Murad 1

When I first stepped onto the Bridgewater College campus four years ago I had no idea
that such a place could change me so much. I came into this school not knowing a single person.
In fact, I had only visited the campus one time, so I barely remembered what the school looked
like. I entered college with the idea that I finally could escape my home life, and I would utilize
the great financial package I was given, figure out what major I would pursue, and then I would
graduate. But it has been much more than that. Its been filled with memories of difficult classes
that stretched my abilities, friendships that I will hold onto forever, professors that helped me
decide upon a major, and a beautiful campus I learned to call my home. Bridgewater has been
one of the best things in my life because it has helped shape and define who Ive become. Every
aspect of this school has helped me to develop into the well-rounded, knowledgeable, and
cultured individual I am today.
Intellectual Growth & Discovery
As a freshman in college, I had absolutely no idea what career path I would choose. I
spent countless hours trying to decide what would be the best major to select. My parents
constantly pressured me to at least narrow down my focus and pick something to pursue at
school. I was eventually able to narrow it down between Nutrition and Business, but I really had
no strong feelings towards either one. After thinking about it my first semester, I decided that a
Business Administration degree would be versatile and allow me to be flexible when applying
for future jobs. During the fall semester I took the Survey of Business Course so I could see if I
really wanted to pursue the subject. This class is what really helped me to fall in love with the
business major. My professor Dr. Lou Pugliese made the class interesting but informative. I was
able to learn the different aspects that made up the business field. I learned about accounting,
economics, international business, and marketing during the semester. A major project we had to

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do for this class that encompassed a variety of the topics we discussed, was a business plan. We
were split up into groups and told to completely make up our own business and design a business
plan that included sections like financial statements, as well as a complete marketing plan. The
business plan was a way for us to apply what we learned in class to a real situation. My group
created a restaurant and club called Xclusive Restaurant and Nightclub. Ive included this
complete business plan as an artifact in my portfolio. My group members and I had to work
together and utilize our various skills and knowledge to put together a business plan that would
be professional and realistic. Since I was interested in the marketing side of business, I mostly
worked on the sections of the plan that included an entire marketing plan. Although it was a
difficult project, it allowed me to apply the concepts I learned in class and really show what I had
learned. Later in the spring, all the business professors voted on which was the best business plan
between the fall and spring Survey of Business classes. My group won the overall best business
plan for that school year. This project really got me more excited about the Business major in
general, and my groups success at winning best business plan made me feel like I was on the
right path.
That spring of my freshman year I formally declared my Business Administration major
with a Bachelor of Science. Over the next couple years, I delved more into the business major. I
took various classes that covered different topics within the business field. The classes that
interested me the most were the classes pertaining to marketing and a global business
perspective. As I took each course, I began to realize where my interests truly lied. There were a
few options that I had at this point. I could pick a concentration that aligned with my interest, or I
could remain a general business major. Later in my junior year, I became more interested in
adding a concentration to my degree. I had a hard time narrowing it down, so I just decided to

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add both Marketing and International Commerce concentrations. After picking up these two
concentrations, my courses became more specified and related to the subject matter that
interested me the most. Although the courses became more interesting to me, they became harder
as I delved further into each concentration as well as my major classes.
One of my most challenging courses academically that I took was my Contemporary
Issues in Business course, with Professor Kline, in the spring of my senior year. This was the
senior capstone course for both of my concentrations. Although the subject matter for this class
was very interesting to me and related to what I had been studying the past four years, it
challenged me in many ways. Each week I had a paper to write, and discussions in class were
vital to our grades. I had a hard time managing my time at first, but as the weeks went on I
adjusted to the class and was able to really involve myself in the subject matter. In class we
learned the strategies businesses utilize to overcome obstacles such as the increase in
globalization and technology. Each paper we wrote required us to connect these strategies to the
current issues that businesses face. One of my favorite papers that I wrote about in this class,
which Ive included as an artifact, was about the business practices and strategies of Best Buy. It
was an interesting paper for me to write because it is a business that is well-known and that I am
familiar with. I was able to make connections between the concepts we discussed in class, and
talk about how Best Buy uses these strategies within their organization. By the end of the course
I was mentally exhausted, but I learned a lot. I worked harder than I did in most of my other
classes, and my hard work paid off because I got an A in the class.
Here at Bridgewater I had the opportunity to take diverse courses from different fields of
study, as well as those classes pertaining to my major. As a freshman I didnt understand why I
had to take classes from different disciplines other than my own, but now I have come to

