My name is Vince Winston and I am a senior double majoring in Public Affairs and Administration and African and African and African American Studies at The University of Oklahoma. I am participating in a journalism Travel Study course offered in Puerto Rico and my first blog post is of the essay that I used to apply for the class.

Destination: Puerto Rico!

Growing up, you hear over and over again that college is going to be the time in your life when you challenge your beliefs, strive for new goals and push yourself to levels that you did not know you could attain. I’ve found that in my fifth (and final) year as an undergraduate student at The University of Oklahoma to be the case. I’ve had a tremendous amount of success in different avenues of campus such as serving as President of my fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, working as a Resident Adviser in Walker Tower for two years, serving as a Teacher Assistant in Freshman Programs and most recently holding the title of UOSA Student Body Vice President. Through all my many accomplishments there has been one goal that has eluded me since being at OU; studying abroad.

I’ve had several conversations with people throughout my journey at OU about the impact that studying abroad has had on them and wanted my eyes to be open to a world outside of the continental United States. I figured with my busy schedule and the fact that I was in my fifth year at OU, the opportunity to study abroad had past. It seemed almost too good to be true when Adam Pinkney first approached me about the Puerto Rico trip. I had read the mass email sent out to all students, but I didn’t think I would enjoy it without having someone to go with that I knew and honestly didn’t really give the email much thought. After speaking with Adam about the trip, the beautiful organizers and the time frame, I knew this was the trip for me.

I have continuously strived for success while at OU and my participation and focus in this class will be no different. I believe that going on this trip will be an experience that will help me grow as a person to better serve my community and understand the world. Hopefully I will be chosen to be a part of this experience and plan to take full advantage of the opportunity!