Education
In 2015, began attending Valencia College, where I was part of the Seneff Honors College and completed the Jeffersonian Honors track while earning my Associate's degree. My work and participation in the Jeffersonian honors track more than affected my personal and academic growth. This track seemed to focus a great deal on empathy and interpersonal relationships which I have always taken great interest in. From classes like Intro to Humanities and Speech I learned to refrain from bias and connect more with others so that I can understand them and create more enlightening situations in my life.
I focused on classes that broadened my knowledge and did not force me to focus on a specific area. I enjoyed the Jeffersonian track because it focused on understanding others and being more knowledgeable about other cultures. As part of the program, I was able to visit the Netherlands with my class. While we were in the Netherlands, we spent most of our time with Dutch students from Koning Willem I College. Being able to travel to a new country and create long lasting friendships with students from another culture was a life changing experience for me.
My class in Amsterdam, Netherlands
After completing my degree at Valencia College, I took a 2-year break from school and spent my time working in the food service industry. The reason that I did not continue with my bachelor's degree right after Valencia was because I had no idea what I wanted to pursue and what I wanted my future career to be. Eventually, I grew tired of the food service industry and realized I needed to return to school to pursue a career I was passionate about. I applied to the University of Central Florida (UCF) and pursued a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
I started my classes in the summer of 2019 and had no prior educational knowledge of IT before starting my degree. All of the classes were teaching me completely new information. I learned how to do things such as programming in different languages, and I learned about new technologies. The programming classes were the most enjoyable part of the program for me because of how challenging programming is. I completed most of the IT courses for my program, but ultimately ended up switching my major to Interdisciplinary Studies due to being diagnosed with a math disability and being unable to complete the math courses in the IT program.
Most of my classes at UCF had to be taken online because of COVID-19, but I did happen to take a picture that I really like of the fountain one night before everything happened:
An interdisciplinary studies degree from UCF is different from most standard degrees because rather than just focusing on one field, the degree integrates two or more fields. Interdisciplinary Studies helps develop creative thinking by understanding and synthesizing potentially different viewpoints, ideas, concepts, and information as well as potential biases. Through this, individuals can learn new ways of thinking about different topics that would not be possible through a single discipline approach. The IDS degree also differs from other Interdisciplinary Studies degrees because it incorporates a broader scope of curricula than similar degrees offered by other institutions. There is a greater amount of freedom at UCF, so that students can tailor their curriculum to best reflect their interests and needs.
Another reason I chose to major in Interdisciplinary Studies is because I’ve discovered throughout my studies that I prefer being a jack of all trades, no matter my field of focus. I believe that no matter the field, there is value in getting perspectives from other methods, fields, or viewpoints because these outside ideas can yield better and more robust solutions. An Interdisciplinary studies degree is perfect for this.
My degree allows students to choose two fields of focus when studying. In my case, I chose Letters and Modern Languages and Behavior and Social Sciences as my two fields, with a minor in Information Technology. The degree is structured this way to cultivate the interdisciplinary mindset, by intertwining fields and gaining new insight from this integration.