My Journey as a Global Scholar

Being a Global Scholar has been such an important part of my high school experience. I remember going to my first few events as a sophomore and junior, learning about the Uyghur genocide and how a lot of Singapore is built using Cambodian soil. I have walked away from every event feeling like I’d just gained so much knowledge and insight, but also often having even more questions, and gaining curiosity too.

What’s stayed with me most over the years is how much I’ve learned by listening and engaging—listening to speakers, classmates, and people with experiences totally different from mine. Helping host Professor Boduszynski from Pomona College earlier this year was a standout moment. Hearing him in class in September talk to us about U.S. foreign policy, especially in relation to Israel and Palestine, gave me a much deeper perspective on a topic I am passionate about that is frequently in the news but rarely explained with that kind of depth.

Being a part of this program this year and last year, when so much is shifting globally, was impactful. Since sophomore year, I have really emphasized engaging with the world and global politics, attending Model UN conferences and camps and taking GOA courses like Genocide and Human Rights and International Relations. However, because of the Global Scholar's program, this year, I wasn’t just reading the news or writing position papers for conferences, I was writing blogs, reflecting on our world, using my international relations theories knowledge and the perspectives I got from guest speakers, Mr. Caragher, Dr. Anderson, and my classmates.

That all came together in my capstone project. I’ve always loved drawing faces and teaching, but getting to work with Jerry and Teens at the Door, especially in the November workshop with Afghan refugee children, teens, and parents, and with Charlotte and Jerry just last weekend at our workshop with Ukrainian refugees, made me appreciate even more how art has no language and can connect everyone. In the November workshop, one mom told me it was her first time ever drawing. That stuck with me. Seeing the joy and focus on everyone’s faces made the project feel really meaningful.

Reflecting on my time at Poly, I know that this program has shaped how I move through the world. It’s made me more curious, more aware, and more willing to ask questions. Thank you so much, Mr. Caragher.