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HONORS SELF- DESIGNED PROPOSAL

Complete this proposal prior to your experiences start date and upload it in the UHP Database
(https://webapps.uc.edu/uchonorsstudent). Create an experience (Add a new record) in the Tracking Project
tab and upload your proposal document as an attachment. The deadline for submitting proposals is the 5th of
each month (excluding July).
Proposals are intended to be well developed plans for your experience. However, experiences are exploratory in
nature, and we are flexible with changes throughout the experience. If your experience changes after receiving
approval on your proposal, contact your honors advisor to verify the changes still satisfy the requirements of an
honors experience.

Basic Information
Full Name: Mohamed Elzarka
Title of Project: Landscapes and Legacies of the Yucatan
Thematic Area(s): Global Studies
Expected Start Date: December 10, 2016
Expected End Date: December 18, 2016

GUIDELINES
1. Proposal submission timeline: Proposals should be submitted at least one month prior to the expected
start date of the experience. International experiences require at least two months notice. Contact your
honors advisor immediately for any exceptions.
2. Proposal length: While the quality of the proposal is most important, strong proposals are typically 3-4
pages single-spaced.
3. Proposal format: Please maintain the proposal format (e.g. headers, layout)
4. Time commitment: Experiences should consist of at least 75-90 hours of preparation, execution, and
reflection. This is approximately equivalent to the commitment of honors seminars and pre-approved
experiences.

REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

All self-designed international travel experiences require two months notice and must be at least one week in
length. You will need to provide a detailed itinerary (dates, locations and activities). If participating in
independent travel (not with UC faculty, staff or student group), you must also fill out a Worldwide: Honors
Experience application via UC International.
Additionally, the Student Travel Policy restricts UC-sponsored travel to countries under a U.S. Department of
State Travel Warning. Those who wish to visit a country with a travel warning must seek an exemption through
UC International. Students traveling without a faculty or staff leader must individually request an exemption.
We cannot allow you to count this travel as an honors experience nor can we give you a grant without an
approved exemption.

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1. Abstract
Briefly describe the experience. What makes this experience personally meaningful? What goals do you have for this
experience? What is your timeline for this experience?
*If you are proposing an international experience, provide an itinerary.
**If you are developing this experience from an existing opportunity (class with a study tour, campus organization, co-op,
etc.) that is not already an honors seminar or pre-approved experience, how will you differentiate your experience from
what is already required of other students?
Over winter break, from December 10th 18th, I will be traveling with the University of Cincinnati Department of Geology
to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico through a class entitled International Field Trips. While offered through the
Geology Department, this course is designed to be a multi-disciplinary exploration of space and time in the Yucatan, and
as such, will feature a number of other students from different majors. I am excited about the opportunity to discover the
history and culture of the region, and how it has changed over time from the pre-Columbian era to the present. Situated in
the northwestern part of Mexico, the Yucatan is famous for its Mayan culture, beautiful sandy beaches, underground
rivers, and stunning archaeological sites. Indeed, one of the archaeological sites which we will be visiting is Chichen Itza
which has been named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Even more so, I am excited to explore how the
history of the region, including the prominent conquest by the Spanish and later modernization and urbanization, has
shaped the daily lives of people living in the states many cities and towns.
I am also very excited about the possibility of traveling to the Yucatan for a number of reasons that relate both to personal
and professional goals. I know, for example, that time spent in the Yucatan would be a wonderful way to build upon my
experiences with public health as I aspire to a career in this field. In many of the public health classes that I have taken in
my time at UC, a central theme has been the idea of context- and cultural-competency. This principle holds that the best
medical care is governed by the appropriate practice of cultural considerations on the part of the patient care team. This
means, for example, that physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals should be cognizant of different variants of
"ethnomedicine" in which a person's culture influences how they see medical care and thus resultantly how they engage
with the healthcare system. A doctor should not, then, assume that any patient who walks through their door is simply a
set of symptoms to be diagnosed -- but rather should take the time to understand all of the social and cultural factors that
make a person who they are. This, in turn, provides the assurance that the patient can be treated with a widened
perspective, ultimately benefiting their long-term outcome.
Because of this new framework that is revolutionizing the healthcare industry and many others, better understanding
culture is becoming increasingly more important. This, of course, is especially true as our world becomes more
globalized. This course, then, presents an amazing opportunity to connect to a culture different than my own, and to learn
about the history and geography that contribute to this culture and the lifestyles of the people who have fashioned it. I am
especially excited because participating in a trip such as this one would open my eyes not only to the specific culture and
people with which we would be engaging, but also expand my consciousness and understanding of the world on a deeper
level so as to have a better appreciation of all cultures. Especially in a polarizing political climate, I think that it is
especially important to engage in dialogue with those different than us so as to develop a more robust understanding of the
similarities that unite us and the differences that make us unique. Ultimately, conversations centered on these themes help
to create more inclusive, caring people -- exactly what is needed for a career in medicine and public health.
I am also very interested in this experience for more personal reasons. As a fairly fluent Spanish-speaker, I have
previously had the chance to go to two different Spanish-speaking countries (Guatemala and Spain). I have never before,
though, had the chance to visit Mexico, and am very excited about comparing my past experiences to my time on this trip.
I hope that my fluency in Spanish can help me to meet locals on a deeper level, to hear about their stories, their concerns,
and their joys. I hope to develop a very strong connection with the goal of connecting what I learn about in guided tours
and history lessons with the current reality of folks who call the Yucatan home today. As a very avid fan of history, I am
particularly interested in how the storied history of the region has played out in the lives of the people who are the
descendants of those famous generations past. I hope to learn how the narrative of the Yucatan changed over time, and
how history has progressed into the modern day. This personal interest, I feel, will give me the chance to take even more
out of the trip than I otherwise might have.
I also feel that this personal interest will help me to branch out of the confines of the trip and to really differentiate my
experience from that of others. While abroad, I hope to relate my experiences in the classroom to what I am seeing and

