Trina Le - September 12th, 2008

One of my major motivation for coming to Rome was to get an international aspect on edcuation. I believe that in order to help my students succeed academically, you need to first understand and respect your students' background, family, life, ethinicity, culture, etc. Coming to Rome gives me an international aspect as to education in general for it is so much different than what we are used to in the US. Since Italy is new in the immigrant education issues, it not only gives me an aspect on the early stages of a new country dealing with immigration educational issues, but it gives me a chance to learn, reflect and witness the issues that I do not witness often while in the US.

One of the things that I learned while in Rome is appreciation for what I have, but have taken for granted for so long. That is the right to an education. Many of the immigrant youths here in Italy have meet with hardships with the education system because of the laws and regulations, and opportunities for higher education are not as readily available as in the US. In the US, opportunities that comes with higher education is many, yet here in Italy, higher education is limited to a few Italians. Being here in Rome also makes me appreaciate my parents for what they have gone through when they first came to the US with no knowledge of the langage, the government and the United States' society, and on top of that . . . . four young children on their hands. It gives me a whole new respect for my parents on a level that I never thought that I would.

One of the things that I would like to learn further here in Italy is the future of the educational system in Italy, maybe in 5 or 10 years. Because Italy is so new to the immigration educational systems and issues, it would be interesting to know and witness the process of how they got to a stage of "satisfactory" educational system (however one can define that).

Here is a great shot of Megan, Maia, Trina (me), Sam, Anjali, and Brukap in the garden in the back of the Borghese Museum. ^_^