence, and access to quality education and healthcare. I knew going into the ISS program that it was the right program for my interests and knew that it would challenge me in new and unexpected ways. Even with this knowledge, I was not prepared for the growth that I experienced throughout this journey. I have achieved things I never thought possible and just getting to this point feels like success.  My goal of graduating from the program has not changed, but the person I am has, and I am grateful for that.