Hello! My name is Jillian Medina. I am a Colombian and Cuban American seeking to expand my global competency and experience this summer through FSU’s Global Scholars program. I am the youngest of three, which means my two older siblings are more like test subjects for me. My parents spoke to my oldest siblings solely in Spanish; when they had difficulty starting in a primarily English-speaking school, my parents decided not to teach me the language. As a result, I’ve felt disconnected from my culture at times; therefore, I decided to double-major in International Affairs and Latin American and Caribbean Studies on an International Finance Business track.
Despite being a “no-sabo” kid, a Latino who doesn’t speak Spanish, I grew up in South Florida, specifically Broward County, where my high school was 67% Hispanic. Because my neighborhood and environment were mainly Caribbean, Colombians, and Venezuelans, I feel very attached to my Latin culture, and shedding light on the challenges Hispanics face in America.
This summer, I will travel to Córdoba, Argentina, for a six-week law and governance program. I leave on July 1st to fly into Buenos Aires. I will spend a few days with my family in the capital, and then depart on July 7th to Argentina’s second largest city, Córdoba. I will be walking to my internship in the International Affairs Municipality from my host family, where I will work Monday through Friday, developing my professional and Spanish-speaking skills. In my free time, Intern Abroad HQ has orchestrated a few excursions and events to explore the country. Before all this fun, my first two weeks will be spent developing my Spanish to the Argentinian accent, lingo, and use of “vos”. These sessions will be held in Córdoba’s International University, so I will meet the other interns traveling this summer and my Argentinian coordinators in person.
I expect these two weeks to prepare my accent and familiarize myself with the professional lingo I may hear in my internship. Additionally, I hope to observe and learn about Argentina’s policymaking processes and, therefore, political steps. Through FSU’s CPO 3303, Politics in Latin America, I began to research the political struggles and status of Argentina. Through this, I am very interested to see how their two conflicting parties will interact now that a power shift has just taken place in their legislature: a two-decade reigning party, just lost their majority. I appreciate this course’s help in preparing me for what may be referenced in my program, however, my Spanish proficiency will be the most rewarding skill I take away.
I am a little unsure how my day-to-day schedule will look, which, as a Type A-leaning person, causes me a lot of stress. I am also living with a Host family that I will not be able to contact until seven days before my departure. As unnerving as this wait is, I understand why I need to be patient and take advantage of the time I have before to prepare. These next few months of anticipation will be over soon, and I can start my journey in Argentina as a 20-year-old woman first in my family to travel abroad!
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