Name: Derek Juracek
Major/minor: Global Studies and Geography
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Year at UNL: Junior
Favorite book and why: A Path with Heart by: Jack Kornfield is my favorite book because it gives insight to living a life that’s true and pure of life. That by choosing to live your life from the heart you often come across many difficulties, but that you will one day figure it out if you remain open to the unknown.
Favorite dish/food and why: My favorite food has to be my moms stuffed French Toast! This is not up for debate. She only makes this once a year for my birthday and who doesn’t like a little something special from their mothers? I gain about 5 pounds every December 11th but I like to think of it as 5 pounds of love.
Why Global Studies? I chose Global Studies as my major because I wish to see the world for what it really is and not just from the movies I see. I want to be in that place with my own two feet in the dirt, figuring out what really makes a place what it is. I want to go into the unknown and feel a new connection with the people and the environment. One of my favorite classes I’ve taken so far was my Conflict and Development of Africa class at UNL. It provided me with this open-mindness to Africa and how it came to be that lead me to eventually come here for myself. For those just beginning in Global Studies I would say that life will always be scary, and the unknowns are the scariest of all, but it’s in the cave that you fear, that will hold the treasure you seek. Take this time in your life to really figure out what makes you, you.
Tell us about your study abroad/internship experience: Last summer I had an internship with the National Forest Service in Meeker, Colorado as a Wilderness Ranger. My role was to backpack for 5 days at a time and clear the trail from fallen logs with a 100 year-old crosscut saw. On my down time I traveled all over Colorado ascending mountains, rock-climbing and enjoying mountain life culture.
I am currently studying abroad in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where I am taking classes such as African Human Migration, Post-Apartheid South African and a community service course working with the local school children in the townships. I found some rad people that go outside for weekend rock climbing trips that I am pretty active in going all over the Port Elizabeth area. I am also getting to be in one of the most diverse countries on the earth with a country having 11 official-languages. I meet so many people from all over the world that you just cannot get back home.
Post Graduation plans? As far as right now in my life I don’t hold the answers to where I want to exactly be. I know by coming to Africa a lot will change for me when I get back home and that there’s some reason I am here now. Maybe something will come together here that will lead me to grad-school or to a certain career field. I don’t quite know what my future holds, but I know that I will be happy doing whatever it is at the time and that I won’t be too far away from the mountains.