ERIC ROLEX JOSEPH
Cross Cultural Awareness
IEP 052
I come from a Caribbean country called Haiti. My hometown is Cap Haitian, the second largest city of the country. In my country we have a culture, which is very different from other countries in the Caribbean and in America.
Our personality is determined by our culture, our past and our belief in the future. The environment in which we live can also shape the way we see others and the way we interact with them. I remember when I first enter University; I was the laureate in the admittance exams. I was really happy but I did not realize that I just came to do something that is going to design my future.
People around me in the university believe in me, they see me different from other students because I saw things differently and I wanted to make a difference. I was not afraid to stand out of the crowd. My view of the reality was not the same as my classmates. In the Haitian culture people usually believe in God to solve their problems. They don’t really try to get things done. I have to act differently because I have a responsibility. It’s not easy to keep on this way because sometimes you just can’t do it. However you don’t have to give up. It’s a difficult path to follow but it may be rewarding. When all people around you don’t doubt on you, they think that you are a successful person, and all you have to do is succeed. I understand that and I work hard day after day to keep my promise.

This struggle for excellence drives me in USA with a scholarship on behalf of the State Department. I have been dreaming about becoming of good leader, someone who understands other cultures. I have wanted to interact with people from around the world, to learn about their culture and by the sake of God I find all I ever wanted here at Ole Miss. It’s nice and helpful to work with people from around the world, from all continents. This is the path, which can drive us to a peaceful world. This is the way to know that the beauty of this life is in its diversity. I learn to appreciate others. I understand now why people around the world can’t see the same thing in the same angle. I know also culture shaped our every day life as nothing else does.
We all act differently not just because we are different because our cultures are different. After such experience, it will be very difficult to think as I did before. This experience is about to change my personality and the way I interact with people forever.