K. Alyssa Dan

Artifact and Reflection:

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Like many others during their first semester of college I decided to attend an event with the simple goal of making some friends. I had all the nerves expected of an introvert who came to a huge university knowing a total of three people. My palms were sweaty as I walked in the door of the house the event was at. As I entered I was immediately overwhelmed with how warm the people were who greeted me. There were kind and welcoming and I started chatting with a girl about my two main goals for my freshman year. First, was to be accepted into the Business Honors Program, and second, was to go to South Asia on a summer mission trip. Immediately, a girl behind me says "Hi, did you say you wanted to go to South Asia this summer?" Again the introvert in still nervous to make friends affirmed her question. She then proceeded to tell me that she was leading a six week mission trip to South Asia that summer and was currently recruiting people for her team. I was stunned and extremely grateful that God lead me exactly to the right event to make a friend and achieve my goals. 

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The girls name was Laura and she was one of the nicest and most encouraging people I, to this date, have met in college. I ended up going on the South Asia that summer for six weeks and it grew me the most in my faith and gave me some very deep relationships. I learned how to talk with people who had different beliefs, worldviews, and motives behind their actions. I began to see the difference in cultures and the relativity of wealth. This was my first experience abroad and was possible because I decided to come to simply attend an event, get out of my comfort zone, and take up a strangers offer to fly halfway across the golbe with her. 

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Entering a global business market I know that the skills I learned in South Asia are going to be highly important in communicating with global business partners. There are so many nuances of each culture and even if I don't know what they are, I at least know the right questions to ask when working with other cultures. I have a greater appreciation for different cultures and see the value of having diversity in the work place because I put myself out of my comfort zone in South Asia as well as my freshman year in College Station to meet new people and say yes.