International Education Week
By Mika Odaira | Business Major | Rikkyo University (Japan) & Korea University (Study Abroad)
Where is the place you’ve always wanted to go to? Close your eyes for a moment and imagine. Can you feel the cool breeze as you sunbathe on a warm sandy beach? Or perhaps you’re marveling at a medieval castle in the grassy countryside?
No doubt, all of us can easily come up with a place we’d rather be right now. But have you ever stopped to ask what is there beyond that? Once the tour ends and the bucket list has all been crossed off, have we reached the end of exploration?
No, of course it’s not. Behind every single one of those locations bookmarked on your phone are stories of people, histories, and cultures. This is the goal of International Education Week (IEW): to teach our students to look beyond what meets the eyes as we explore the rich diversity of our global cultures.
IEW 2021 had 4 main events that encompassed the spirit of international education:
- International Photo Contest
- Global Spotify Playlist
- Trivia Night
- International Food Spotlight at UH Hilo Sodexo
As one of the organizers of this event, the weeks leading up to IEW was filled with stressful anticipation. It was a daunting task to pull off with our small staff but I was very proud of how everything turned out. In organizing each event, I learned to appreciate the work and consideration that goes into making these events possible. I’m very grateful to have been part of such a fun and fruitful project!