Howdy! I’m Lila, a junior accounting major, and I just spent a month in Scotland on the Scotland Sustainable Entrepreneurship Program. I can’t believe that the month is over. I also can’t believe how much just this month has changed me. I learned so much more than I thought I would, not only about sustainability, but about how another part of the world lives their normal lives. Of course sustainability was a major part of what we learned, especially from the companies we visited. I didn’t expect to be as interested in the logistics of the sustainable companies as I was. Learning about their industries in general was more interesting than I expected, but they were so proud of how their sustainable practices made them stand out. That just made me see the country with a different perspective. Scotland is such a small country compared to the U.S., almost 9 Scotlands fit into Texas, and it’s impressive how much they care about the environment. It was also special to see how much pride they had in being its own country within the UK, their different types of whiskey, their haggis, and of course their very own instrument, the bagpipes. As a Texan, I related to and loved the pride they had in their unique part of the larger UK.
I learned more than just sustainability and how the Scots feel about their country. I also learned about how I see things and the people around me. I went in knowing that this experience would change me but I was not expecting such a wide range of perspectives and how mine would change. Even with the smaller group within the program people saw things differently than others, which led all of us to learn so much from each other and the world around us. Currently, I?m not sure how much this experience will truly shape the person I am for the rest of college and my life after, but I know it will be impacted. I am so glad I applied for this program with these people and these professors. I can?t wait to watch all my new friends excel in their different paths in life. Anyone that is considering studying abroad should do it. I think it is totally worth it.
