Study Abroad experience teaches Illinois student not about the world – but about herself

By Gray Mateo

Editor’s note: The following speech was given on Nov. 1 in Chicago by Gray Mateo ’05 LAS, a third-year student at the University of Illinois College of Law, as she described the impact of her Study Abroad experience. As an undergraduate at Illinois, Mateo was a James Scholar, Earl Neal scholar, president and co-founder of Hate Free Community and a triple major in psychology, speech communication, and gender and women’s studies. Mateo continues to be a campus leader at the College of Law, where she is a mediation coordinator in the Office of Conflict Resolution and president of the Latino/Latina Law Student Association.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished alumni, Chancellor Herman – I am truly honored to stand before you today and share with you the profound impact that studying abroad has had on my life.

My family emigrated from the Dominican Republic – that’s right, my family left one of the most beautiful islands in the world to come to Chicago. We heard Chicago had lovely weather. Like so many immigrant stories, we came in search of the American dream. And I am happy to say that through challenge, dedication, sacrifice (and an expensive citizenship process), America has become our home.

One of my earliest memories as a child in the United States was my entry into the American public school system; I was rendered deaf, mute and illiterate. I felt ostracized, distant and different. My mother was a professor and my father an agricultural engineer in our homeland. Upon coming to the United States, they were forced into the humble work of the labor industry as are so many immigrants – because of racism, poverty and the language barrier.

I have been blessed with the privilege of being the first in my family to attain a collegiate education in the United States, let alone a law degree. And I have been blessed by scholarships from generous donors such as yourselves to help finance my education.

For these reasons, I have always viewed my personal successes as reflective of my individual communities as a woman, a minority and as an immigrant. Thus, I believe it is my duty to give back. In the words of celebrated Chicana author Sandra Cisneros, I must help “the ones who cannot out.” And attempting to do so has ceaselessly fueled my drive for success.

It was this drive for success, this passion for community and this commitment to diversity and equality that drove me to study abroad in Granada, Spain, during the fall of 2004 – my senior year at the University of Illinois. Intrinsic to my decision to study abroad was the generosity of donors such as yourselves.

I chose Granada, Spain, for a multitude of reasons. First, being from the Dominican Republic, I felt a certain poetic pull to the land of the conquistadors, the land of Christopher Columbus, the man who was credited with discovering “Hispaniola.” The opportunity to study Spain’s rich history from within; to study the remarkable tapestry of its arts, language, literature, music, architecture; and to live amongst its diverse people has been truly transformative. The culture of Spain was central to my own country’s history, socio-political identity and overall struggles as a people. This opportunity was personally enriching – it was truly food for my very soul.

Second, I chose Spain because of its internal diversity. Granada – home to the Alhambra, home of the gitanos, home of Flamenco, the siesta, the many plazas, free tapas and, most importantly, home of the Middle Eastern/African influences of Spain. The roughness of the desert-like visage of Andalucía and the delicateness of its friendly, straightforward people were truly a unique combination. Granada was a completely different world from the French/English-infused people of Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao – all beautiful, majestic cities containing larger-than-life architecture, artists and people. And Granada was a completely different world from Malaga, Guadix, Toledo – all quaint villages bustling with festive get-togethers, family-owned eateries and crowded churches.

Finally, Spain intrigued me because of its unique juxtaposition to France, Africa and other European countries. It was almost a middle ground that allowed me to travel and meet different people. My frugality, familiarity with [the low-cost flight service] Ryanair.com, curiosity and sense of adventure led me to explore over half a dozen countries.

For most students, studying abroad teaches them humility, makes them aware of their own privilege (economic and otherwise), helps them embrace diversity and teaches them global citizenship. For me, studying abroad was a completely different experience. As I said, I grew up poor, an immigrant, a minority in so many ways – studying abroad for me was not about becoming humble, for I already was. It was not a lesson in economy, for I already knew the troubles of poverty. It was not a chance to open up to different cultures and confront stereotypes, for I had done these things all my life. It was not an introduction to global citizenship – for I was always engaged in my role within a larger global community.

For me, studying abroad was about meeting myself in a different context. It was about true, personal, irreversible, all-encompassing growth. Studying abroad forced me to be selfish, to – for once in my life – focus on my own development as a woman, as a career person, as a human being. After studying abroad, I felt reinvigorated, re-energized and re-centered. I was ready to conquer anything and everything. I had realized my own strength as an individual. That was perhaps the greatest gift I ever received.

Upon graduation, I hope to serve our courts as a judicial clerk before joining the law firm of Neal Gerber & Eisenberg in Chicago. As a direct result of my experience abroad, I have decided to pursue labor and employment law with a special emphasis in alternative dispute resolution. I hope to one day attain an advanced degree in law from an international institution.

Studying abroad has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I want to thank everyone who contributes financially to fund the Study Abroad scholarship programs that made my experience possible.

The UI Study Abroad program is supported in part by contributions from the Illinois Annual Fund, www.giving.illinois.edu.

Photo credit for Granada, Spain: Granada, Spain/Stephanie Swift Photo
Photo credit for Mateo: L. Brian Stauffer Photo