By: Mauricio, a Summer Abroad alumnus.
Within every summer abroad program, one student is chosen to be a social media correspondent. Our correspondents are responsible for creating content that highlights the special experiences of our summer abroad students. From pre-departure to classroom academics and cultural field trips, they capture all of those moments that make summer abroad special. Through the lens of their camera, however, they also share their own unique perspectives on their international experience.
Mauricio had the chance to sit down with two of our correspondents, Manisha and Maria, to ask about how they felt their work with social media allowed them to see their location in a different light.
Maria (@maria.charilaou) was the Social Media correspondent for Puerto Rico. She is a third-year student double majoring in Criminology and Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity.
Manisha (@manisha.devika), who studies at OISE, was the Social Media Correspondent for the Portugal Summer Abroad program. #PRTY0Portugal2023
What inspired you to want to take on this role?
Maria: The main thing that really inspired me was new beginnings and a fresh start. Usually, I say that I hate change. I love my routine. I know that I’m doing my four years of undergrad at UofT, nothing different in my summers I’m just working or maybe doing a course. So, when applying for and accepting this opportunity I really had to think about how I’m going to be away from my family for one month, my dog, which I love the most, my friends, and my full-time summer job. It was a really big step for me, but ever since I took that step, I feel that I evolved as a person. Having those instances where I was alone or felt lonely really, really helped me. Looking back, I can appreciate it more now. I can say that I did that and had the best time of my life.
Can you share a memorable moment while doing your social media coverage?
Manisha: I was trying to think really hard on this one, because I feel like even just looking back on the post, I feel that each thing that I captured was all so memorable in its own regard. I can't say that there was really just one moment that stood out to me. Everything was like really new and exciting, and it often felt as if I didn’t know where to look. There's always something going on, especially when you're not accustomed to a country’s culture and customs.
Looking back, were there any unexpected moments while documenting your Summer Abroad experience?
Manisha: I'm not sure why I found this unexpected, maybe because again, there was so much going on, but running out of storage was a big thing for me. I was taking so many pictures and videos. Running out of storage was definitely an issue. Each night I had to look through all the pictures and videos to see what I liked and what I wanted to include. It was something I had to do quite regularly to make sure that I had enough storage for other excursions. I didn't think I would use up all my storage so fast.
How do you think your global perspective as a social media correspondent differed from the other students in your program?
Manisha: It encouraged me to seek out more new experiences because I wanted to make sure I was able to record and take pictures so that I had stories to share when I came back. It was an added incentive to ensure that I'm really getting myself out there and soaking up the most of the experience. It pushed me even more outside of my comfort zone in comparison to if I hadn't had this position. I had to make sure I had good content for the people watching at home.
What was the most impactful cultural moment that you captured through your social media coverage?
Maria: There were times I would appreciate everything around me and I wouldn’t really want to pull out my phone and take a picture. At the same time, [the local people] would love for us to appreciate their culture. They have this dish called mofongo, and it’s basically plantains that are squashed and fried with any sort of meat or vegetable. We would see plantains being sold on every corner of the street; it seemed as if every single restaurant had thousands of them sitting out. That really just guaranteed the freshness and the effort that they put into making their food there as well. Seeing how they appreciate how they make their food and the time that goes into it was definitely one of the best moments I’ve had. It’s a very time-consuming dish; it’s their most popular dish, you go to any restaurant, and they have it. We ate it so often as well because it was so prevalent.
What advice would you give to future Summer Abroad social media correspondents?
Maria: One thing I want to emphasize is engaging with the locals. Especially because we weren’t staying in a resort. You’re not confined to one space for one week. We were living there for four weeks and went to every side of the island. Through really engaging with the locals and getting to know a lot of them, I actually made some really good connections there and still keep in touch with them today. Even from my age up to 50 years old, I made a good number of relationships during my Summer Abroad. Engaging with the locals was one of the most important things. You can gain so many insights into their culture and see how every country has its own norms.
How did your role as a social media correspondent help foster your relationship with the locals?
Maria: Before this, I was not an overly picture-taking person. Having that role, made me want to take more pictures, and once I started getting the gist of it, subconsciously I started taking pictures of things that I appreciated, or that I liked, or something that I wouldn’t ever want to forget. These stories will stick with me forever, and every time I show a picture, I know there’s a story behind it. Being a SMC wasn’t solely about posting on social media, it made me want to take pictures and appreciate the environment I was in.
To end on a light note, where do you want to travel to next?
Maria: Either England or Greece, so I’m definitely going to apply for Summer Abroad next summer too.
#uoftabroad #summerabroad