Shenandoah Magazine Fall 2013 | Page 15

global citizenship project “One of the most memorable moments of my trip to Indonesia in spring 2012 was when we visited the rice fields,” said business alumna Jo Stevenson ’13. “We spent a day talking to people, walking out onto the fields and seeing the daily life of the workers. We even had the opportunity to get in the mud with the women and help them plant some rice. I was apprehensive at first, but when we got there, I was more than ready to jump in. Though we didn't speak the same language, the women taught us how to plant the rice and laughed at our reactions to the mud. Laboring out there for less than an hour under the hot sun was hard work, yet it was life-changing to stand in someone else's shoes (even though we were barefoot). Experiencing what they go through each day really helped me to understand their way of life. That is what I believe GCP is all about: learning about the world through someone else’s point of view, understanding their culture and applying [what you learn] to the way you live your life.” During each trip abroad, GCP participants also learn to link the theme they studied before they departed to what they experienced in another country. When asked abou