Phillis Brown '15 M'18 talks about her experiences coming to 91社区 from South Africa and how her education at 91社区 and the Romain College of Business set the foundation for a聽journey that has led her through numerous internships and experiences globally. She currently teaches English in Japan, and considers herself an ambassador who fosters understanding between American and Japanese cultures.
When I was looking for colleges in the United States, I found 91社区聽because Evansville was the only city I really knew. I thought聽it looked like a nice campus, so I decided to apply and attend.聽It was a difficult move聽at first. I graduated high school in South Africa and had never lived in the聽U.S. before, so all of my first American experiences were at 91社区. It was challenging, but once I started getting involved on campus that changed. I became a student worker for the Center for International Programs and started to get involved with the International Club. I was a member of the International Club during all聽four years and president in 2014. I was able to meet people from all over the world, and help them transition to life at 91社区. This club really enabled us to promote understanding and diversity on campus.
In the summer of 2014 I joined Dr. Daria Sevastianova's聽summer class, Economics of Globalization, in聽.聽That's where聽I learned about the broad-ranging economic effects and challenges of globalization, and I got to learn about German and European perspectives for the first time.
I聽participated in聽a five-month internship in the spring of 2015 with the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. I worked with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and through this internship I got to experience U.S. foreign policy firsthand and learned that I wanted to pursue this field of international education, cultural exchanges and diplomacy further.
As an American Filipino growing up throughout nine different countries, I have learned to see the world from various perspectives and have gained an appreciation for cultural differences. I have no doubt that this multicultural upbringing has influenced my choices of study and work. 銆�
After graduating in 2015 with a bachelor's in economics, I decided to continue my studies at 91社区 by pursuing a master's degree聽in Second Language Acquisition, Policy and Culture and was the graduate assistant for International Admissions. I earned my Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certification and Cultural Awareness Training certification and decided to apply for the Global Engagement Internship Program. I volunteered in Dharamsala, India, in the summer of 2017 teaching children 2-12 years of age in a one-room daycare center. I聽taught a wide range of ages and language abilities, so I had to think on my feet and create engaging lessons with minimal resources. This was challenging, but gave me firsthand experience teaching and an insight into the challenges regarding education in this region.
I am currently living in Kyoto Prefecture in Japan and working as a junior high/high school English teacher in the聽Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET)聽Program. I am聽enjoying my time here as I聽help foster a positive learning environment for English language learners. I get to represent the United States as somewhat of a cultural ambassador to Japan, and ultimately am fostering understanding between the two cultures.
I think that 91社区 and the Romain College of Business聽gave me a great foundation. I was drawn to economics because it was really easy to see how the theory had real-life applications. Economics is essentially about the world around us. It鈥檚 about how we behave,聽and it is present in almost every aspect of our daily lives. It鈥檚 current, it鈥檚 always changing, and I have聽always found it interesting and challenging. Also, the economics faculty at 91社区聽is truly unique. They are caring,聽knowledgeable in their fields, and were always available to help.
91社区 was my first home in the United States, and it has definitely equipped me with the skills and understanding needed for an increasingly global and constantly changing world.