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Submission information
Submission Number: 71
Submission ID: 377
Submission UUID: 936740c5-3faf-4c78-a1df-020073b4940e
Created: Sat, 05/08/2021 - 22:28
Completed: Sat, 05/08/2021 - 22:28
Changed: Tue, 09/03/2024 - 20:06
Remote IP address: 71.218.125.62
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
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Deyla
Matkovich
she/her
Denver
Colorado
United States of America
80220
Biomedical Engineering
English (5), Spanish (1)
I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel the world. Unlike most globetrotters though, my nights were not spent in hotels. Instead, we rented Airbnb's: people's homes that they rented to travelers like my family.
This means that we didn't stay in tourist-heavy areas with generic restaurants and chain stores, but rather stayed in residential neighborhoods, with grocery stores and full of people who didn't speak English.
In Croatia, we traveled from the walled city of Dubrovnik to the tiny town of Lic, the hometown of my last name. In Spain, my mother and I navigated the large supermarket in the outskirts of Madrid, trying to convey what we needed using what little Spanish we knew. In Greece, we got lost in winding side streets and eating food from small street carts.
My favorite place was Cairo, Egypt, where we stayed in a ruined building. Many of the buildings in the area were bombed and crumbling, yet many families still lived in the apartments with missing walls and ceilings. When we entered late at night, our host showed us to his home, which was on the upper floors. Despite the outward appearance of the building, the room was beautiful. Red tapestries decorated the walls with golden embroidery, and the terrace had the most amazing view of the pyramids. Our host explained to us that many families used the thick, woven carpets to cover holes in their apartments that could not yet be fixed. For dinner, the host brought us to some of the stores that his friends owned. We stood in line with tired people coming home from work, and passed commuter on the street. It was obvious that we were not from the area, as we struggled to order food from the counter. However, the cook and people were patient, and those that knew English stepped forward to translate. The people around us were friendly and kind, and many of the small stores were spacious on the inside and decorated with lights and art.
All of these experiences gave me new perspectives that I would not have otherwise experienced in the USA. Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, and staying on the main path could prevent you from discovering something amazing. Most of all, people live differently from each other. Even in the same country, the people in Lic led very different lives from those who lived in mainstream Dubrovnik, and the Greeks who lived in Santorini could not be compared to the ones in Mykonos. Finally, I was lucky enough to experience these perspectives from the eyes of the people who lived in these countries instead of from the perspectives of the tourism industry. By staying in residential neighborhoods, I was surrounded by authenticity, rather than forgery created by large companies.
This means that we didn't stay in tourist-heavy areas with generic restaurants and chain stores, but rather stayed in residential neighborhoods, with grocery stores and full of people who didn't speak English.
In Croatia, we traveled from the walled city of Dubrovnik to the tiny town of Lic, the hometown of my last name. In Spain, my mother and I navigated the large supermarket in the outskirts of Madrid, trying to convey what we needed using what little Spanish we knew. In Greece, we got lost in winding side streets and eating food from small street carts.
My favorite place was Cairo, Egypt, where we stayed in a ruined building. Many of the buildings in the area were bombed and crumbling, yet many families still lived in the apartments with missing walls and ceilings. When we entered late at night, our host showed us to his home, which was on the upper floors. Despite the outward appearance of the building, the room was beautiful. Red tapestries decorated the walls with golden embroidery, and the terrace had the most amazing view of the pyramids. Our host explained to us that many families used the thick, woven carpets to cover holes in their apartments that could not yet be fixed. For dinner, the host brought us to some of the stores that his friends owned. We stood in line with tired people coming home from work, and passed commuter on the street. It was obvious that we were not from the area, as we struggled to order food from the counter. However, the cook and people were patient, and those that knew English stepped forward to translate. The people around us were friendly and kind, and many of the small stores were spacious on the inside and decorated with lights and art.
All of these experiences gave me new perspectives that I would not have otherwise experienced in the USA. Beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, and staying on the main path could prevent you from discovering something amazing. Most of all, people live differently from each other. Even in the same country, the people in Lic led very different lives from those who lived in mainstream Dubrovnik, and the Greeks who lived in Santorini could not be compared to the ones in Mykonos. Finally, I was lucky enough to experience these perspectives from the eyes of the people who lived in these countries instead of from the perspectives of the tourism industry. By staying in residential neighborhoods, I was surrounded by authenticity, rather than forgery created by large companies.
I would want to live down the hall from someone who has a variety of experiences in life and understands and accepts that people think differently from them. They would be able to communicate with the rest of the community what they want and if something bothers them, and would be willing to work with other students to come up with solutions that would benefit everyone. Finally, I would want them to be passionate about something, whether it is some niche interest or their coursework. I want to be able to listen to what their opinion is about different topics and broaden my viewpoints on the world and politics. I want to be able to have in-depth discussions with them if they disagree with me, so this way I could better understand the perspectives different from my own.
I want to join the Global Engineering RAP because I want a close-knit community in a large college campus. In my opinion, the best part about college is learning how to think rather than what to think. The Global Engineering RAP, with it's diverse students and different perspectives, can help me achieve this goal. Furthermore, since I would be surrounded by other engineering students, I would have constant support for my classes, and be able to support those in need as well. By traveling the world, I gained an assortment of viewpoints, which I can share with my fellow peers. I am passionate about travel, and am always willing to listen to other people talk about the things they are passionate about. I want to help others achieve their goals, and I want to learn about anything. The Global Engineering RAP is a perfect fit for me and my own goals, and I can offer support to the students in it.
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