Name: Scott

Year: Senior

Major: Linguistics

CFS Program: Field Studies in Civic Engagement

My CFS experience has expanded my understanding of what work can be and the good I can do from being in the right career. I have spent the past month and a half at WorldChicago, a non-profit which organizes Department of State sponsored international cultural and business exchange programs in Chicago. These programs are intended to bolster relationships between U.S. and international citizens, as well as organizations from across the world. As a person who has attempted to shape his political experience around dialogue and mutual understanding, these programs fall right into my personal niche, and I have been proud to help ensure their success.
In my time at WorldChicago, I have seen 3 large groups of international fellows come to Chicago from a variety of countries and backgrounds. Nothing was as exciting as the time when I was sent out to O’Hare to meet these visitors in person and accompany them back to start their experience in Chicago. For the month leading up to their arrival, I had been responsible for all the logistics for that day, ensuring they had a smooth transition from their home country to the United States and that they successfully started their fellowships at which they would be working for a month. I knew every detail about their program, from where they lived, to who they were working for, to what their projects would be. And as I shook their hands when they emerged from the gate, I could not contain my excitement for them to start their fellowship—building strong relationships that would last a lifetime.
At the same time, my Field Studies in Civic Engagement class contextualized the work I did within a broader theory of civic engagement. Indeed, my work is simply a widely-scoped form of civic engagement, wherein I am facilitating cross-communal interaction for the betterment of both sides. This class helps me understand how to implement such engagement most effectively to maximize the benefits and effects of such discourse. I cannot thank everyone enough who has helped me to this point. Without the support of all the CFS administrators, professors and, most importantly, donors, I would not have had the chance to work at this amazing organization and lend my hand to the massively important work which it accomplishes.