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learning on the ground. This is case not only for my Spanish education, but also for my experience in the political science
classes I have taken to earn my minor. I hope that time spent in colonial and post-colonial cities will lead to increased
learning on the nature of the changes that took place between the pre- and post-Columbian eras. Similarly, I hope to learn
about the nature of the clash of cultures, and about how physical geography, demography, and innovation, played a role in
the eventual conquest by the Spaniards. As a Supplemental Instructor in the Political Science Department for a course in
International Relations, I am also interested in learning more about the more contemporary history of the Yucatan, and
how its role and identity have taken on new meaning over the course of time. To learn about the modern and current
reality of the Yucatan with a trip to the Mexican Riviera will also be very intriguing because I think it will not only be an
opportunity to consider the costs and benefits of development, but also about the more globalized nature of the Americas
in the 21st century. With this new learning, I will step beyond the other requirements for the trip, and use the information
in an applied way that will also function as a way to share my learning. I strongly believe that the first-hand experience I
gain abroad will be immensely valuable to my Supplemental Instruction Leader position next spring, in which I will be
leading sessions for POL1080: International Relations. I want to use my experiences as a reference point for students, and
to cross-apply and conceptualize the different themes and ideas that we discuss from the course content by integrating a
discussion of the development of the Yucatan region. I believe that this will not only help me excel in facilitating student
learning, but also continually provide me with reflective insight for a long while even after I have returned from Mexico.
The itinerary and timeline for this trip is as follows:

Sat. Dec. 10th - Sun. Dec. 18th

Dec. 10 (Sat.)

Depart Cincinnati @ 10:00 Houston - Merida, Mexico

Hotel Casa del Balam (ph. 011-52-999-924-2150)

Dec. 11 (Sun.)

A.M., Periodic market, Merida

P.M., Archaeological field trip to Uxmal
Hotel Casa del Balam

Dec. 12 (Mon.)

A.M. 10:00, Maquila tour &

Flamingo reserve Celestun
Beach at Celestun
Return to Merida
Hotel, Casa del Balam

Dec. 13 (Tue.)

A.M., free time

11:00, Hacienda/ejido-school, Holactun
Henequen plant
Izamal
Hotel, Hacienda (Chichen Itza; ph. 011-52-985-851-0045)

Dec. 14 (Wed.)

A.M.-P.M., Chichen Itza, Archaeological site

Hotel, Hacienda (Chichen Itza)

Dec. 15 (Thur.)

Dec. 16 (Fri.)

Dec. 17 (Sat.)

