Name: Joy Karges
Major: Global Studies - and in the Honors program
Minors: Spanish and Religious Studies
Hometown: Lexington and Broken Bow, NE
Year at UNL: Senior
Favorite book and why: If I had to pick one, I would say "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. It's such a powerful story and it shares a very unique perspective of the time during Nazi-ruled Germany that really makes you think.
Favorite movie and why: I love "The Sound of Music" because I grew up watching it and know all the songs by heart. I could watch it over and over and never get bored.
Why Global Studies?
• It was sort of an "epiphany" moment in High School when I realized that I wasn't really interested in what I had previously invested my time in (Music and Art), and at the same time that I was really interested in learning about other cultures. I had already had several international experiences from hosting exchange students to going on a band trip around Europe and I really loved the chances they gave me to widen my perspective on the world as well as my own little corner of it. I decided I would try Global Studies out my freshman year knowing I could always change it, and I never looked back. I loved both of my Global Studies seminars with Dr. Emira, as well as COMM 271: Organizing Social Change with Dr. Kathy Krone, among others. The best part about a Global Studies major is all of the amazing opportunities that are available. Some of them I found through my advisors and all those weekly newsletters, and some of them I found through my own digging. So my advice to new Global Studies majors would be to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can!
Study Abroad Experience: • One of the opportunities I took advantage of was studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain during the spring semester of 2018. I stayed with a host mom and one other American roommate. It was an amazing experience because I could study and speak the Spanish language every day so I knew my skills were improving. The best part was when my friend from Denmark came to visit me and I realized that I was able to actually translate between her and my host mom. Other than Spanish, a few classes I enjoyed most were the History of Andalucía, Photography of Sevilla, and a mission-focused Cross-Cultural Leadership course. Besides studying and learning the language, I met a lot of great friends that I still keep in contact with, ate a lot of good food, and visited some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I was able to visit Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba, Granada, Málaga, Barcelona, as well as several desert towns and cities in nearby Morocco. It seems like the entirety of Spain is covered in fruit trees. I have memories of jumping to pick lemons from a tree at an ancient palace, riding past grape vineyards on the train, and oranges falling on my head as I walked to class. The best part about Spain though was the festivals like Semana Santa and Feria de Abril. Being able to experience the cultural traditions of Spain close-up; the sights, the dances, and most importantly the food, really made me feel a part of the culture and life of Spain.
Post-Graduation Plans: I am currently applying for a year-long internship in which I would be serving in South Asia with Cru. After that, I hope to work for an NGO working with immigrants and refugees in the south Missouri area. Global Studies has shown me that what I really enjoy is working with people from around the world at my back door and learning about their cultures as well as sharing my own so that they can better adjust to life in this country.