Emily Escareno

As a first generation student my family was reluctant to send me to go to college in a big city like Austin. I never could have imagined that during my freshman year I would end up leaving the country and traveling to the “city that has to be seen to be believed.”

Traveling abroad with DDCE Global gave me skills that I will forever use in my everyday and professional development. I am now confident enough to try things on my own, interact with people who come from different backgrounds and I’m better at realizing when I need to strip away my assumptions and take the time to appreciate cultural differences.

My favorite part about traveling to the UAE were the days we had complete freedom to do anything we wanted. Waking up at six in the morning to watch the sunrise on the beach, trying foods from street vendors, riding multiple trains throughout the city and even getting lost a few times, are just a few moments I will never forget. Those days not only allowed me to make strong connections with the people I was traveling with, but they also led me to hear the stories of many people who live in Dubai.

I’m forever grateful for DDCE pushing me to go abroad because the experience gained and lessons learned are absolutely worth it.