I'yanna Barker

My name is I’yanna, and I am a 2021-2022 Gilman Alumni Ambassador from Sunrise, Florida. I graduated from Florida State University in 2019 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. As a Gilman Scholar, I studied the Spanish language in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2016.

I’ve always considered myself to be an adventurous person. At my core, I am an explorer. Like many of us, though, it’s hard to explore and travel when you don’t have the financial means to do so. During my freshman year of college, I was amazed at all the opportunities afforded to me as a student from a lower income background. Quickly after starting at Florida State University (FSU), my goal was to involve myself in organizations and opportunities that would enhance myself culturally and professionally. I figured the best avenues for this were student government and student-led organizations. My view of what a college experience could look like was limited by my lack of finances. One workshop I attended changed my entire college experience.

As a first-generation college student, I encountered obstacles that my parents, even with their wealth of knowledge and wisdom, could not help me with. Fortunately, I was a part of FSU’s Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement (CARE) Department. CARE invited the Office of National Fellowships to speak to students about a study abroad scholarship catered towards students like us who were Pell grant-eligible. Before this moment, I had never considered the studying abroad as an option for me because traveling out of the country seemed to come with expenses that I knew I could not afford. At this workshop, I learned about the components necessary for the application, heard from past recipients and learned of their unique experiences from trips to China, Germany, and Spain. I remember being amazed that students who did not have the funds to travel abroad found a way to make the most of their college experience. This was the push I needed.

At times, my financial burdens made me feel like a burden. I found that having examples of those who were successful at achieving this new goal of mine encouraged me to apply to the Spanish Immersion program in San Jose hosted by the Conversa Linguistics School. Shedding myself doubt, I met with the ONF representative and set up weekly meetings to work on my application. I worked on my statements before and after class. In between classes I visited the ONF office for advice. I tried and failed many times. My advisor would tell me “Show, don’t tell” and that concept was difficult for me to grasp, but once I got it, I believed I submitted my best work. Despite the difficult time crafting my application, I was proud of pushing past my initial fears and finding a way to learn in a foreign country.

Alternate.

About a month after submission, I was informed that I was not selected for the award. I was crushed. I went through my application again. What could I have missed? I misspelled something or made a syntax error. I questioned the hard work I put into the application and if there was anything I could have done differently. I had accepted the email that I was an alternate as confirmation that I would not have my trip funded by Gilman. A few weeks later, I jumped for joy as the new email read “Congratulations!”. Out of 3,400 applicants, I was one of 950 who would be awarded!

In a conversation with my mentor, I told her the good news and the struggles I faced up to that point. She said my scholarship award was “delayed, not denied”. She mentioned that things do not always fall into place in the exact way that we envision, but that did not mean that our goals would not come to pass or that they deserved to be celebrated any less. This lesson is one I have carried with me throughout my collegiate and professional careers. A “no” today, could be a “yes” tomorrow, and despite your obstacles, you should remain confident in your ability to achieve any goal you set out to accomplish.

I studied and lived in the small town of Santa Ana, Costa Rica, located just outside of San Jose and my experience was transformed by my instructor and host family. Although I had taken Spanish courses throughout middle and high school, my understanding never reached a level high enough to speak the language. My intention to study in Costa Rica was fueled by a desire to become a fluent speaker. To achieve this, I knew what was required of me: I had to push myself past my comfort zone.

At the Conversa Linguistics School, I took intensive courses which accelerated my knowledge and understanding from foundational to an intermediate level. This opportunity was unique in that my class sizes were very small and allowed for me to work with my instructor and classmates in an intimate setting. In one class, I was the only student. I remember being nervous about my ability to perform and comprehend the information: conjugations, new vocabulary, and my ability to correctly pronounce words were aspects of learning the language that made me feel intimidated. Grace, my instructor helped ease my nervousness by providing constructive feedback and acknowledging the strides I made with assignments and assessments. Grace’s approach to teaching included traditional and nontraditional aspects. Some days she broke down the roots of words such as “correr”, to run, outlining the ways in which the word could be conjugated and used in everyday sentences. On other days, we went on walks through the campus or visited friends of hers who lived a short distance from the school. I appreciated the nontraditional structure because it centered community interaction to immerse me in the language. This kind of instruction and practice I did not get during my seven years of classes back in the United States.

My instruction continued with my host mom, Liliana. In her home, we had daily conversations over dinner. Due to my lack of vocabulary, a twenty-minute conversation would often run us two hours  during my first week. Liliana was extremely patient and kind when telling a story or explaining customs of her country and town. To a non-native speaker like myself, it sounded like Liliana was speaking fast, so I struggled to connect the dots, catching every other word. In these moments, I was reminded to push past my comfort zone, so I got creative.

When Liliana used a word or phrase that was unfamiliar to me, I used the Google Translate app to get over the hurdle. This worked for us, and I appreciated Liliana’s willingness to employ technology to help me in my pursuit to speak more fluently. Our conversations soon became more complex. We had deep conversations about political and social tensions in the United States, Costa Rica natives’ relationships with Nicaraguan immigrants and the commonalities between immigration in her country and the United States. These are the conversations where I learned the most because it called for words that I had never heard before. Had I stayed on campus, I doubt that I would have gained a full perspective of the country that Liliana provided.

Through conversations with Grace, Liliana, and other members of the community, I grasped what it truly meant to break the language barrier. This required persistence and a true willingness to learn from others with a different upbringing and culture than my own. My time spent in Costa Rica gave me a new perspective on the lives of those in Central America and countries other than America overall. I would like to this that my effort to reach a deeper level of understanding helped us cultivate a sustainable relationship. I am happy to say that we still communicate and keep in touch  through social media. My experience learning the Spanish language took a turn for the better because of the Gilman scholarship and those who were kind enough to help me make the most of my study abroad trip.