Passports & Possibility: Why Study Abroad Matters

Summary

In this episode of the Resolution Room, Dr. Nashay Lowe engages with Dr. Paul Brown to discuss the transformative power of study abroad experiences, particularly for students of color. They explore the barriers these students face, the importance of cultural immersion, and the development of a new certificate program aimed at enhancing language proficiency and global engagement. Through personal anecdotes and insights, they highlight the profound impact of international exposure on personal and professional growth, emphasizing the need for better information and advocacy to encourage more students to take the leap into global education. In this conversation, Dr. Nashay Lowe and Paul Brown discuss the significance of study abroad programs, particularly for students of color. They emphasize the importance of early planning and intentionality in creating opportunities for students to gain international experience. The discussion highlights how study abroad can broaden horizons, enhance career prospects, and build confidence. They also address the need for educational institutions to support students in navigating these opportunities and the long-term benefits of such experiences.

Key Takeaways

• Study abroad can be life-changing.
• International exposure shapes personal and professional growth.
• Travel expands perspectives and builds confidence.
• Misinformation is a significant barrier to studying abroad.
• Faculty play a crucial role in promoting study abroad opportunities.
• Personal stories can inspire others to pursue global experiences.
• Advocacy is needed to ensure students are aware of their options. It's crucial to plant the seed for study abroad early.
• Students should be intentional and purposeful in their planning.
• Study abroad is not just for language students; all disciplines can benefit.
• Faculty need to be educated about study abroad processes.
• Students who study abroad often see improved academic performance.
• International experience enhances employability and marketability.
• Planning for study abroad should start as early as high school.
• Exposure to different cultures fosters personal growth and adaptability.
• It's never too late to

Chapters

• 2:27 Developing a New Certificate Program
• 10:41 Personal Journey and Passion for Global Education
• 18:41 Impact of Study Abroad on Students
• 20:29 Barriers to Studying Abroad
• 24:20 Advocacy for Global Opportunities
• 25:16 The Importance of Early Planning for Study Abroad
• 27:48 Creating Intentional Study Abroad Programs
• 30:37 Broadening Horizons Through Study Abroad
• 33:12 The Value of International Experience
• 37:19 Preparing Bilingual Professionals for Global Opportunities
• 40:10 Encouragement for Students Considering Study Abroad

Transcript

Dr. Shay: 0:01

Welcome back to The Resolution Room, where we turn tension into transformation through clarity, connection, and consistency. I'm your host, Dr. Nashay Lowe, and this is a space where we explore what's really underneath the moments that challenge us and how they can lead to something more honest, more human, and more whole. So let's get into it. In this episode of The Resolution Room, I sit down with Dr. Paul Brown, Associate Professor of French and former director of the Study Abroad Center at Clark Land University, to explore how study abroad can be a life-changing experience, especially for students of color. We will dive into why international exposure matters, how it shapes both personal and professional growth, and the unique barriers that marginalized students face when considering global education. So through personal stories and practical insights, Dr. Brown shares why travel isn't just about seeing new places. It's about expanding perspectives, building confidence, and navigating identity and new cultural contexts. Whether you're a student, an educator, or simply curious about the power of global experiences, this conversation is a reminder that stepping outside of your comfort zone often brings you closer to yourself. So, Dr. Brown, if you could please introduce yourself, let everyone know who you are, what you do, and specifically, I want you to talk about the new program that you're trying to release at Clark Atlanta.

