Identity Matters

"I studied off campus and came back a different person.  Now what do I do?"

If you find yourself in this dilemma, you are not alone.  Many students participate in off-campus study, immersion projects, and various other experiences while at the College.  They return to Gettysburg, excited, transformed, challenged, and ready to engage.  Then reality sinks in...

Friends get tired of hearing your stories or only want to hear the neat things you did. 

People don't want to know about all of the bad things going on in the world. 

You can't engage your peers in thoughtful conversations about things that matter.

Do you revert back to the way you were?  Do you compartmentalize your experience?  Do you resolve to feel angry and misunderstood, but realize there is no real outlet for you to connect, engage and change the situation?

Intercultural Advancement and Off-Campus Study Can Help

In a partnership, we have developed a way for students to reflect, share, and communicate their experiences in meaningful ways.  This Identity Exploration is open to any student struggling to understand how to be a global citizen and how to become an agent of change in the world.

First: Students like you begin by taking an identity survey.  You explore questions about how your gender, race, economic status, sexual orientation and other facets of your identity shaped your experience.  You discover connections between your experience and your development as a whole person.

Second: You join in conversations that probe your findings.  Through guided discussions and meaningful questions, you delve more deeply into what you experienced and why it matters.

Third: You create a narrative that is provocative and probing.  This is your story.

Fourth: You share your story with the campus and challenge your community to become more healthy and just.