Reflection

                Now at the end of my University of Florida experience, it’s strange to look back at the person I was a mere 4 years ago. In such a short time I have developed such a different understanding of the world and perhaps more importantly, an appreciation for what I don’t understand about the world. I used to be afraid of change. I had my little world and I didn’t want any alterations. But with each class I took, each experience I had, I began to see my error. It’s easy to stay put and reject change; it’s often the path of least resistance. Opening new doors and embracing differences, however, is a far more rewarding path.

                Originally, I didn’t even want to attend UF. My first choice was the University of Chicago, where the unofficial student motto is “where fun goes to die.” Fun. At that point in my life, I was hyper fixated on success. To me, numbers were everything. I cared less about the experience as much as something might look good on a piece of paper. I was not accepted to UChicago, which looking back, will certainly be one of the greatest twists of fate in my life.

                I entered UF as an Economics major, originally intending to attend law school following graduation (the same path I would have taken at UChicago). The proverbial first step in my self-discovery journey began when I decided to take an introductory programming class for fun. And fun I had. For once in my academic career, I truly loved what I was learning. The realm of computer science is such a rich field of constant innovation that stretches into countless other disciplines. I was hooked, and just like that I was no longer an Economics major.

                My journey did not stop there. In high school, I was definitely considered a square. In fact, I was voted “most likely to still be at school till 6 p.m.”, in part because of the sheer number of honors clubs I participated in. I had friends of course (many of which came with me to UF), but I rarely hung out with friends outside of school hours. This changed dramatically in college. I came to the realization that focusing solely on academics was unsustainable and unfulfilling. Up to that point, I largely feel as though I had gone through life without experiencing it. In college, however, I was quick to change. I met new people, experienced new things. I knew so little about the world directly around me, and finally engaging with it only made me more curious about the rest of the world.

                Prior to UF, I had been taking Spanish classes for years. But in reality, I had barely connected with the culture surrounding the language at all. As I came out of my shell, I knew this had to change. I had planned to participate in a study abroad program in Seville, Spain to put my Spanish-speaking skills to use and engage with a culture I had largely ignored. Unfortunately, this was around the time the COVID-19 virus came into play, and I was tragically denied this experience, one of the sadder notes of my college experience. Internships quickly took priority (especially in computer science) for my time away from UF, so I have unfortunately been unable to go abroad to this day. However, I know when I do get the chance, I will go in stride and embrace the new.

                I wasn’t going to allow COVID-19 to completely destroy my dreams however. Thankfully, UF has incredible resources to learn and engage with cultures without having to journey across the globe. For one, I moved away from taking Spanish courses largely focused just on grammar and speaking. Instead, I elected to take courses that would further develop my understanding of Spanish culture and history. One such class focused on the history and culture of Spain, which was an incredible experience that gave me in-depth knowledge of a countries rich history that I would otherwise have never known. The International Scholars Program (which I had heard about through the Honors college), has proven to be an excellent resource for learning more about the world around me as well. I have had the opportunity to attend several lectures discussing issues all around the world. These lectures covering the plights of groups from East Asia to the Caribbean have enlightened me to the diversity of thoughts and ideas of our world, and the importance of learning about them to better understand each other.

                Finally, as a computer science major, I have to comment on how happy I am to live in our digital world. There has never been a time where the world’s communities have been so interconnected. It’s easier than ever to explore the rich cultures found throughout the globe. It is my goal as a computer scientist to build systems that encourage the sharing of ideas from all kinds of cultures so that we, as humans, may better understand each other and hopefully improve the world for all of us. In four short years at the University of Florida my world has expanded exponentially. I only hope that I can help others to do the same.