Welcome to my senior project!
My name is Ashlynn Ritter, and I am graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in June 2020. You may be wondering why I chose to focus on international stories of finding home for my project. As an English major with minors in Spanish and Linguistics, words are important to me. I think they hold great weight in constructing meaning, for ourselves and with others. The way we tell our stories matters, but it also matters whose ears our stories fall upon. I am a big believer in relationships, and words are so necessary in establishing connection with those around us. Andenoro et al. (2012) explain, "Through relationships, the speaker is better equipped to attempt self-reflection, maintain an open mind when faced with cultural differences, uphold effective emotional skills, and avoid automatic assumptions and stereotypes" (p. 104). The words we use to tell our stories help create understanding between two people, and I think this is the very basis for empathy. But why international students, you ask? Simply put, I love expanding my horizons, and I love that I get to do that right here at Cal Poly in my friendships with international students. I have the great privilege of holding many stories spanning oceans and continents in my heart. Polkinghorne (2013) writes, “...human life is more than one thing after another, but draws its meaning from relationships with hoped-for outcomes. It is with narrative understanding that the connection of life events may be exposed” (p. 13). As I witness the stories of my friends so far from home, I'm learning that we all yearn for belonging, and our stories, though different, often unite us. International students are an underrepresented student population here at Cal Poly, and it is my great hope that international students can find belonging with each other and in the greater student body by having their stories heard. This is what my project aims to do. I hope that you find the value in my project as much as I do. |