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appreciate it. Some of my favorite classes have been my general education classes. Taking
courses on a variety of subject matter has helped me to become a well-rounded and learned
person. I am lucky I had the chance to take classes that covered a variety of topics like Art
History and Sociology. Some of the classes were basic knowledge that I should have, while
others I may not use in daily life, were still interesting and engaging. The general education
requirements have helped me to develop my interests further and to expand my knowledge
beyond just my business major. I have worked hard over the past four years to do my best in
each class no matter the subject. Due to all my hard work, I have managed to keep my GPA
above a 3.0 the entire time Ive been in school. As of now, my GPA is a 3.56 which I never
thought I could achieve, and I plan on finishing out strong for my final semester.
Academic Citizenship & Community Responsibility
From some of the experiences Ive had, I have been able to put into practice the goals of
academic citizenship. These goals include interact with respect, examine various perspectives,
practice critical reasoning, and articulate my own unique perspective. The study abroad program
I went through, Semester at Sea, gave me the chance to put into practice academic citizenship in
every country I visited. The countries I visited were very diverse, although some were similar,
many were places that had drastically different cultures than what Ive experienced my whole
life in the United States. This trip forced me to pay attention to other cultures and appreciate the
differences between their culture and mine. Studying abroad really opened my eyes to just how
different other countries were. I learned to be respectful of each country and the people that
abided there, but I also learned to question and educate myself on the cultures I was
experiencing. For example, in Europe the culture was very different than in African countries
like Morocco and Ghana. In Morocco, because of their religion and cultural practices, people

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dressed in clothing that covered their shoulders and chest area. Their clothing usually covered
most or all of the legs, so I too dressed respectfully and modest. Whereas in the European
countries we visited, there were not the same restrictions on things such as dress. While I was
visiting these places I didnt want to just be a rude tourist. I wanted to be able to immerse myself
in their culture and to learn firsthand the various customs and practices within each nation, while
being respectful.
There were a few classes that I took that helped me to have a background in international
courtesy. I took specific courses in business that related to these subjects; International Business
and Organizational Management. In these classes I learned how to conduct business in various
countries. Besides learning about the different business customs that were important in different
countries, we also learned common practices in various countries that related to their culture. In
class we learned how to dress for business in each country, greetings for people of different
ranks, how hand gestures differ in other countries, and also the process of gift giving in business
situations. From what I learned in both of these classes, I was able to connect many aspects to
my travels abroad. The courses overall helped me to be more aware of the differences in many
customs, not just business practices but also in daily life. They helped me to feel more prepared
when I entered into these foreign countries.
I have even been able to practice academic citizenship here at school. I have multiple
friends from different backgrounds and nationalities. Over the years I have been able to learn
about their perspective on things like politics and religion. Although we dont agree on every
topic, we are able to compromise and have a lively discussion about our differing beliefs.
Despite our differences, we are able to look past that and see each other as human beings. We are
friends no matter how different we are. Since we are friends we listen to each others stories and

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experiences. We share with each other our beliefs and we respect each others opinion. As a
community we need to respect one anothers opinion because not everyone thinks the same way
or has the same beliefs. I enjoy that I have friends from such diverse backgrounds because it
gives me a different perspective on life. I am able to see situations from their point of view as
oppose to just my own. What makes us such a close group of friends is that we are able to share
our opinions with one another and not be afraid to be outcast or ridiculed because of our beliefs.
We understand and celebrate our differences.
Ethical Development
Over the last four years at Bridgewater I definitely believe that I grew in the sense that I
have higher ethical standards then I did upon entering the school as a freshman. Although at that
time I may not have thought I would end up with the standards and outlook as I do now, I feel
that I am now a stronger person because of my experiences. As a freshman I was nave and
hadnt been really exposed to people from different walks of life. The area where I was from was
not very diverse, and there were many people with the same ideologies. Bridgewater wasnt
really that diverse when I first began attending the school, but I happened to become friends with
a very diverse group of people.
These friendships that I have developed over the past four years have taught me to be
more open minded and to strive to be more knowledgeable about what is going on in the world
around me because it affects those that I love and are close to. Ive become friends with people
from across the country and even international students. They have all taught me that there are
other things happening in the world that I need to take into consideration. There are so many
things going on in the rest of the world, so I needed to not be so self-absorbed in petty things. For
example my Palestinian friends have gone through so much, and they have to deal with many

