IEP Social!

           I have had such a great time getting to know my conversation partner better throughout the semester.  I have learned so much from her, and am lucky to be able to partake in this experience.

            Last week, I attended the IEP social at the rec center.  There was pizza, various foods from around the world, music from all different cultures, and dessert.  During this event, I talked with Tatiana and learned more about where she comes from and what her culture is like.  She told me what growing up in Brazil is like, and we told each other about our families. 

            One of the things that I find fascinating about Tatiana is how she has traveled all over the world and has experienced many different cultures.  Every time I speak with her, she tells me about more countries and cities she has visited.  Tatiana has probably even seen more of the U.S. than I have!  She is an amazing photographer, and has shown me all of her favorite sights she has been to over the years.  Because I have not traveled much outside of America, I am somewhat living vicariously through Tatiana’s stories.  When I graduate from college, I am planning on traveling all over Europe, and Tatiana has helped me determine which countries and cities I should visit.

            While at the IEP social, I also met more of Tatiana’s friends.  They all are from different countries, including Mexico, Spain, and Portugal.  Many of them also already have degrees from their home countries and had experienced working in the corporate world, but came to TCU to improve their English and further advance in their careers.  A particular story I found fascinating was a woman who received her MBA and spent about 20 years working as a financial analyst in Portugal, but her husband was relocated to work in the U.S. and she decided that she needed to go back to school to improve her English and find a job in America.  It would take so much courage and determination to be able to do this, and I really respect and admire her.

            Something that the IEP students said that they find frustrating is being mistaken for being unintelligent because of their lack of fluency in English.  I never had thought too much of this before, but it does seem true that in general, we judge other people who do not speak our language as well to be less intelligent than us, and that is unfair.  Many of the IEP students are fluent in multiple different languages and they are some of the brightest and most driven people I have ever met.  We must do our best to change the stigma associated with people who do not speak our native language as well as we do.

            Overall, I had a great time at the IEP social.  I got to meet even more people from different cultures, and learned so much from each and every one of them.  Being assigned a conversation partner is by far one of the most fun and beneficial assignments I have had in school, and I am excited to continue to get to know more about Tatiana and her culture.