A.M. P.M., Land use field trip en route to Cancun

Archaeological site, Ek Balam & Cenote
Cenote Dzitnup
Hotel, JW Marriott, Cancun (ph. 011-52-998-848 9600)
Cancun- the pros and cons of tourism
City tour of old Cancun vs. dvlpmnt of the Maya Riviera, the impact
of all inclusive hotels
Hotel, Marriott, Cancun
Free day
Hotel, Marriott, Cancun

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Dec. 18 (Sun)

Depart @ 12:30 (?) Cancun- Chicago-Cincinnati

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

Brief description of the experience

Personal connection to the experience
Identified goals for the experience
Timeline from start to finish
*Itinerary (international experiences only)
**Explanation of differentiated experience
from what is required of other students

2. Experience Advisor
Identify an experience advisor and provide their contact information. Explain why you chose this person and how you
plan to utilize your advisor for this experience.
Note: Advisor(s) should have knowledge or expertise in an area related to the experience. Honors advisors, undergraduate
students, and family members cannot be experience advisors.
Dr. Robert South
robert.south@uc.edu
Dr. South is a professor in the Geology Department who has extensive experience in Latin American studies. Dr. South
will be leading the trip to the Yucatan, and will facilitate the activities that take place during the trip to Mexico. As such,
he is the perfect advisor for this experience. I plan to connect with him frequently both before the trip through group
meetings, and afterwards to debrief on my experience. Specifically, I hope to discuss with and learn from Dr. South on
topics relating the history of the Yucatan region to the current political and cultural climate in the region. This will include
learning more about the Mayan, Spanish, and post-modern influences that have each contributed to the now bustling
Mexican panhandle.
Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

Experience advisor name and contact

information
Description of why advisor was selected
Specific plans to engage with advisor

3. Connection to Learning Outcomes

List 3 learning outcomes from any thematic area(s). Provide specific activities you plan to engage in to help you make
progress towards the chosen learning outcomes. Describe how you expect each activity to help your progress. Include an
estimated time commitment for those activities.

Summarize the interconnectedness of geography, history, cultural traits and world issues.
By nature of the focus of the trip and the department that the course is taught in, my study abroad experience in
the Yucatan will have heavy relevancy to the interconnectedness of geography, history, culture, and world issues.
Specifically, the trip will explore themes in how physical geography, political geography, and changing

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demographics have played a role in shaping culture over the history of the Yucatan region. By visiting cultural
sites from different historical epochs and learning from locals about the somewhat tumultuous history of the
region, we will be able to synthesize the relevance of these different themes to the development of cities like
Merida in the wake of a once dominant Mayan culture that even today still has strong roots. The trip is a
completely experiential project, so the entirety of the time spent abroad in Mexico will be spent in pursuit of
developing a strong competency in this learning area. Through instruction by Dr. South and local historians,
geographers, and tour guides, I will be exposed to a well-developed understanding of the relationship that history
and geography have held in the region, as well as how these ideas have created the modern day mestizo culture
of this peninsula. Moreover, by exploring more modern issues relevant to international relations, such as the
changing landscape of the region in a touristic sense, I will gain insight as to how modern world issues in
globalization and development are taking center stage in the Yucatan.

Articulate the interdependence of professional fields to address current and impending global issues such
as technology, the environment, human rights, or politics.
One of the main reasons I have for taking this course and being involved with this trip is the interdisciplinary
nature of the trip, by way of the students who will travel on it. With an assortment of different majors, content
areas, interests, and expertise, the trip is an opportunity to amalgamate different viewpoints and perspectives in a
single place around a single shared experience. I do truly believe that this will allow for enhanced dialogue which
will further the impact of the trip for all students. In particular, I am excited about approaching the trip from my
population / public health lens, especially as related to health as a human right. As a translator for Spanishspeaking patients at Crossroad, I often would converse in Spanish with Guatemalan or Mexican patients whose
primary language was actually an indigenous language of Mayan origin. Through this experience, I have learned a
bit about the Mayan beliefs and values that still carry weight in medical practice. I also gained some insight
through further research, learning that just as in the States, healthcare access is inequitably distributed in Mexico.
I am interested to interact with and hear from locals about the impact of culture, language, and this distribution on
their health, and to gain new perspective on how any issues of concern can be addressed by interdisciplinary
professional fields, community organization, and reciprocal, respectful, and productive partnership. Learning
about these ideas from locals will thus inform my experience on the trip interacting with other students, sparking
conversion on the needed multi-focal approach that is needed to address an issues like healthcare which may
sometimes be seen as unipolar. Together, conversations with fellow students and with locals will allow for a great
deal of reflection on the interdependence of the many different fields that are to be represented on the trip, and
how individuals in these fields can work together to address human rights challenges like healthcare access and
quality, among others.

Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity by acknowledging the impact of their own identity and
the experience of social norms, customs, or beliefs that are different from their own.
I am excited to use this trip as an opportunity to further explore cultural diversity and to develop a newer, more
refined sense of my own cultural identity. During my time as an undergraduate student thus far, I have been
fortunate to travel abroad several times. Each time, my understanding of the world has changed, and as a result,
my understanding of my place in the world has changed. I believe that this trip will help me to explore a new set
of social norms, customs, and beliefs that are different from my own during my time in Mexico, as I have done in
the past. What will be new for me, though, is the chance to get the perspective not only of other students on these
themes, but also other travelers from around the globe. The Yucatan (and especially Cancun) is a hotspot for
travelers from all around the world, and this trip is unlike previous trips that I have been on in that it allocates
more free time for students. I am planning to use some of this free time (especially that allocated on December
17th) to meet other travelers outside of the University of Cincinnati group, and to get their take on the relationship
between their identity, the cultural diversity that they bring, and their experience of social norms, customs, and
beliefs in the Yucatan. By learning about the experiences of others in their understanding of cultural diversity, I
hope to develop a better context of my own identity and to frame this identity with the differential experiences of
social norms, customs, and beliefs that are experienced by people with different identities. I truly believe that this
will heighten the reflective nature of my project, and provide more fruitful insight as to my cultural identity and to
global cultural diversity than any of my experiences abroad previously have.

Advisor Feedback
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3 learning outcomes explicitly identified
from any thematic area(s)
Examples of activities and explanation of
how each will assist the progress towards
the chosen learning outcome
Estimated time commitment for each
activity

4. Academic Resources Connected to the Learning Outcomes

List 2-3 academic resources you plan to use. For each, describe how it connects to your learning outcomes and how you
hope that it will contribute to your learning during this experience. You must have at least one resource connected to each
learning outcome; a resource can satisfy multiple outcomes. Please include the title and author/creator for each resource.
Note: Academic resources are professional/academic works that can be used to assist your understanding of the topic.
Some examples are books, research journals, documentaries, or videos.
Yucatan: The Culture is Nature, the Culture is Maya
Pierre Brouwers
This film is quite simply the most perfect resource to explore the idea of the interconnectedness of geography, history,
cultural traits and world issues. While the course is titled Landscapes and Legacies of the Yucatan, this video is actually
one that Dr. South has never seen before. When I showed him the documentary, he was very intrigued, and after watching
it, has said that he looks forward to incorporating it into future iterations of this course and trip. This is in large part
because the film does an amazing job of exploring how the geography, topology, and physical landscape of the Yucatan
region have contributed so significantly to the evolution of its Mayan culture. When this resource is used to frame the
learning that will be gained from Dr. South, his Mexican colleagues, and our tour guides, this film will serve to provide
me more detailed, informative background as to how nature and culture can be so intertwined in this part of the world.
This relationship is fascinating to me, and is part of the reason that I was so interested in the course content. In my travels
and in my reading, I have never come across a place so rooted culturally in the natural reality of a region. To explore the
unique relationship that exists in this part of the world, though, will hopefully give me insight as to how nature affects all
cultures, albeit on a smaller level. In the long-term, this learning will hopefully contribute to a stronger appreciation for
the immense power of nature, and of the relationship that humans have with the Earth. For a long while, I have been
interested and invested in sustainability efforts. This is in part because both of my parents are focused in their careers in
green building design, but also because my experiences have pushed me to realize the enormity of our impending global
warming problem. Whether in classes like Environmental Health or through student groups such as the Environmentalist
consortium SustainUC, I have learned about the tumultuous relationship that man has had with nature, but almost more
importantly, the truly awe-inspiring effects that climatic shifts have caused over the course of terrestrial history. As a
student interested in exploring culture, but also understanding how mankind has interacted and how we should interact
with nature, this resource is immeasurable in its value.
Barriers to accessing the culturally sensitive healthcare that could decrease the disabling effects of arthritis in a rural
Mayan community: a qualitative inquiry.
Loyola-Sanchez A, Richardson J, Wilkins S, Lavis JN, Wilson MG, Alvarez-Nemegyei J, Pelaez-Ballestas I.
This academic journal article in Clinical Rheumatology speaks to the exact themes that I am aiming to uncover in my
second learning outcome. My goal in better understanding public health in the Yucatan and the multidisciplinary nature of
the work that must be done to enhance health outcomes is meant to explore the importance of the interdependence of
professional fields to address the current and impending global issue of health as a human right. This article speaks to this
theme by underscoring that barriers to care exist in the Yucatan in the same way that they exist in Cincinnati, OH. By their
nature, these barriers to care are grounded in different social and cultural concerns that extend beyond the traditional
pathophysiological medicine. As such, barriers inherently require a multi-focal, multi-disciplinary approach to be
resolved. In this case, the barrier that is limiting access to appropriate healthcare and thus leading to poor health outcomes
in a Mayan community is a lack of access to culturally sensitive care. This is exactly the type of information I hope to
learn and investigation I hope to do while abroad. For me, the importance of culturally sensitive care is something that I
have been cognizant of since my first semester at the University of Cincinnati. Through a class with Dr. Robin Selzer

