8/12/2019 Katie Stephens, Introduction
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novice level of Spanish. They supported me through this journey
and I gained confidence in
multiple aspects of my life which later inspired my move to
Chicago, IL. The relationships that I
built with my new family and local Argentine friends brought me
moments that I will never
forget and a certain fearlessness that I had not experienced
previously.
Returning home to Michigan in 2011 was the second most
challenging time of my life.
Reverse culture shock took its toll on me and I was constantly
dreaming of Argentina. What got
me through my re-entry process was my focus on my new career
trajectory in higher education.
Because my study abroad experience was so meaningful to me, I
decided that I wanted to
support other students through their own study abroad trips.
After meeting with a professor later
who became my mentor, I changed my psychology minor to
communication studies, kept my
Spanish major and began applying for graduate programs in higher
education. Since I felt stifled
on the Albion College campus of 1,500 students when comparing it
to living in a city of three
million for a year, I was excited about the opportunity to move
to an urban environment in
Chicago.
Similar to my arrival in Crdoba, my first couple of months in
Chicago brought their own
challenges as I re-adjusted to graduate life and worked on
building a network of friends in a new
city. I quickly fell in love with Chicago and my higher
education program as my classmates and
I journeyed together through highs and lows of our
assistantships, internships and professional
development. I am truly happy with my career choices and look
forward to the next chapter as a
new professional.