Dr. Brown: 1:43

Okay, thank you very much, Dr. Lowe. First, I'd like to thank you for inviting me onto this platform and giving me the opportunity to share a lot of information that we've gathered over the years concerning study abroad, its importance, etc. It's really not a new program, but within the Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages, I am trying to develop a certificate program. And the certificate program is comprised of bringing together some of our academic partners, as well as with our high schools. We want to begin our recruitment for this program in high school. We want to draw from sophomore, juniors, and seniors, so that when students arrive at Clark Atlanta University, they'll have at least strong intermediate proficiency in French. We're starting with French first. Hopefully, if this is a success, then we'll be able to move it over to Spanish also. But presently, it's for It's for French students. And one of the reasons for that is because a lot of the biliterate schools that we're going to be recruiting from will be schools where French is one of the primary languages. So when a student arrives at Clark Atlanta University, they will take some courses at the intermediate level. Then We want the students to apply for the Middlebury College Summer Languages Program, which is one of the best schools in the nation in terms of foreign language pedagogy. And so it's a seven-week program, and the students are required to speak nothing but the target language. They have to sign an oath indicating that they will not speak anything but the target language. Now, there are a lot of other languages that are taught there. They teach a lot of the critical languages, Chinese, Hebrew. Arabic, and several other critical languages. But the Romance languages are also represented, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. But the students for seven weeks will be housed together. They'll take their courses together. At the end of the program, lots of times they put on a play where students are required to play a particular role. If the student desires to go downtown, and this is located in in I think it's Middlebury, Vermont. If they go to town, there are people in town, the students are required to wear like, it's almost like a scarlet letter, something indicating that they speak French. And the people in town that speak French will only address them in French because they are familiar with the program. So if the student wants to watch TV, it's in French. They're trying as much as possible to totally immerse the students only in the language and the culture. Now, the students will be taking nine hours academic credit, and most of that will be advanced grammar and also some literature courses. But the student will be given the opportunity to advance themselves academically and then culturally also. And then once the student returns to Clark Atlanta, we want them to follow that up with a study abroad experience. in a French-speaking country, whether it be France or a French-speaking country in Africa. I was fortunate enough years back to be on the board of the Council for International Educational Exchange. We call it CIEE. And while on the board, I suggested that we start a program in French-speaking West Africa. And so we did a exploratory trip And we went to Cameroon and Senegal. So there's a French-speaking program in Senegal where students can study for an entire semester. Or, of course, they can study in France or Belgium. Now, mind you, this program is not just for language majors because we want the student to become proficient in French. But the student does not have to be a French major. This could be a student who's majoring in mass media arts. So he could take his other courses in English. But then he will be taking as high level French courses as he possibly can. Then it's going to be, the onus is going to be on the student to make sure that he continues to speak the language as much as he possibly can. Because this certificate at the very end, and by the way, it's called a bilingual professional global scholar certificate. And so the bilingual part is performance-based. It makes no difference how many courses you took and how many A's you received in those courses. If you cannot speak the language fluently, then you're not awarded the certificate. So they have the interest in making sure that at the end of the program that they can speak the language perfectly. And then the last part is called the Washington Semester Program, which takes place in Washington, D.C. at American University. It's a top-of-the-line program, and students are interacting with working professionals. They're working with people that work in the Senate, in the House of Representatives, you name it. And they're doing internships with these people. We had one student who did an internship, for example, at the White House itself, where she was actually answering the mail for Michelle Obama. When a student completes that particular program, there's one last portion in the program, which is a professional development portion at Clark Atlanta University. So when they return to the university, they will be participating in that program as well as doing an internship through the Washington Semester Program. And we hope to be able to persuade some companies such as Coca-Cola that are looking to hire students professionals, you know, in French-speaking countries to take a look at our students, because if you vet them, they're already ready for an international career. So that's what we're doing. That's amazing, and that's still in development, correct? I put forth and submitted the proposal in the spring, just this past spring, and it has to go through the process, and hopefully it will go through the process quickly. It'll be approved, and we should be able to start sometime in the spring of 2026.

Dr. Shay: 8:22

Gosh, I wish that existed when I went to Clark Atlanta. But speaking of memory lane, I mean, this interview is really special to me because for anyone who knows me, knows I love to travel. It's been a huge part of my life, both professionally and personally. And if anyone's looking for someone to blame, namely my parents, this is the man who I like to say started it all. So I have been in touch with you now. for over 10 years, really, since my time there. And I just recall walking into your office and leaving that conversation, just feeling so excited and inspired to explore. I had no idea what I was really getting into. I was really unprepared in a lot of ways, but I don't regret a second of it because literally it just opened up so many doors and a few windows too. So I I'd love to hear more about what initially sparked your passion for study abroad and global education.