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entitled Exploring Health Professions, I was exposed to this topic area through a novel called The Spirit Catches You and
You Fall Dawn. A haunting, telling tale, the story captured in this book showcases the necessity for culturally competent
care, lest drastic and deadly outcomes result. In the book, a small Hmong girl with epilepsy unfortunately passes on from
preventable causes, simply because her doctors were not able to provide her parents medical advice and information in a
way that was culturally sensitive to their background and understanding of the world. The same kind of themes are echoed
in this more formal publication, which emphasizes again the need for culturally-sensitive care. As I take the time on my
trip to explore health and healthcare, as well as culture, this article thus provides a critical vertex at which to analyze both
of these themes concurrently and in the context of one another. As is true in the US and around the world, culture is
critically important for health. My goal while abroad is to understand why and in what ways Mayan / Yucatan culture is
relevant to health, or perhaps to the kind of negative health outcomes seen in this article due to a lack of culturally
sensitive care. Ultimately, the endeavor to uncover this information is done to better explore how different professionals in
the social and biological sciences can collaborate to develop a better understanding of Mayan culture and the way that it
can be effectively incorporated into modern medical practice. This integration of different disciplines to analyze and effect
change in medicine in the context of culture is called ethnomedicine, and is something that I have explored previously in
my time in Southern Africa this summer. I hope to cross apply the techniques and understanding I gained from my trip to
South Africa and Botswana this winter in Mexico, in hopes that it will bring me closer to a more holistic view of medicine
moving forward in my career.
Passage to the Mayan Underworld:
This Ancient History documentary speaks to the third and final learning outcome for my proposal that of establishing a
sense of identity and cultural diversity. To many religions, faiths, and cultures around the world, there is nothing more
sacred and spiritual than the progression to the afterlife, and that which awaits those who depart this earth. In many ways,
describing a life after death and its relevancy to current human existence is the crux of a number of different religious
traditions. As such, I find it immensely valuable to learn about the very important, very distinct way that Mayan culture
views the afterlife. In the same way that interacting with travelers from across the globe and gaining their perspective on
the place that I am visiting will be a new experience for me, so will this opportunity to learn more about culture and
religion from this angle. While I have taken an Honors Seminar titled Global Religion and Politics in the past that
explored the interrelation between religion, culture, and politics, I have never before been given the chance to look at
these topic areas in this way. Much how the chance to learn about others perspectives on the relationships between their
identities and their perception of a cultural will help me to further characterize my identity based on my perception of a
culture, I think that learning about how Mayan culture works so differently from my own Muslim and broader American
cultures with regard to the sacred practice of passing to the next world will greatly inform my understanding of my
identity. Having the chance to get more insight into how practices differ not just between the Mayans and Muslims and the
Mayans and Americans, but also critically how Muslims and Americans at large view death differently, I hope to gain new
understanding of the different parts that make up my identity. To be able to do this in the context of learning more about
an integral part of Mayan culture will be an even more interesting and integral part of the trip.
Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

1-2 academic resources connected to the

learning outcomes
Title and author of each resource
Description of how resources will help
make progress towards learning outcomes
and execution of experience

5. On-going Reflection
The on-going reflection should help you process the experience and progress toward your chosen learning outcomes.
Describe your method for reflecting throughout the experience. Indicate specific reflection questions/topics you plan to
use to guide your reflective process.