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unfair practices in their home country. I take for granted what I have here in the United States
and at my school in Bridgewater.
As far as religion goes, over the past couple years I have fallen away from the church.
The student organizations on campus never really appealed to me. During my freshman year, I
tried going to the CRU meetings that were held weekly. I went to the meetings for a majority of
the semester, then I stopped. The people in the various church groups were never the type of
people I wanted to hang out with so I didnt continue to go. I was also never able to find a church
in the area that fit into my beliefs and lifestyle. Although spiritually I feel the same as I did my
freshman year, I have definitely become less active in the church. Even though I do not attend
church in the area, I still hold firmly to my beliefs as a Christian. Being at Bridgewater has made
it easier to feel comfortable with my beliefs even though I still do not openly practice them. The
school does not pressure the students to have certain beliefs which has helped me to keep my
faith.
An artifact relating to my religious feelings and my inner conflict about my faith, is a
paper that I wrote in my Philosophy of Religion class that forced me to almost question my
beliefs regarding intelligent design and creation. I was required to watch the film entitled
Unlocking the Mysteries of Life. Then I looked at William James theory on the existence of God
and connected the two. I incorporated my own thoughts on the film and interpreted James
writing in order to come to a conclusion on my beliefs regarding the matter of creation. From all
the evidence I researched I was able to still defend my beliefs, but at different points along the
way I questioned why I believed what I did. This paper in the end helped to affirm my beliefs in
the creation theory and understand why I believed what I did.

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A class that I was not expecting to enjoy so much was my New Testament class with
Professor Smith. I waited until spring of my senior year to take the class because I had heard so
many bad things about the class. I just wanted to put it off until I absolutely had to take it. My
friends and acquaintances always told me about how terrible the Exegesis paper was that we
were required to do. They made the class out to be terrible, but it returned out to be quite the
opposite. Professor Smith ended up being one of my favorite professors I ever had, and her class
was enjoyable and interesting. Im using my Exegesis paper as an artifact because it was a paper
that I feared so much ever since my freshman year. By the end, I actually had enjoyed writing the
paper. It taught me how things may not turn out how you expect them and you cant always
believe what people say. This paper was definitely not easy, but it didnt live up to the horror that
I had prepared myself for. I not only learned more about the Romans chapter I wrote about, but I
also learned that I shouldnt put things off just because of rumors I hear from others. You never
know how things will turn out, and you may actually enjoy it more than you thought. I definitely
learned that from experience.
Wellness & Goals for Healthy Living
When I first came to Bridgewater, I was very self-conscious about my image. I wasnt
comfortable with my body, even though I wasnt overweight. My freshman year was tough for
me. I had a hard time adjusting to college life. Early in the spring of my freshman year I was
very depressed and I just wasnt happy. After a couple months of counseling I was finally
starting to get back on track. Since my freshman year, I have never felt like I did that semester.
Although it took me awhile to fully grow into myself and appreciate what I had, I was able to get
to the point where I can say Im happy with where I am. It took me a couple years, but I finally
realized that what other people think of me dont matter, and as long as Im surrounded by

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friends that love and care for me I dont need anything else. By my junior year, I had finally
overcome my self-consciousness. I was able to be confident and happy with the way I was. I had
a wonderful support system in my friends, and thanks to them I have been able to become a
healthy and beautiful woman. Four years ago I would not have been able to say that.
Besides changing my attitude, what helped me to overcome my self-consciousness was
when I started going to the gym at the end of my sophomore year. I began to realize just how
important it was to work out, after my friends encouraged me to go to the gym with them. At
first I did so because I wanted to lose weight and improve my image. That changed when I began
to realize exercise was about more than losing weight. I started to see working out as a way to
improve my overall health and well-being. I would go to the gym 3-4 times a week, each time
doing some form of cardio and alternating weight lifting. Over the past few years I have tried to
maintain my workout routine. Working out has become a way for me to distress and reenergize,
all while making me feel stronger and healthier. After graduation I plan on joining a gym nearby
and continuing my weekly routine. It is really important to me that I continue to make progress
and meet my fitness goals. Along with my best friend, my main fitness goal is to train and run
my first 5k in the spring.
Although college was an emotional rollercoaster for me the first two years, after changing
my physical and mental habits, I felt like a different person. I was less stressed and just happier
with what I was doing with my life. Then during the fall of my senior year, I studied abroad and
had the best four months of my life. This was a period in my life when I had never been so happy
with myself and where I was going. That experience truly had the most impact on my life
because it helped me to feel more comfortable with myself. It helped me to realize that I was
finally satisfied with who I was as a person. Looking back, I have come so far since freshman

