Over the last year, my definition of a global citizen scholar has evolved in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Initially, my definition was, for lack of a better term, nonexistent. Sure, I had always considered myself to be a scholarly student, but I had never considered what scholarship could mean in a broader context, such as within a local community or even globally. I never predicted that my first year of college would end in my first trip abroad, where I developed a true understanding of what global citizen scholarship means to me.

       Upon first glance, my immediate reaction to the term ‘global citizen scholar’ was a literal definition: A scholar who travels the world and does things that make them a good citizen. My interpretation could not be more straightforward and uncreative. Furthermore, I recall thinking that my definition probably would not change because I had already settled on my extremely literal understanding. However, being an Honors Ambassador inspired me to rethink the concept, further develop my understanding, and learn how I could embody the concept. I met an inspiring group of students in the ambassador program who had done such beautiful projects that helped them shape their definitions of global citizen scholarship. I wanted to be just like them, and I knew I needed to find an opportunity to push myself to get out of my comfort zone and challenge my understanding. Therefore, when I got an email from my honors advisor about a study tour offered through the program that directly aligned with my career interests and included something I had never done before, I knew I had to give it a shot and apply for the class.

       The class completely changed my perspective. I was very apprehensive about leaving the country for the first time on the study tour, but I would not trade my experience for anything. The course and trip focused on international institutions worldwide, with a special emphasis on international law, a topic I am particularly fond of. I learned what it means to be a citizen beyond borders and how an overarching moral and ethical code, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, can guide us all, despite our different nationalities or governments. While I learned most of my lessons from the course content, my peers taught me something equally valuable: the beauty of disagreement and differences. Each of us had a different research question, focus, set of ideas, and opinions, and having open discussions about some of the world's most pressing issues with them helped me further my understanding of scholarly disagreement.

       Throughout my learning process during the last year, I realized that citizenship is more of a mindset than a status. Citizenship is following the laws of the world and the natural laws that one believes to be morally correct. Furthermore, citizens show compassion for their peers, regardless of whether they have anything in common. A global citizen scholar, therefore, is one who views the world not as a fixed state, but rather as a rapidly evolving struggle to create a society that supports the well-being of everyone, not just specific individuals. A global citizen scholar utilizes their knowledge and harnesses it to contribute to the ongoing effort of a society for all. Clearly, this definition is quite different from what I started with. All it took was a push to open my mind to new possibilities, new definitions, and new opportunities.