DASNR
Study Abroad
Student of the Week
Country:
Mexico
Above Starla in the Solar Pyramid
Starla wants us to know a few facts about Mexico.
The United Mexican States is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bounded on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. The United Mexican States comprise a federation of thirty-one states and a federal district. The capital, Mexico City, is one of the world's most populous cities.
Covering almost 2 million square kilometers, Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas by total area and the 14th largest in the world. With an estimated population of 109 million, it is the 11th most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.
As a regional power and the only Latin American member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 1994, Mexico is firmly established as an upper middle-income country.
Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP), on par with countries like Canada and Spain, even though income inequality is still high. The economy is strongly linked to those of its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional: PRI) which had held it since 1929.
Agriculture's contribution to GDP fell from 15.1% in 1960 to 10.7% in 1970 and 4% in 2001—yet agriculture employs about 22% of the labor force. Only about 13% of Mexico's total land area is suitable for cultivation, and only 6% is cultivated with permanent crops; over 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres) are irrigated.
In 1960, Mexico became self-sufficient for the first time in corn; it continues to be self-sufficient in beans, rice, sugar, and most fruits and vegetables and fluctuates between being either a net importer or self-sufficient with wheat and corn. The government continues to protect agriculture and to ensure domestic consumption through import and export duties and controls. The government supports the prices of corn, wheat, beans, and fresh eggs and then sells these and other farm products at minimal prices through retail stores operated by the National Corporation for Public Subsidies.
In 1999, the principal crops' production totals (in tons) were as follows: sugarcane, 46,000,000; corn, 18,324,000; sorghum, 6,297,000; wheat, 3,072,000; dry beans, 1,085,000; soybeans, 132,000; rice, 399,000; and barley, 469,000. Principal exports are coffee, cotton, fresh fruit, sugar, tobacco, and tomatoes. In 2001, the value of agricultural exports amounted to $7,631 million, with tomato exports of $540.8 million. (Source: Wikipedia)
Starla Blackwell
October 20, 2008
|
|
From the Master of Agriculture in International Agriculture Program...
This week’s study abroad student of the week is Starla Milanie Blackwell. She is a first year Masters of Agriculture student in the International Agriculture Option. Starla is also working to obtain two certificates: International Studies and Teaching English as a Second Language. She speaks Spanish, and has some knowledge of Arabic.
Above Starla and Megan Starla has been an outstanding student; she received three Baccalaureate degrees at OSU and graduated Summa Cum Laude in all of them: Economics, Philosophy, and Political Science. She also has three academic minors: Emergency Management, Sociology, and Speech Communication. She is a member of the Student Organization of International Agriculture (SOIA), the Student Union Activities Board, and is a Resident Advisor for on-campus student housing. When people ask Starla why did she chose three degrees, three minors, a Masters, and two certificates all in different focus areas, she answers “Philosophia “ - The love of Learning.” In Starla's words “I value the opportunity that I have to live in a Country where higher education is achievable. I strive for academic excellence because I believe it is the gateway to my future. I am a person with a strong will to understand. Education cannot be measured by the number of degrees a person has achieved, but it is a mind set that must last one’s entire life. I love learning; therefore, I have devoted myself to learn as much as I can as an undergraduate and graduate student. I know that even with my degrees there is still an entire universe that I know very little about, and will continue throughout my life to try and understand a little piece that makes it up. I recognize how little I know when I gaze up at night and contemplate the breath-taking stars.” Starla was born in Bethany, Oklahoma. She has a twin brother, Jett, and they are very close friends. She is also very close to her grandparents Chester and Mary. All of them have been Starla's cheerleaders throughout her life.
She chose OSU because of the convivial atmosphere and the compassionate community that creates it. Starla went to Spanish Immersion Summer Class 2008 in Puebla, Mexico. She chose this class in UPAEP because “it combines the learning of the language with the culture; it also includes academic activities, workshops, and fieldtrips to nearby sites and museums. In addition, students have a daily experience of living with a Mexican family in which they participate more as family members than merely house guests. By the end of the program students gain a proficient and competent use of language skills, plus the knowledge of cultural, social, and historical aspects of Mexico.” Starla also states “It truly was an enriching, cultural experience that will never be forgotten. ”
In her free time from school Starla works as a graduate assistant in International Agricultural Programs and as a resident advisor. She likes to spend quality time with close friends and family. She loves being outdoors and witnessing the awestruck wonder of Mother Nature. Her favorite thing to do is learn about different cultures by befriending international students. Starla said that International Students bring with them a rich history and culture that one cannot learn about in a textbook. She loves learning about people on a deep level: what their values, norms, and beliefs are; what makes them who they are, and their goals and aspirations in life. People’s life history fascinates Starla.
Above Starla's friends from Korea. Chi Hyun, Jee Hye, and Ji Hyun Starla’s future plans include living every present moment to the fullest, teaching English in Korea, and the rest is still unwritten. Advisor: Dr. James Leising Starla’s advice to students: “My advice to international students or students who study abroad is to enjoy, take advantage, and make the best of every situation. Become completely absorbed in the present moment. The time you spend immersing yourself in another culture will fly by quickly, but the memories you make, the skills you learn, and the ability to become inclusive of other cultures will stay with you a lifetime. There will be times of loneliness, unfamiliarity, times when you want to quit and return home; however, they will soon pass. Just remember that everybody back home is doing their same daily routine when you have been given an opportunity of a lifetime to truly experience and become immersed in another way of life. Be patient with yourself and others. It is experiences like these that test our true character, allow us to grow as individuals, and realize that all people regardless of values, norms, and beliefs, make up the same species – we are all one.” Interview by Sandra Rodríguez
.
|