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Note: A variety of methods can be used for on-going reflection. Some examples are videos, drawings, blogs, songs, and
journals. Reflection topics to consider include your ideas/insights about the experience, connection to other areas of
involvement, and your progress towards the learning outcomes.
I will be engaging in multiple types of reflection during my time on the trip. Namely, I will be keeping a daily journal in
Mexico. This is something that I did for my time in South Africa, Botswana, and France this summer, and I was very glad
to have had done it upon my return. I think that having a journal allows you to record and immortalize some of the
experiences that you can have abroad, and I think that it is an immensely beneficial tool to keep some of the lessons and
insight that you gain even after the trips conclusion. Some of the questions that I will be answering as I write my daily
journal entries are as follows:
What facets of the Yucatan culture were explored today?
How did experiences shared with locals bring up new themes and questions in my internal dialogue?
To what level of depth was conversation had with locals?
o What did I learn that I otherwise might not have by speaking in Spanish with the non-tour guides?
o What perspectives did locals want to share today that may not be often mentioned to travelers to the
Yucatan?
In what ways has my experience in one place been different from the next?
o How does this relate to change in international relations, politics, culture, and history?
What aspect of the days events was the most inspiring with regard to public health?
o What differences and similarities exist between the Yucatan and Cincinnati?
o Honors Experiences Cross-Application: Is life in the Yucatan representative of the experiences of
Mexican immigrants in Cincinnati like those with whom I interacted at the Crossroad Health Center or
those with whom I speak about mental healthcare access through the Taft Undergrad. Research Award?
In what ways were todays activities representative of the history of the Yucatan?
o How can this history be tied in to a modern expression of culture?
o How has the history of the Yucatan shifted over time?
Specifically when visiting the Mayan Ruins at Chichen Itza and elsewhere, how does this experience relate to
Egyptian history and my upcoming trip to Egypt?
o How does the study of the interplay of archaeology and human geography speak to the similarities in
culture between vastly different peoples?
o How might the overlap in culture be explained more philosophically or theologically?
How have my interactions with other students from an array of different majors and fields contributed to a more
holistic and multi-disciplinary understanding of todays events?
o What is one thing in particular that I learned from another student today that helped expand my
worldview?
In the past, namely while in Spain last summer, I also completed a picture a day reflection, in which I chose one picture
for each day and shared that picture without any caption or comment as a reflection of the entire day. I really enjoyed this
while in Spain, as my photography changed from a very touristy activity for me to one that was meant to capture my
thoughts, emotions, and feelings about a place -- and as such, took on more importance. Moreover, the actual process of
choosing from among the many photos in a day provided an additional level of reflection, as I was forced to really reflect
on the day, and which part (captured in a photo) was the most meaningful to me. Because of this really positive experience
with this form of reflection in the past, I will be again using this technique in the Yucatan.
Advisor Feedback
Must Include:
Method for ongoing reflection
Reflection questions/topics clearly
specified

6. Sharing Your Learning

Required Revisions:

Effective:

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Describe how you plan to actively share what youve taken away from this experience with a targeted audience. Consider
signing up for the UHP Impact Forum held each April. Explain why you chose this specific audience.
Note: While social media can be an effective platform for sharing, only posting on your personal learning portfolio or
social media account(s) does not reach a targeted audience.
As aforementioned, I am very excited about the opportunity to share my learning with the students in POL1080:
International Relations next spring as I lead Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions for this class. Funnily enough, the idea
for engaging in this experience actually came from my involvement with the SI Program last year, when I also lead
sessions for POL1080. Two of the students who were regular attendees at sessions had participated in the trip over winter
break, and as we delved into course material, I found them often relating their experiences abroad in Mexico with the
information that we were learning in class. As a student and a trained facilitator of engaged instruction, I know that
behaviors like these create the best learning environments for students. As such, I feel that it would be immensely helpful
if I was able to integrate material with a trip to the Yucatan, in order to frame student learning around a central theme and
experience all semester. Reaching even farther, I hope to bring in students own personal experiences abroad even more
emphatically into the classroom environment. This will help them to frame topics and themes in their own lives, and as
such will help solidify learning. For me, having an experience focused mainly on understanding the interplay between
history, culture, and politics over time will not only provide an example to use in the classroom, but also a mold off of
which to create new narratives for students from their own travels. As such, I am very excited about the take home
applicability of what I will learn on this trip.
I also hope to sign up for the UHP Impact Forum held in April. Over winter break, I am planning to also travel to Egypt
for an experience centered on discovering my roots, and I hope to integrate my two travel experiences into one
presentation at the Forum. Specifically, I will look to present the similarities and differences between my experiences and
how they relate to one another and to my personal and professional goals and development. I think that the UHP Impact
Forum is a wonderful place to make such connections between experiences because of the audience that will be in
attendance. As students look for and design opportunities that fit their passions, I think that it will be wonderful for them
to see the immense contrast the two study abroad experiences can have, not only by the nature of the country being
visited, but also by the framing of the experience before any travel has begun. Faculty, similarly, can benefit from some of
the discussion that I hope to feature on the experiences of a faculty-led vs individual trip, and how faculty can best
execute their trips so as to avoid all of the pitfalls of individual travel while not overburdening students.
Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