Dr. Brown: 9:23

Actually, one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about this is because when I was in school, I worked almost for four years trying to study abroad. And it was almost an impossibility simply because I was on scholarship at Washington College, and I played sports both in the fall and in the spring. I wouldn't have been able to participate in the athletics. But I was willing to forego that, to be quite honest with you, in order to study abroad. But you see, one of the problems is that I didn't have the proper information. I didn't know really what needed to be done. All I knew was junior year, I wanted to study abroad. So when I went to apply, somehow the school kind of persuaded me, well, we did our best, but, you know, you just can't study abroad. And so I said, okay, well, I just kind of pushed it to the side. But then the Peace Corps popped up, and it was on television everywhere at that time. And so my sister—and, you know, this kind of dovetails with your story, too. My sister brought home an application for the Peace Corps. And— She had planned on applying herself, but she was taking such a long time, and so I just took the application, and I filled it out, and I sent it. And for some reason, I was very optimistic because I had all the qualifications they were looking for. And so I felt as though I was going to be accepted, and I was. I was accepted into the Peace Corps. And so actually, the Peace Corps was the first time that I had an opportunity to participate not to study abroad, but to travel abroad. And I was working abroad because I was teaching English as a foreign language at that time. And so I realized that the experience I had there was similar to a study abroad experience. And so when I returned, I finished my graduate studies, and I had the opportunity to provide that opportunity for other students, then I jumped at it.

Dr. Shay: 11:34

Can you talk a little bit about what you remember about your first time abroad and not just what you saw, but how it made you feel about yourself?

Dr. Brown: 11:42

It was truly amazing. First off is the people. The people were so accommodating and so welcoming. And I told someone, that's the first time in my life I felt like a movie star. Everything you say and everything you do, people think, is really important and they hang on your every word. I felt useful, I felt important. When I say useful, I was going to teach English as a foreign language. That was something that was going to be very useful to the youth in Cote d'Ivoire. Actually, it was a win-win situation because I was gaining an awful lot from just my interaction with them, but they were gaining something also. So both of us were winning. They were excited about an American being there, and I was excited about being an American in a French-speaking country in West Africa and learning about the different cultures because, as you know, in one country, you have, for example, Cote d'Ivoire has 60 different major ethnic groups. and just learning about the different groups and how they interact and the history of them. It just became so fascinating because I never was a history buff, but all of a sudden now I want to know more. And it was something that was not just something that I was learning for a test, but this was real information I was learning because this was the part of my genealogy. and my history. And so I was really very interested. And so that's what kept my interest the whole time that I was there.

Dr. Shay: 13:28

Yeah, I think we don't think about the sort of personal connection we're going to have to a foreign land when we first get there. But I know so many people who talk about by the time they leave, You feel connected to that place in one way or another, that community that you stayed in, that family that helped you out or gave you directions, whatever it is. Most people find something that bonds them to that place forever after that.

Dr. Brown: 13:53

Exactly, exactly.

Dr. Shay: 13:54

And so from students you've worked with at Clark Atlanta, what have you seen shift in students after returning from abroad?

Dr. Brown: 14:03

Well, let me just tell you the effect it had on my family. No one in my family, other than my brothers who were in the military, my brothers in the military, you know, they went to Germany. And my other brother, oldest brother, he went to Korea. But they were just doing it because they had been drafted. But it wasn't something, it wasn't part of our career plan. Well, when I went abroad and I came back, then I started recounting stories about different things that happened to me while I was there. And my family became very, very excited about it. And so now my nieces and nephews, almost all of them have been abroad. And these are planned trips that they have taken abroad, which they would never have done had they never heard the stories that I shared with them when I came back because they were scared to death to leave this country. But now, oh, wow. at the drop of a hat, they're ready to go. And they're learning. They're learning. And they're being exposed to things that, that here before were just stories in a book. But then they got a chance to actually go and live the experience. It means so much more.

Dr. Shay: 15:17

And I mean, that's, Linking that to the bigger conversation, too, of representation matters abroad, because I like a lot of times people just don't think it's possible for them or it's just not something they considered because they haven't seen people around them do it. And unless it's for specific reasons, like you said, military or maybe their job or things like that. And so from your experience, what are some of the most common barriers, whether that's external or internal, that keep students from taking that leap?

