Tristan's relection

On Thursday we visited the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT). It was a valuable learning experience and we were able to see  many similarities to the United States system while still having an Irish spin to it. I particularly liked learning about the student societies (clubs/organizations) on campus. This is an area of focus for myself within higher education and it was wonderful to compare and contrast the two. I was happy to see that students here have a wide range of extracurricular learning activities to gain knowledge outside of the classroom and find a way to identify with their peers. As I work with these types of groups in the U.S., I enjoyed  the fact that this is a transnational concept.

The trip to all of the institutions, but especially CIT (as it is very similar to institutions I work with) has made me see the merits in Irish higher education. It has also ignited a fire within me to begin finding a way to relocate to Cork to work for one of the institutions and make an impact with their students. I feel I can bring both an international perspective and knowledge from my previous higher education experiences and education from U of L. It won't be an easy process to secure a work visa and employment, however I will begin researching the process when I arrive home. Hopefully, I will find a solution by the time I graduate in December. This trip has truly allowed for both personal and educational growth. 

Finally, in the last two full days here in Ireland, I look forward to making the most of my time with Jennifer, Matt, and Rachel... plus Shavon and Dr. Aliaga. In the last few days we have had a ton of fun and it will be a little strange on Tuesday to no longer see them morning, noon, and night. As the train is nearing Dublin, I must end this post...Cheers! 

~Tristan