At least one method to actively share takeaways/learning from the experience

A specific audience and why the audience
was selected

7. Budget (if applicable)

Provide an itemized budget and indicate your source for cost information.
*If you are engaged in an unpaid internship or research, please indicate the number of weeks and hours per week you
plan to participate.
The budget for this trip will be as follows:
Program Fee: $1850
The program fee is the amount of money directly payable to UC and will cover the following:
o Housing / accommodations
o International airfare
o In-country transportation for program-planned activities
o Cultural excursions/entrance fees
o International emergency and evacuation insurance
o Professional translator and private guides

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o Discussions with Guest Lecturers

Food: $300
o This estimate from Dr. South includes food that will be bought on the ground, as well as the snack food
that Dr. South has instructed us to purchase for the periods of the trip that will require long travel without
much time to stop for food at restaurants along major highways.
Typhoid Vaccination (Passport Health): $114 Vaccination + $65 Office Visit for Travel Medical Review
Souvenirs: $75

The budget for this trip will be offset by a $300 UC International Scholarship, bringing the final cost to $2104

Advisor Feedback
Notes:
Detailed budget of expenditures with
sources to justify budget estimates
*Indicates the number of hours per week
and number of weeks of participation

Required Revisions:

Effective:

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THEMATIC AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning Outcomes for the Community Engagement Thematic Area:
By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Identify and differentiate multiple ways to contribute towards the development or

achievement of the communitys goals.
Develop a thorough understanding of the world view, beliefs, experiences, selfconsciousness, or history of community members through collaboration.
Articulate the purpose of service on a social issue or public policy and how service
mutually enhances individual growth and the common good.
Explain how education, advocacy, mobilization, or public policy can influence social
issues and transform communities.

Learning Outcomes for the Creativity Thematic Area:

By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Discover new techniques to gain knowledge, consider options, make new connections,
and ask questions.
Explore a new creative competency/medium or seek new ways to engage an existing
competency/medium.
Understand and optimize the use of people, technology, physical resources or community
in a creative process.
Articulate the broader significance of a creative project and the value of its contributions.

Learning Outcomes for the Global Studies Thematic Area:

By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Develop practical travel skills that promote safe, stimulating, and productive travel
throughout your life.
Summarize the interconnectedness of geography, history, cultural traits and world issues.
Articulate the interdependence of professional fields to address current and impending
global issues such as technology, the environment, human rights, or politics.
Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity by acknowledging the impact of their
own identity and the experience of social norms, customs, or beliefs that are different
from their own.
Demonstrate a sense of empathy, respect, and appreciation for others to build meaningful
cross-cultural collaborations toward mutual growth and prosperity.

Learning Outcomes for the Leadership Thematic Area:

By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Formulate and manage a shared vision and develop goals towards its achievement.
Motivate and collaborate effectively with others towards completion of shared projects or
goals.
Develop strategies to identify and respond to challenges and obstacles.
Identify personal strengths and areas of growth and evaluate opportunities to maximize
skills and abilities.
Synthesize the current trends related to a specific issue or field and evaluate how
thought-leaders are currently addressing them.

Learning Outcomes for the Research Thematic Area:

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By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Demonstrate the ability to locate, interpret, and critically evaluate primary sources
appropriate to field.
Identify and apply appropriate methods to collect and organize data for analysis.
Analyze and interpret the meaning of results.
Produce dissemination appropriate to the field in order to share the results or impact
of the research.
Articulate the broader significance of the research project and its relationship to other
fields, research and ideas.