Samuel Walker

Ever since I was small, I have been surrounded by international influences. From German Au Pairs when I was a toddler, to learning French throughout my education, to living abroad in Denmark, I have been lucky to be exposed to many different cultures and languages throughout my life. From these experiences, I've learned to view the world through a pluralistic lense and understand that different cultures can view the same event in radically different ways. I've also learned how much of a culture's identity is tied to its history and the interactions it has had with other cultures throughout history. Using this knowledge and understanding, I have striven to take advantage of every international oppurtunity I can find in order to make myself into a prime candidate for an international career.

When I started the sixth grade, I was given the choice of continuing to take Spanish classes or changing to French. I was small (and didn't like Spanish class) so without giving it too much thought, I signed up for French. I had no idea I was launching myself on an eight-year stint of French classes, culminating with my becoming fluent in the language. I didn't even have to take the last three years of French as they weren't required for school but I kept up with it anyway as I was enjoying myself too much. By the time I stopped taking classes in college, I had attended a five-week immersion program and completed an exchange program with a French high school outside of Paris. My classes and experiences allowed me to learn so much about French culture that I never thought was there- some of their cultural ideas are literally so different from American ideas as to be almost alien- and I loved every minute of it (and still do). So, I didn't stop with France, knowing that there are hundreds of cultures out there all with unique ideas and traits. Now, I spend much of my free time learning about other cultures. I'm currently working on learning as much about Germany as I can.

Since I understand how necessary it is to get to know another culture and I know how deep into that culture one must dive to gain that understanding, I hope to eventually find a job which will allow me to put this understanding to work. Careers with travel oppurtunities to France would be the logical place to start, given my history, but I don't want to stop there. The world is full of places I've never been and they're out there, waiting to be seen.