Jordan Barbour, a member of our Outreach Team, reflects on her first time experience with our Oxford Academia programs in person. She shares her takeaways as a photographer, traveler, and team member.
When I joined Putney Student Travel and Oxford Academia’s Outreach Team a little over a year ago, I didn’t expect to be standing in the real-life center of the photographs I view through a computer screen all year. But when given the opportunity to go photograph and interview our lovely Oxford Academia students at The American University of Paris and The University of Oxford—it was an immediate yes.
As a former Vermont television reporter, I am used to capturing unique people and places. I thought (or told myself) I knew exactly what I would get out of being Oxford Academia’s newest program photographer and videographer.
I was, in fact, wrong.
As a photographer, newly minted Oxford Academia inductee, and young woman traveling alone for the first time, here are my four biggest takeaways from seeing these incredible programs in action.
Heat Doesn’t Defeat Curious Minds
Europe was hot this summer. Of that there is no doubt. During my five-day stay in Paris, it was, on average, about 95°F every single day. As France saw record-breaking heat this summer, with Paris feeling the squeeze of the concrete city streets, it was easy to become tired, hot, and sweaty. But Oxford Academia students stuck it out and inspired me to do the same. As they traveled from modern art museums and local boulangeries to designer fashion outlets and gold-encrusted palaces, they were determined to make the most of every seminar experience.
While the heat wave had lifted by the time I got to Oxford, most days still reached the mid-80s. With many students in Oxford’s beautiful, historic, and heat-holding towers and lecture halls, one would think they would have trouble concentrating. Not these young Oxford scholars. Many were so locked into their lectures and so engaged in asking critical questions that they scarcely had time to process the heat (or one very sneaky photographer snapping their candids).
Oxford Academia Students Are Astute
Okay, I’ll admit it. I knew this one already, but seeing students in action was something else. Oxford Academia promotes a fishbowl effect for learning where the whole community is always engaged with one another. This could seem daunting for some, but Oxford and Paris students dove right in, offering critical thoughts or taking their own creative license. In my time speaking with students on and off camera, I was amazed at their mature and thoughtful responses. Many said their favorite moments included key discussions in class with their fellow peers and instructors and moments spent making new friends with different types of people. Others appreciated the academic clarity they had found for their college careers.
The Faculty Are, in Fact, Fabulous
This also was another one I knew, but on a personal level, I was truly excited to find myself in such a welcoming and mentally engaging community. Oxford Academia faculty are truly passionate about and are experts in their major subjects, with many speaking on their cutting-edge research or projects, and are also committed teachers. While there are many great academics and teachers in this world, it can be rare to find people who truly love both sides equally—but this amazing group absolutely does. Many want to help students succeed and will engage in conversation at any time and answer any question students put forth. I found myself, even as an outside observer, soaking in new knowledge at all times and getting into deep discussions with faculty who made time for questions between activities. As someone who has been out of university for a few years, it was simultaneously nostalgic and refreshing to jump into the world of academia again.
Traveling Solo Is Tremendously Empowering
Oxford Academia offered me the opportunity to do something I had never done before—travel alone. It was daunting, at times stressful, but also proved to be something that has permanently altered me for the better. I learned I could get through challenging situations, provide insight and guidance to students, trust my city- and people-savvy, and communicate in another language. It answered the question many of us (and many of our students) often ask ourselves—can I do this? Yes, yes I can.
I was very lucky to be introduced to traveling at a young age, much like the students I met this summer. And while I never got to experience something quite as amazing as these programs, I can confidently say those experiences are what led me to be able to do something like this in my lifetime. Traveling when you are young can give you the confidence and ability to know that you are capable—and that is what I hope any Oxford Academia student will walk away with. They are an incredible group of budding scholars, kind peers, and curious travelers, and I have no doubt their experiences will carry them forward.
If you would like to learn more about our Oxford Academia programs, click here!