Dr. Brown: 15:46

Well. It depends on where they're going. Many of them have been afraid to go to countries where English isn't the official language. And those that do, they're very reticent about it. They go, but they don't have that same confidence that they would have going to an English-speaking country. But many of them, first off, it's really just a lack of information, misinformation. As a matter of fact, it's not just in the student body, but it's also in the faculty. Because the faculty have no idea what it takes to study abroad. They don't realize that students can use all of their financial aid to go along with them. And they can apply for scholarships through the third-party providers. And then there are federal dollars that they can apply for. So they just don't know. And so consequently, they do not promote the program. And I've tried to even share with my colleagues, hey, listen, you're right. you're really hurting our students, allowing them to take full advantage of all the possibilities that are available to them at Clark Atlanta University. So many of them, so many students, I said, I guess I wish I had known about that study abroad program when I was there. They organized so many of them, so the students would know, but they just, they're dissuaded because people have given them misinformation, and so It isn't until they come and they find out on their own that, hey, this is possible. And so once they find out, and it's so interesting because I had one student that went. He put everything on Facebook. My goodness, it was unbelievable. There's a number of students that came into my office. I said, we sent him there for this problem. Well, how did he do that? And so then I would explain. But see, so often, that doesn't come from their colleagues. It doesn't come from their peers. It's really not real information. And so they just kind of push it to the side.

Dr. Shay: 17:52

Yes, I can sympathize greatly. I recall, again, my own experience. I think I've shared with you many times where I wish I had heard about this when I first started, like my freshman year or so. So that way I was more prepared to leave because again, similar to you, I studied abroad my junior year. At the time I understood how it worked. I had to get all my core classes out the way. And I was like, let me just go when I have electives. So that way I don't feel like I'm messing anything up, you know, but it's that information. Right. And I remember, I think the only reason I even came by your office, I saw one little fly, like you can barely even see it. Like, it's not like it stood out, but I just happened to see it. And it just something struck me to just walk in there and ask more questions. But that's not going to be everyone, of course. We need more almost in-your-face advertising or informationals about these things. And that's honestly really encouraged me to try to be an advocate as much as possible to other students. Like I love mentoring students about their professional development, especially minority students, because there's just so many opportunities out there that you have no idea about. One of those, like you just don't know until you know, myself included. From the time I studied abroad, that turned into... the Peace Corps, and that turned into teaching English in Korea, and that turned into a master's program in IR, and that turned into getting up here. Like, it just literally snowballed into so many things that I just had never even thought about doing. And there are opportunities for the most part that I wouldn't have come across if it wasn't for that first step of studying abroad. And You know, my personal philosophy now when I'm talking with students and working with them, like I love to speak at colleges, universities and campuses and just wherever the students are and do it early. I try to get faculty and admin to understand how important it is to plant that seed early so that. By the time you're a sophomore or junior, you're ready to go. And you're not stressing about it. You did your applications. You got the funding. You're confident and going. And so everything you're saying just makes so much sense. And this is a passion you and I share. And part of why we've kept in touch for so long and trying to support each other is because I don't understand why nobody else cares so much.

Dr. Brown: 20:09

It's important. I know. Well, you know, I have this thing I call IPPI. And it's called being intentional. Planned, purposeful, and then integrated. When I said that you were the inspiration for it, I mean that. Like you said, your career snowballed. You had no idea. You had no idea when you were a sophomore that you would be anywhere close to where you are today. It wasn't even in your imagination. Okay? But one thing led to another. But you see now, I don't want anybody else to have to do that. I want people to be able to put together a plan. Intentionally, exactly. Exactly. I want it to be intentional. I used to say, study abroad on purpose. I love that. Yeah, and let it not be an accident, but let it be something that is planned and purposeful and that it's integrated into your four-year plan. And then from there, you can move on. And that's the reason that I want to intervene at the high school level. And also at Clark Atlanta, I'm putting together, I put together this liaison program program for the faculty. And what it is, it's a program that liaises with the Office of International Education and Study Abroad. Now, the way I present it, that office has all of the goodies. It's the store. But I'm trying to tell you that the store is over there, and I'm trying to tell you what's in the store. so that you can share it with your students and tell them, hey, these opportunities exist. And if you just go to the store, you'll see. And so what we've done is we have in the School of Arts and Sciences, every department now has a designated liaison. I kind of am running the class for the liaisons. And what I do, I'm sharing with the faculty what the process is for students to study abroad. You would be surprised. Many of them have the slightest idea. You know, they have the slightest idea how to advise students to study abroad. And so what I did this past year, we had six meetings, three in the fall, three in the spring. And I meet with the liaisons and I tell them, okay, number one, I tell them the process. A student has to have a certain GPA. Cannot be on academic probation nor social probation. If they can meet those two criteria, Okay, then they can start looking for study abroad programs. And then I explain to them what a third-party provider is and what the third-party providers provide for our students. And how do you get from our department to studying abroad for a third-party provider? Then I tell them what we'll do is we'll share this information. Then we'll pass you off to the Office of International Education and Study Abroad. they will tell you the process that you need to follow in order to be admitted to the third party providers. For example, KEI, Knowledge Exchange Institute, or the Council on International Educational Exchange, or SIT, the School for International Training, and so many more. And so we explain to them how that's done. And then, so that when our students in our department come in, and here's another misunderstanding, they think that study abroad is only for students who want to study a foreign language. They don't realize that students in business, students in mass media arts, students in psychology, whatever, can study abroad. They can study in a country where English is not an official language, but they can study Spanish in the environment And they can study their psychology also. So it's a win-win situation. So what they're doing, they're broadening their horizon. They're making themselves more marketable in the job market. And so I am educating the faculty who are encouraging the students to join the program. And then they go to the Office of International Programs and they take over and they study abroad. But another thing too is that I keep telling them that this information needs to be posted on their departmental websites. So each departmental website should look somewhat identical with regards to the liaison program. And so I'm encouraging them to identify programs abroad that will be helpful to their particular discipline, whether it be psychology, biology, chemistry, or whatever. once they've identified those programs, to pre-approve those courses so that students starting their freshman year, if before you get here, you know we have a program, you know that you can go to such and such place, then, as you said, you can start planning before you even arrive at the university. And you can start saving your money. And you'll know how to be advised. The advisors will tell you, do not take your your elective courses, save your elective courses for when you go abroad. That way, you can take courses in your major or outside of your major. It's up to you. But it's a plan. It's not just, you know, picking courses out of thin air, but you're planning a career. Then we have a professional development office right there at the school, which is something that students need to take advantage of also.

