Matthew – B.S. Business Admin/FINZ

My biggest personal impacts from abroad are really giving me confidence in myself for things I knew I had within me. Often I forget that I have the potential to do anything I want, and when I do successfully do something (as small as a hike or as big as living abroad), I remind myself of who I am, and who I want to grow into in the future. Intellectually, I grew through Spanish, and it is truly one of the things I love most in life. Socially, I reminded myself that the friends I have at CSU were not just from coincidence, but my ability to learn from and love others, as I grew close to friends abroad, too. Emotionally, I learned that I am self-sufficient, but also how to handle the situations that do not always go as plan, and when you go abroad, this happens often. Politically, I engrained myself with concepts I was previously interested in, international policy, and how to live with the understanding and appreciation of other cultures, which has helped me grow into a global citizen. Professionally, I honed in to what I was to do with my life, create relationships through international business, using Spanish and English to improve the quality of life around the world.