Voices

In Service of Something Bigger Than Ourselves

Our actions create ripples, the extent of which we may never see.
International education experiences provide a supercharged environment to explore the depths of who we and others are, examine our place in the world, and unfold what part we want to play. Illustration: Shutterstock
 

As I sit at my desk in Washington, D.C, the air is thick with a palpable energy lingering from the U.S. presidential election, which has left the nation and world buzzing with discussion. Outside, the world continues its rhythm, but within this space, time feels suspended as I reflect on the year that has been and look to the next. I immerse myself in the task at hand, reflecting on the privilege it is to work for and represent my country and my people abroad. A sense of longing emerges, reminding me that I am a long way from Aotearoa New Zealand—my home. The sound of, “Kia ora,” as people gather; the satisfying comfort of a steak and cheese pie; kids throwing a mana wave to the cars passing by; the embrace of my whānau (family) and friends, which settles me.

International education experiences provide a supercharged environment to explore the depths of who we and others are, examine our place in the world, and unfold what part we want to play.

This distance amplifies my reflection on my work in the international education field this past year and how that work may ripple through communities like mine, shaping lives and futures in ways that feel both personal and profound. In this moment, I find myself not just writing this essay but also drawing synergies between my current reality and the home I hold dear and the experiences of international students and international educators the world over.

 International education experiences provide a supercharged environment to explore the depths of who we and others are, examine our place in the world, and unfold what part we want to play.

What this field continues to make clear for me is that we all have a part to play in this experience we call life. We have goals, aspirations, and experiences, and by design we are not meant to be the same or do the same things, although what we do ultimately has a place, and it does matter. International education experiences provide a supercharged environment to do explore the depths of who we and others are, examine our place in the world, and unfold what part we want to play. It seems that this reflection is a luxury reserved for only a few, yet that shouldn’t be the case.

A Family in Solidarity

It’s 2019 in the town of Nibutani, Hokkaido, in a small but warm and hospitable Ainu family home. Our Māori student exchange delegation is sitting in the backyard of our newly acquainted host family. The sun is starting to set on what had been a cup-filling day of experiencing the culture of the Ainu, one of the Indigenous peoples of Japan.

We are called into the house of Grandma, who had been preparing dinner. We gather inside the small, one-room dwelling and sit on the original woven mats that cover the floor as we listen to Grandma share about the old days and growing up with her culture. She shares about ceremony, the abundance of food sources in the forests and mountains that surround the small community, the vast natural materials and how they are associated with different parts of the Ainu ecosystem and lifestyle. The family shares about the Ainu language, which once was widely spoken but today is a UNESCO critically endangered language.

We gathered as near strangers, our lands so far apart, and left that evening as family in solidarity.

It was a moving experience to share in the longing of a people’s culture, where fluent speakers of their language were now in the single digits. It made us extremely sad and at the same time very grateful. We could relate in many ways to similar struggles experienced over decades past, resulting in the curtailing of the Māori language and culture back home. We gathered as near strangers, our lands so far apart, and left that evening as family in solidarity.

The Parts We Play

In this field during a time of significant change I ask myself, “What does it look like to be committed to something bigger than yourself, something you might never see come to fruition?” Many advocates that fought to have the Māori language survive are no longer here with us today. They do not get to experience the language thrive and the culture be recognized, celebrated, and respected around the world. To watch their descendants be educated in their language, from kindergarten through higher education, where they can submit their doctoral dissertations in te reo Māori. The results of actions that started in small, one-room dwellings across Aotearoa New Zealand not too dissimilar to the one we were sitting in all the way in Hokkaido. Ripples created doing the exact thing we were doing—sharing knowledge and experiences. This was no ordinary dinner experience, but imagine if it was.

We are but a moment in the continuum of a person’s journey. However, the opportunities we can contribute to that continuum are mighty.

These experiences transform not only the conversations of the people who participate in them but those they encounter and share their lives with. It is powerful to know there are now different conversations had at family dinners about culture, belonging, and the future—tables that I will never sit at and rooms that I will never enter. That these experiences rippled into the memes and videos shared in online friends chats—conversations I will never be part of. Now that is a powerful notion.

Our actions are important, and they create ripples. Are we willing to take those actions even if we might never get to see them come to fruition? Are the actions we take in service of something bigger than ourselves? As I reorient myself to the rhythm of the world outside, to go about my daily work here in the United States, I am reenergized by the opportunities I seek to build and the part I play. Building long-term partnerships that support intergenerational wealth creation across and between cultures. Designing and delivering programming that recognizes and provides platforms to amplify Indigenous worldviews related to people, place, and purpose in international education. Providing experiences that meets students where they are and solutions that solve the real barriers they encounter. Creating spaces that allow all communities to have authentic and meaningful engagement and cocreate a collective vision for the future.

We are but a moment in the continuum of a person’s journey. However, the opportunities we can contribute to that continuum are mighty. •


Natalie Lulia is the acting regional director for the Americas, Middle East, and Europe, as well as the associate director of engagement for North America, at Education New Zealand.

About International Educator

International Educator is NAFSA’s flagship publication and has been published continually since 1990. As a record of the association and the field of international education, IE includes articles on a variety of topics, trends, and issues facing NAFSA members and their work. 

From in-depth features to interviews with thought leaders and columns tailored to NAFSA’s knowledge communities, IE provides must-read context and analysis to those working around the globe to advance international education and exchange.

About NAFSA

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA serves the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 3,500 institutions, in over 150 countries.

NAFSA membership provides you with unmatched access to best-in-class programs, critical updates, and resources to professionalize your practice. Members gain unrivaled opportunities to partner with experienced international education leaders.