I applied for the Gilman Scholarship, and when I found out I had got it, I was over the moon. It wasn’t just the money this scholarship represented—it also gave me the confidence to believe I could take on something big, even if it had felt out of reach at first.
One of the biggest lessons I learned during my time in Jordan was how deeply faith is woven into everyday life, here. Muslims pray five times a day, and you can hear the call to prayer coming from the mosques throughout the city. I was amazed by how people would stop whatever they were doing—whether that was working in a shop or sitting in a café—to take just a few minutes to pray. Watching this made me think about how we often rush through our day and forget to slow down and be present.
So, Lucas, did I grow as a person? Certainly. This was undoubtedly one of the of the most meaningful experiences of my life to date. While in Jordan, I faced challenges but learned to push through them and trust in myself. I also gained a deeper understanding of a culture that was different from my own and learned to appreciate the little things—like the simple act of pausing to appreciate life and be thankful. My time in Jordan has definitely made me better personally, and in sha Allah (God willing) professionally, as I was invited to the embassy and was encouraged to pursue a career as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department, the same agency that the Gilman program is associated with. I highly recommend to any students still in school to keep this employment option in mind, as you start thinking about what you're going to do in college.
Good luck to you all, and thank you for traveling with me these past few weeks!
Bryan