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year. I am now completely comfortable with who I am, and I am truly happy, no longer hiding
my feelings.
Since I have always had a hard time organizing and setting goals, I never came up with
goals for myself. I always had the idea that since I didnt know what I wanted to do with my life,
what is the point of creating goals for myself. It has been difficult for me to think about my
future and what I want to accomplish, at least in the short term. My freshman and sophomore
year of college I never took these things seriously. I didnt think about what would happen after I
graduated because it seemed so far away. It just didnt seem that important to sit down and think
about what some of my goals for the next years after graduation would be. I knew that I wanted
to graduate and find a job, but I have never really thought in more detail or beyond that. The past
year changed all that because it finally hit me that my college career is almost over. After school
ends, I enter the real world and need to figure out many aspects of my life, like where I should
live, what bills will I start paying for myself, and what other responsibilities will I have.
This final semester as a fifth year senior, I finally picked up on a direction that matches
my personality and interests. When I originally picked up a Marketing and International
Commerce concentration, I figured that this narrower business specialty would help me decide
on what career I would like to pursue upon graduating. However, I still had difficulty figuring
out from there what kind of job I can see myself in. This semester I decided to take Human
Resource Management, which is a higher level business class that I didnt necessarily need for
my concentrations, but it sounded interesting. Im really proud of the hard work and effort I put
into the class, and Im especially happy with the final book critique I did, which is an additional
artifact. Since the class was interesting and engaging to me, I was more enticed to excel in the
course. My hard work paid off because I ended up getting a perfect score on the book critique.

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Throughout the semester, our lectures, in class assignments, papers and even tests contributed to
my newfound interest in the human resource field. I never thought that human resource
management would be a possibility for me, but after reflecting on what Ive learned in the
course, I believe that I could move forward in this direction.
Community Engagement & Experiential Learning
During the summer of 2013 I had the opportunity to intern at Womens Health First with
Michelle Meyer- Ban, a Nurse Practitioner, at her own practice. I first got the internship after
going to various businesses in my area and handing out my resume and a cover letter. In it I just
stated that I wanted to gain experience and insight from their business. These businesses I visited
ranged from doctors offices to a lawyers office. Out of the places I gave my resume to,
Michelle was the first to call me back, and after meeting with her I knew it would be a perfect fit.
Although she had never had a business intern before, she was very flexible with me and taught
me many aspects of her business. I learned how she handles the various paperwork and billing
processes as well as dealt with her actual clients. I even interacted with sales representatives that
came in to her office. Throughout the summer months I mainly worked with her to develop a
marketing plan. I was able to apply what I learned in my Principles of Marketing class in order to
create a real marketing plan that would be implemented into her business. By the end of the
summer I had created various brochures and portfolios that were given to her clients.
Working with her for the summer was a beneficial experience. I was able to learn more
about the healthcare business which could be a possible career field for me. Michelle was a very
hands on teacher and was willing to let me run with any ideas I had. She let me be a part of
various aspects of her business. I was allowed to sit in with her during appointments and see how
she handled her patients. Then she would walk me through the process of filing out the

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paperwork and then billing. This internship was such a great experience for me because I was
able to really learn all about her practice and how she came to run her own business. It was
exciting to learn the many aspects of her work and then help her to attract more patients through
our marketing plan.
The event that probably had the most impact on me though, while I was a student, was
the semester I studied abroad. I participated in the program Semester at Sea in the fall of 2013.
Although it wasnt affiliated with the school, it was a program that had the most impact on my
life. When I was first deciding on a study abroad program I first looked at the programs that
Bridgewater offered, but none of them felt right. I had discovered the Semester at Sea program
during the summer of 2012, but I didnt pursue it because the program seemed too good to be
true. While I was sitting in class one day during the fall, I randomly started thinking about the
Semester at Sea program. I felt that it was the perfect fit for me as oppose to the programs
Bridgewater offered. After that day, I began to do more research and learn exactly what it would
take for me to embark on such a different journey than I had previous option to do.
What followed was a daunting and long process that tested my resolve to follow through
with the program. I had to overcome many obstacles that seemed to try and push me away from
my intended path. I was determined to make it work though. After multiple meetings with the
study abroad department, academic advisors, the registrar, and other Bridgewater staff, I was
faced with both good and bad news. Unfortunately I would have to withdraw from Bridgewater
and they couldnt give me any financial aid. Since I would be withdrawn from the school, my
credits wouldnt count towards graduation so I would have to return another semester. Due to all
this, I had to take out a huge private loan for the trip. Over the summer prior to my voyage, I
worked at Red Lobster and had an internship. I worked as much as I could in order to save up for

