My name is Michael Antonio Alloggiamento and my story of education begins in the kitchen.

Two chairs were pulled over to the counter so my sister and I could reach the bowl of ingredients that my mother had prepared. Using the chairs as stools, we would take a handful of the mixture and begin rolling. This family recipe of polpette took patience and dedication to reach perfection. As the meal came together, so did we, sitting down at the table to eat and talk about our day.

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As we gathered each night for dinner, my sister and I were always greeted with the same question: “How was school?”

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This focus on education dates back to when all eight of my great-grandparents emigrated from Italy in search of new opportunities and a better life, a story often told at dinner.

As they strived to emerge from their economic struggles, they quickly realized that education is the key to success. This emphasis on the development of knowledge quickly became ingrained in my family and was passed along to me.

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"Am I defined by my home and how I was raised? Conversely, am I defined by where I am now?"

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Now, as an international student living abroad, I realize that traveling between the local and the global so suddenly and so frequently could also create a disconnect - a loss of the sense of self. Am I defined by my home and how I was raised? Conversely, am I defined by where I am now?

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In reality, when we study abroad, we gain not only a sense of self, but a sense of self in the world and we evolve. The aforementioned fears ignore the fact that we - as humans - mature with the passing of time; who we are today was not who we were in the past, nor are we who we will be in the future. As international students, the local and the global help us become multifaceted individuals exponentially quicker than if we were secluded to a single environment. In this, there is no loss in studying internationally.

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"Communication prompts a connection between the international student and the community in which we live."

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Still, we must find an integration between the two environments. I have found that the only way to do so is through communication. Communication prompts a connection between the international student and the community in which we live. These connections can blossom into meaningful relationships. We build friendships that are like families. Families that care for each other. Families that listen to each other. Families that love each other. Through my global education, my family has grown.

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Instilled in me by my families - old and new - is a drive to bring together humanity. This mindset was strengthened when I attended a Jesuit high school, whose goal was to be for and with others.

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"We may be for others, but without solidarity, will will not have the understanding of the depth of the issues at hand. I contend that an international education resolves both of those issues, creating a global citizen that is for and with others."

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These two ideas have to work in tandem, or no positive change will be made. We may be with others, but if we do not make any effort to work towards a better future, nothing will happen. We may be for others, but without solidarity, will will not have the understanding of the depth of the issues at hand. I contend that an international education resolves both of those issues, creating a global citizen that is for and with others. It does not matter where we began, but rather that we continue to open ourselves to new ideas and new adventures. As students of the local and the global, we can grow, we can learn, and we can keep moving forward.