My hopes for my field study

My hopes for my field study

I would like to start out by explaining how I originally got involved with field studies. It was only after winter break that I decided to go abroad for the summer. I knew I wanted to do something that would provide experience with the Latino education system, but I had little understanding of what programs were available. I looked in to a few studies abroad and some internships, but I felt like they were cookie cutter programs. The programs weren’t mendable to my expectations; they were very set in stone. I quickly realized didn’t want to study abroad; I wanted to be in the classrooms, to be a teacher’s assistant and to work one on one with students. A study abroad would not provide that kind of involvement.  I started looking outside of BYU  and found about ten other programs in which I emailed for more information. They were slow in their response and in the end I never felt comfortable with any of them.

When I found out about the field studies program, I instantly got excited about the idea. Here was a program that put me in charge of my own experience. There was no set outline of what I would be doing; I could make my experience exactly what I wanted it to be. I also understood that this would mean a lot more preparation on my part, but the workload didn’t bother me.

Now after having finished most of my preparations, I have become even more impressed with the experience that awaits me. As I had originally hoped, I get to be in schools and work with teaches, students and parents. I will even live among then and get a feel for life outside of the schools. I didn’t expect to have wonderful mentors who have worked with me and my plans and provided me with resources to study while I’m there to gain a better understanding for the Latino education system. I will travel in a small group which will provide safety and a more enjoyable experience. (Many of the programs outside of BYU involved large groups and that less desirable to me.) The greatest benefit of all is that I have become very passionate about my research topic and plan to continue my research throughout my entire college experience. Unlike a study abroad or an internship, my field study experience can evolve into a project of a few years. It also has the potential of being published and providing me with that huge opportunity.

By the end of this field study I hope to develop skills in conducting research, publishing and presenting, building rapport, and in preparing to be an effective educator. There is also the great advantage in building for myself a cultural awareness and familiarity with the Latino culture.  As speculated by the U.S Census Bureau, in 2025, half of all high school students will be Latino; this means my three months in Mexico will be a great asset to me throughout my future career.