My name is Simone Chale Fuller, and I graduated from Augsburg in 2015 with a triple major in Cross-Cultural studies, Social Work, and Spanish. I am a first-generation college student as well as聽a first-generation US citizen (my family migrated from Jamaica).
As a Spanish and Cross-Cultural Studies major, I studied in Mexico through Augsburg鈥檚 very own CGE program. I decided to study abroad because it was a perfect match for all my majors and the experience gave me the opportunity to improve my conversational skills in Spanish. Because of my study abroad, internship, and classroom involvement, I had聽a rewarding experience at Augsburg while pursing my Spanish and Cross-Cultural Studies majors.
My study聽abroad in Mexico聽was a well-rounded,聽eye-opening experience聽in which聽I stumbled upon my vocation: serving individuals with different capabilities. I was able to acquire聽more knowledge聽about聽individuals with聽different capabilities, the programs put in place to serve this population, and the unfortunate factors that create聽significant obstacles for such individuals in Mexico. I decided that I would eventually like to conduct research and travel to different Latin American countries to gain a deeper understanding of how society conceptualizes individuals with聽different capabilities.
I am currently pursuing my Master鈥檚 Degree in聽clinical social work (mental health) through the University of Southern California. After聽I finish my graduate degree in May 2016, I plan to聽commit two years of service to the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where I will provide counseling services to youth and families.
The Spanish courses I took at Augsburg helped me improve my skills tremendously, especially in conversation. One course I particularly enjoyed was聽Introduction to聽Cultural Studies (CCS 100), which helped me to think critically about the many elements embedded in the concept of 鈥渃ulture鈥� and offered聽different theoretical聽lenses for聽doing so. With the knowledge I gained from this course, I feel I can聽travel to Central America with a better understanding of cross-cultural difference.
My聽experience at Augsburg provided an聽amazing support system including聽my advisor, professors, and peers. These individuals were helpful inside and outside the classroom聽and聽encouraged me to strive toward聽my goals. Most importantly, they inspired me to think critically on both an academic and personal level.聽Because of my聽Cross-Cultural Studies and Spanish majors, I feel well prepared and confident to continue working toward my long-term goals.
(Last update: June 2015)