Self Reflective Report

My experience with the Certificate in International Learning has been a journey of self-awareness and growth. The certificate has allowed me to incorporate cultural experiences into my degree, which has challenged my perceptions of the world and the possibilities of what I can do. The requirements necessary to complete the Certificate in International Learning have spanned the course of my entire degree and I think, upon reflection, these experiences have helped expand my communication skills and broadened my knowledge of global affairs.

The first set of requirements that I completed for the CIL certificate was the language competency and the twelve credits of globally minded courses. I took Spanish 111 and 112 as my language courses. I really

Both classes really focused on the problems of Canadian cultural mythology and storytelling being shaped by Eastern and Western European influences. This framework of thinking is limiting and exclusive, especially in Canada where multiculturalism is prized. Fairytales and Folklore sought to explore non-Western interpretations of classic fairytales to find the similarities of cultures but also the importance of their differences. In the Forms of Folklore class, we looked further at religion and the increasing secularism of Canada. There is a desire to reconnect spiritually to one another through stories. The emergence of fan works based off of popular media and culture was a really fascinating to explore. People come together as communities, not based on cultural similarities, but through media interests. The internet connects people across the globe through the unifying power of story in both fan work and pop culture.

The focal point of the certificate, for me, was my study abroad experience in New Zealand. I studied and lived on campus at the University of Auckland for six months. That experience for me was filled with many ups and downs. The first month was really exciting, I a lot during this time and took in a lot of the culture with an open mind, the more I learned about New Zealand, the more fascinated I became by New Zealand politics. As a Political Science major, the contrasts to Canadian systems of

Much like the CIL Orientation, I think I would have benefitted from taking the training session prior to my departure abroad because some of the strategies to help cope with culture shock would have been very useful for my experience. Despite the training session being at the end of my certificate experience there was a lot that I took away from it. One exercise in particular stuck with me. We had an activity where we were split into to two groups of scientists set to argue their case as to why they needed a special plant for their research over the other group. The solution to the scenario was that we could end up sharing the plant because one group of scientists needed the bulbs and the other group needed the seeds. We had solved this problem very quickly because, after discussing our desires for the plant, we uncovered that there was a compromise that could be made so that both of us achieved our goals. In thinking about cultural communication groups with different end goals can work together so they both win, instead of arguing and leading towards a zero-sum game where neither group wins.

I think that overall my experience completing the Certificate in International Learning was a positive one. I learned a lot about so many different cultures and how engaging with them may be frustrating or scary, but it is also incredibly rewarding. I have definitely expanded my