Joelette Organista

“Hello” in your host country’s language: Olá
Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):University of Utah
Expected graduation year: 2023
Destination city & country: Lisbon, Portugal
Program provider: USAC
Major/minor: International Studies / Strategic Communications
Demographics: Hispanic/Latina
Future career aspirations: I want to be an engaged global citizen. I have learned, to become an engaged, global citizen one must understand various cultural identities, customs, personal experiences, and difficulties as an individual and community. For that reason, I am studying Portuguese because it is a critical language, and hope to use it for my career goals. I have a plan to participate in the Critical Language Summer Program 2022. This program will enhance my proficiency in Portuguese and I will continue with complete immersion of the language for an additional three months. I will continue my education at the University of Utah and prepare myself for my future internship with the Hinckley Institute of Politics in Spring 2023. Each of these experiences will enhance my preparation to work for the Global Headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to become a Public Affairs Associate centralized in the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries. I am excited to build relationships that will change my future, plan and execute solutions to intercultural issues and assist in projects with future leaders in their native language.
Top 3 goals for your time abroad: 1. Join the Eurasum Club – Specific toward international studies to become more involved with the locals and the language.
2. Journal Entries – I plan to keep a journal and write every day to record my experiences, successes, hardships, small details of the trip.
3. Speak ONLY Portuguese – I have a plan to only speak Portuguese, I will not speak English unless it is absolutely necessary. I plan to do this by attending religious meetings and speaking with locals. I will become fluent by the end of this trip.