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visas and other fees I had to pay for the program. Despite all the obstacles I faced, I had the love
and support of all my friends and family. I was able to get everything together for the trip in time
for August.
The day finally approached in August when I boarded a plane by myself to London,
which is where I would later board the ship. From the very beginning this program forced me to
be on my own and go out of my comfort zone. Out of the 500 students on the ship, I didnt know
a single person upon arriving, but many people were in the same predicament so I was able to
make friends quickly. As I adjusted to the ship and my classes, it started to feel like home; and it
would be my home for the next four months. While I was on the ship I took four courses that,
despite their subject matter, all had an international aspect to them. I took International
Economics, Marine Biology, Philosophy of Religion, and International Business. Our professors
tailored each of our classes to the countries we would be visiting. This helped us to learn not just
in the classroom, but be able to see and experience what we were learning in real life. I
participated in various clubs that were involved not only on the ship, but in the communities we
visited in each country.
During the course of four months we travelled to a total of 15 countries on three separate
continents. We started in England, then sailed on to Russia, Germany, Belgium, France, Ireland,
Portugal, and Spain. From there we continued on to the African continent starting with Morocco,
then Ghana, and South Africa. Afterward we sailed to Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and lastly the
Bahamas. In our travels, it wasnt until we got to Morocco, that I experienced my first culture
shock. I didnt know what to expect when in Morocco, but it turned out to be one of the most
different places I had ever been to. The language, people, customs, architecture, and the
landscape were completely unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced. Going to a country

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that was unfamiliar in so many ways, taught me to embrace our differences and be open to new
experiences. In my International Business class we were required to journal our experiences with
businesses in the country. This particular journal entry is an artifact because it is my reflection of
a few of the experiences I had while I was in Morocco. In my entry I talk about the business
settings I encountered, which were completely different than business practices I was used to.
The first couple days I was in Morocco I actually was very uncomfortable because I didnt know
how to handle these situations. Every shop keeper I encountered tried to bargain with me and
convince me to buy any item I appeared to look at. It was unnerving to me initially because
businesses do not operate like this in the U.S. Then as the days went on, I became more
accustomed to the bargaining techniques they used, and I was able to actually get good deals on
items once I gained some confidence in the markets there.
The Semester at Sea program was the most defining point in the past 4 years. I can
honestly say it was the happiest four months of my life. Through this experience, I learned more
about myself and what I was capable of, which in such a short amount of time is more than what
Ive done in my years at Bridgewater. I went into the program not knowing anyone, and with no
definite plans for each country I would be visiting. This all pushed me to be self-sufficient, more
outgoing, and flexible. It stretched my abilities more than anything Ive ever done and it pushed
me out of my comfort zone. During the course of this program I learned about cultures other than
my own, and got to experience them first hand.
Writing about Semester at Sea is probably one of the hardest things I have had to write
about. Its difficult to put into words and explain just how much this program meant to me and
how it changed my life. It was an incredible journey spanning 115 days, 15 countries, and 17
cities. I met people from all over the country and from around the world. Semester at Sea taught

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me to embrace life. Life is a journey that teaches us about ourselves. Traveling further opens our
eyes to the world around us. It teaches us to be open to new experiences and appreciate the
diverse and colorful world we live in. When traveling we not only learn about other cultures and
people, but we learn more about ourselves. An artifact that encompasses my journey is a picture
the photographer on board took of the ship, the M.V. Explorer, sailing off into the sunset. It is
one of my favorite pictures because it essentially captures the essence of our travels. We are
sailing into the unknown, into a beautiful sunset, with a vast ocean in front of us, which is kind
of a metaphor for my journey through life. From this experience I have grown as a person and
become more appreciative of the world I live in. When I came back to school in the spring I felt
like a different person. I knew that I had changed in that short period of time, and I liked the
person I had become.