International Post-Graduate Travels
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Hi! My name is Charlie McClelland, I am graduating Cum Laude next month from the University of Pennsylvania, where I am a Cultural Anthropology major with a minor in International Development.
For those of you who don't know, my parents are first generation American, and the first generation of college graduates. My grandparents immigrated from Scotland, Germany and Hungary. You can imagine that holiday gatherings are what first sparked my initial interest in other cultures!
My Hungarian grandfather was a war hero that worked for the underground in WWII with Raoul Wallenberg. He was my role model for living life with a purpose and not letting your past define your future happiness. I visited Hungary in 2011 and began to understand the hardships of his life in a new way, which is how I know that firsthand experiences are the only way to really grasp cultures beyond how they are described in textbook studies.
During my time at Penn I have been an active member of the Penn Glee Club (I was Historian one year, Publicity Manager the next, and am currently proud to serve the President of the Glee Club) as well as the Penn Pipers a cappella group. My Brothers in Song have also been my support system and best friends during my time at Penn, which is why I am standing here today, ready to graduate with honors. I have not had the charmed college years I dreamed of when I was young, but with these friends and this musical outlet, I made college the happiest years of my life despite a string of adversities.
I not only lost 3 of my 4 grandparents during my 4 years at Penn, but the worst loss of all was at the end of my freshman year, when I had to leave our first Glee Club tour after only a few days, because my twin brother died suddenly. My fellow Clubbers buoyed me, sang at my brother's Memorial Service, and have helped keep me grounded in the 3 years since my brother's death. I immersed myself in my studies and became more driven to not just be a survivor but to make my life have meaning and purpose, which is how I became focused on social change. I want to continue my study of cultures this summer but in order to do that I need financial help.
My goal is to further my studies and experience more diverse cultures through travel this summer. I have put together a plan that will take me from Europe to SE Asia for 6 weeks. It is a plan right now, but it won't be a reality without support.
In addition to Budapest, I have been to Canada, the Middle East, and Africa. Next month, the Glee Club will be traveling to Vienna, Prague, Berlin and Hamburg, where I will have the opportunity to meet some of my German relatives for the first time.
After the Glee Club trip, my dream is to travel to SE Asia for an entirely different cultural experience. I am sure you can imagine the cost of these travels. But if you can't, I have a detailed spreadsheet to show you!
My proposed itinerary includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. These will give me the broad based experience for my studies in the social change in everyday life in different cultures.
As a research assistant for the last two years, I’ve worked closely with Professor Brian Spooner, a renowned expert on the topic. The project deals with social change through globalization and Professor Spooner encourages me to pursue this travel so that I can apply it to the work I have done with him.
The goal is twofold: to prepare a paper for potential publication and to hone in on the area of my future studies.
I have researched several graduate programs that all address Public Policy and Social Change but in order to know the best place for those studies and the area in which I want to specialize, I need to take my 4 years of college studies out of the classroom and into the real world. Can you help make this dream a reality?
I have images of so many cultures based on my studies, which are, of course, based on the experiences of others. Now is the time to have my own experiences to continue my studies as a college graduate.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, while I am young, able, unencumbered (and unemployed!). The problem is that the unemployed piece of this makes my travel plans difficult, which is where you come in.
Please help me raise the funds to have the real world experience in International Development as a Cultural Anthropologist . No contribution is too small, (or too large). My goal? If I can reach 500 people who can each donate $20 this trip will be possible.
I have made it through these past years with fortitude and determination. Please help me keep that momentum going by making my dream possible.
For those of you who don't know, my parents are first generation American, and the first generation of college graduates. My grandparents immigrated from Scotland, Germany and Hungary. You can imagine that holiday gatherings are what first sparked my initial interest in other cultures!
My Hungarian grandfather was a war hero that worked for the underground in WWII with Raoul Wallenberg. He was my role model for living life with a purpose and not letting your past define your future happiness. I visited Hungary in 2011 and began to understand the hardships of his life in a new way, which is how I know that firsthand experiences are the only way to really grasp cultures beyond how they are described in textbook studies.
During my time at Penn I have been an active member of the Penn Glee Club (I was Historian one year, Publicity Manager the next, and am currently proud to serve the President of the Glee Club) as well as the Penn Pipers a cappella group. My Brothers in Song have also been my support system and best friends during my time at Penn, which is why I am standing here today, ready to graduate with honors. I have not had the charmed college years I dreamed of when I was young, but with these friends and this musical outlet, I made college the happiest years of my life despite a string of adversities.
I not only lost 3 of my 4 grandparents during my 4 years at Penn, but the worst loss of all was at the end of my freshman year, when I had to leave our first Glee Club tour after only a few days, because my twin brother died suddenly. My fellow Clubbers buoyed me, sang at my brother's Memorial Service, and have helped keep me grounded in the 3 years since my brother's death. I immersed myself in my studies and became more driven to not just be a survivor but to make my life have meaning and purpose, which is how I became focused on social change. I want to continue my study of cultures this summer but in order to do that I need financial help.
My goal is to further my studies and experience more diverse cultures through travel this summer. I have put together a plan that will take me from Europe to SE Asia for 6 weeks. It is a plan right now, but it won't be a reality without support.
In addition to Budapest, I have been to Canada, the Middle East, and Africa. Next month, the Glee Club will be traveling to Vienna, Prague, Berlin and Hamburg, where I will have the opportunity to meet some of my German relatives for the first time.
After the Glee Club trip, my dream is to travel to SE Asia for an entirely different cultural experience. I am sure you can imagine the cost of these travels. But if you can't, I have a detailed spreadsheet to show you!
My proposed itinerary includes Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. These will give me the broad based experience for my studies in the social change in everyday life in different cultures.
As a research assistant for the last two years, I’ve worked closely with Professor Brian Spooner, a renowned expert on the topic. The project deals with social change through globalization and Professor Spooner encourages me to pursue this travel so that I can apply it to the work I have done with him.
The goal is twofold: to prepare a paper for potential publication and to hone in on the area of my future studies.
I have researched several graduate programs that all address Public Policy and Social Change but in order to know the best place for those studies and the area in which I want to specialize, I need to take my 4 years of college studies out of the classroom and into the real world. Can you help make this dream a reality?
I have images of so many cultures based on my studies, which are, of course, based on the experiences of others. Now is the time to have my own experiences to continue my studies as a college graduate.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, while I am young, able, unencumbered (and unemployed!). The problem is that the unemployed piece of this makes my travel plans difficult, which is where you come in.
Please help me raise the funds to have the real world experience in International Development as a Cultural Anthropologist . No contribution is too small, (or too large). My goal? If I can reach 500 people who can each donate $20 this trip will be possible.
I have made it through these past years with fortitude and determination. Please help me keep that momentum going by making my dream possible.
Organizer
Charlie McClelland
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