Dr. Shay: 25:50

Exactly. Because it all works together. It does.

Dr. Brown: 25:54

It does. And that's what we're talking about, putting it all together. You're taking all these different, seemingly disparate departments or units. You're bringing them all together. And that's all that the certificate program is. It's really, I'm just taking what we already have there, organize it in such a way that it makes sense, and then it becomes helpful to the students. I will guarantee you that any student that exits college the certificate program will have no job, no problem whatsoever getting a job in the job market. Who would turn down a bilingual professional with practical international work experience? You would be a fool to do that. So the student would be very well prepared for the international

Dr. Shay: 26:41

arena. Absolutely. If a student is listening and quietly wondering right now if they belong in this space, what would you say to them?

Dr. Brown: 26:53

Definitely. Well, there were students that came that had a 2.5 GPA. That's the lowest GPA that you can have in order to study abroad. But when they studied abroad and they came back, grades skyrocketed because all of a sudden now they began to realize that this education is useful. It's not just, you know, they see their education, their degree, as hoops that they have to jump through in order to receive a piece of paper that they think is going to be a get-out-of-jail-free card, you know what I'm saying, or it's going to be a passport to success. They don't realize that that passport to success has to have attached to it some experiences outside of the box. And so if you attend Clark Atlanta University for four years, your diploma is going to look like everyone else's. But if you can add an international dimension to it and say, hey, this is how I differ from person A or person B, look at the experiences that I've had. It speaks for itself.

Dr. Shay: 28:01

And just building on that, not only do you have that practical experience to put on your resume, literally, you are going to be mentally elevated at a different level. It's just, you literally get to see how, there's not one way to do education. You're going to learn different ways to learn. You're going to learn different ways to think about things. And see how university level courses are taught differently. That could be a culture shock. That's right. Yeah. It's like so many pieces to that that you get to walk away with that just make you look at things in a big picture point of view that still stick with me to this day. And I think for better or for worse, I think I always look at the big picture now.

Dr. Brown: 28:38

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And you know also that your experience in the Peace Corps, it really, you'd be surprised how much information that you have that is valuable information to certain people. And people that are sitting in Congress right now and are making decisions on an international level, you'd be surprised how many of them don't have a clue. Many of them- Have never been there. That's right. Never been there, never had an international experience at all. And have no idea that they're making decisions on things that they read in the book, they just base their... They're the opinions based on a stereotype instead of an actual experience. And so right now, we used to have a program called the Institute for International Public Policy. And I wish that you had been at Clark Atlanta years before that. You definitely would have been in that program. And it's a program that prepares students starting their sophomore year all the way. And it was run that was sponsored by the UNCF Mellon Foundation. It was an excellent program. Excellent program. But I'm going to tell you something, that this certificate program is going to be equal to that program. Because one of the things, one of the shortcomings of that program was that the African-Americans that were participating in the program, none of them, not a single one was bilingual. And so when they went into the diplomatic corps, they had to go to the Foreign Service Institute. And so I said to myself, no, we're going to develop bilingual professionals with practical international work experience. They're not going to be able to discount them in any way, shape, or form. So I'll be ready. Yes.

