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| Libby, Maria, Mariko & Eric sharing their experiences at the Education Abroad Fair |
Needless to say, I have undergone many changes in the
way I think, feel, and behave as a result of my experience in Cape Town. As I
had anticipated, my experience in the clinic taught me many practical
healthcare skills, such as taking blood pressure, measuring blood glucose, and
giving injections. However, Sister Castle and the other clinic staff taught me
many life lessons including interpersonal skills and how to empathize with
patients. I think that one of the biggest changes I have noticed in myself as a
result of my time in the clinic, at my activist project, and in class is my
ability to empathize. I have always done my best to put myself in others’
shoes, but now I make that a priority in every interaction. Like we learned
about in our stereotyping unit, it is natural for the human brain to sort
people into categories, but we can’t let that dictate how we treat someone. My
co-educators were instrumental in my understanding of challenging issues
concerning race, privilege, gender, human rights, and more. Under normal
circumstances, if I were taking a class that I did not know much about, it
would be easy to coast along and get a passing grade. But being surrounded by
so many people, enlightening conversations were never hard to come by at home
or over dinner. I really looked forward to reading through the discussion board
to see how different people reacted to the same material, highlighting the
unique learning opportunities that come with an interdisciplinary group of
co-educators. Dealing with social issues in the classroom and on the streets of
Cape Town all semester has changed how I view my role in the medical field and
how I view my role as an activist and an ally. This semester made me realize
that healthcare does not exist in a vacuum, and that, like Mary Bassett
discussed in her TED Talk, it is very much divided by racial and class lines. I
want to be sure that my future employer takes steps to make healthcare
affordable and accessible for all, and that I will have the opportunity to
teach health education and promotion. I learned so much from my co-educators in
terms of privileges afforded to white males, so I really feel that since
returning to the United States, I have paid close attention to those privileges
and done my best to reject them. My co-educators also taught me how I can use
my voice to be an ally without necessarily taking the attention away from the
leaders of a movement. At the risk of sounding “extremist” or “radical,” I have
become more unashamed of my positions and what I feel is right, and have made
them known to close friends who hold opposing views. I think that being
surrounded by Capetonian culture where people are so passionate and vocal for
their rights has made me realize that I have been observing from the sidelines
for too long.
Through journaling, completing in-class exercises,
and having conversations with my co-educators, I came to understand the value
of regular self-reflection. It helped me process many of my changing thoughts,
attitudes, and beliefs and allowed me to shift my frame of reference from time
to time. As I reflect upon my time in Cape Town, I realize that I am still
undergoing constant revision and am certainly not yet the person I want to be.
The values exercise that I completed the other week made me realize how much
emphasis I place on values such as understanding, empathy, fairness, and
equality. These have not been the easiest to integrate into my daily life, so I
want to make sure I am trying to live them out whenever I can. These are not as
easy to measure as success and achievement, so I will need to be patient and
stay committed. As I have mentioned a few times before, I did not expect to get
so much enjoyment out of attending poetry readings, plays, and other aspects of
the fine arts. I will admit that I have not been as participatory in these
events as I was in Cape Town. I want to start to incorporate these into my
weekly routine more often because they allowed me to learn about unfamiliar
topics through fun, alternate media. With so many events happening on campus,
this shouldn’t be too hard. Finally, in order to make my hope for the future a
reality, I need to become civically and politically engaged in movements that I
care about. This means supporting leaders and politicians that hold positions
that align with my beliefs. This means shopping or seeking jobs at businesses
or corporations that treat its employees fairly and carry out business in ways
that are ethical. Just because things are the status quo for now, does not mean
that they always have to be.