Dr. Shay: 30:30

Well, you know, I can sit here and talk to you about sitting abroad and traveling all day, like all day long, literally. Are there any... last insights or tips or just any lasting words you want to leave with any students listening who are considering or any faculty or just anyone listening right now?

Dr. Brown: 30:49

Yeah, I just want to say two things. All the students that study abroad, and there were over 700 students that I advised, every single one graduated and graduated on time, okay? A large majority of them are working in the international arena, okay? at least I can name three, four people in the last two years who have PhDs, you included. So three other students, one student is working on a PhD now, and two other students have their PhDs. So that's four students. Those are just the ones that have kept in touch with me and we've spoken, who have achieved the PhD. So the program is beneficial, but What I want to encourage people to do is to plan the program, especially I'm looking at high school. If when you decide to go to school, even if you're not deciding to come to Clark Atlanta University, wherever your institution of choice, make sure they have a study abroad program and then find out what you need to do in order to participate in that particular program and then put together an international plan. Don't just make it up as you go along. put together a plan and even if the plan doesn't work exactly as you wanted it to you can you can make modifications later on but one of the most important things is to have a plan and um when clark atlanta brings a lot of their um alum to school and ask them what is your biggest regret i mean all of them say my biggest regret was that i didn't study abroad

Dr. Shay: 32:33

It says it right there. It

Dr. Brown: 32:34

says it right there. It says it right there.

Dr. Shay: 32:36

Yes. And I'll just add that it can all seem very intimidating, but just be open to the process, be flexible, be adaptable, because, I mean, that's truly what life is about, right? You're not going to grow when you're comfortable. And you literally just have to get to a point within yourself where you just want more for yourself and just go for it. a plan, like you said. But I mean, to a certain extent, you might psych yourself out if you overthink it as well. I think for a lot of people, especially things like the Peace Corps, it's one of those things where they think, ah, two-year commitment. I don't know, that's too long. But, you know, it's going to be the most amazing, amazingly challenging, yet rewarding two years of your life. You know, so I think there's so many more benefits than challenges when it comes to it at the end of it. And you have to just, you know, and again, I understand that everyone's different and it's maybe not for everyone, but just be open to the process.

Dr. Brown: 33:38

We

Dr. Shay: 33:38

don't get the

Dr. Brown: 33:38

information out there.

Dr. Shay: 33:41

You're right. Yeah, so it's a two-way street. The information needs to be out there more, but then you also have to be courageous enough to take that step. Gosh, this is so amazing. Again, we could talk about this all day. We both would love to. So if you want to reach out to either one of us, you can leave a comment. And Dr. Brown, can you let everyone know where to find you or follow your work or how to contact you?

Dr. Brown: 34:03

Contact me at pbrown at cau.edu and I'll be able to get back with them.

Dr. Shay: 34:11

Amazing. So this episode is a collective reminder that passports are more than travel documents. They're keys to possibility. When students go abroad, they're not only expanding the world, but they return home as more confident, curious, and connected citizens. Dr. Brown reminded us today that study abroad is so much more, again, than passport stance. It's opportunities to challenge the limits that we place in ourselves and to see the world and our place in it with new eyes. For students of color who may not always see themselves reflected in global spaces, these experiences can be especially powerful, building not just academic knowledge, but again, confidence, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of identity. The barriers are real, financial, cultural, and emotional. But as we heard, the rewards of going abroad are lifelong. Exposure becomes expansion and curiosity becomes connection. So whether you're a student, an educator, or someone looking back on what you perceive as a missed opportunity, remember that it's never too late to explore beyond your borders in any way that you can. As always, thank you for joining me today in the Resolution Room. I'm grateful you're here doing this work alongside me. If this episode spoke to you, I'd love for you to please share. And until next time, keep building in the quiet because that's what will carry you forward. so