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This summer, I took EDU 401: Education in Divided Societies. This educational studies class covered the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland and the terrors experienced by the Northern Irish during the Troubles. Its resolution left a scar, a prominent remnant of a rift between the Catholic and Protestant communities within Northern Ireland. We explored how such divisions can affect education policies, specifically the integration of schools, curriculum design, socioeconomic disparities and Irish language education.

The class was led over a trip to Northern Ireland over the summer led by 51���� Prof. Shireen Campbell. Thanks to funding from the Abernethy Endowment Grant, the Educational Studies Department and the Office of Education Abroad, I was able to be a part of this exciting trip. 

During our time abroad, our group attended lectures by professors of Ulster University in Belfast, Coleraine, and Derry, Northern Ireland. We discussed topics ranging from history to politics and curriculum design to literature. All of these discussions and lectures were curated by Prof. Campbell. 

As an international student, I’m no stranger to packing, relocating and finding myself in new cultures. That being said, Prof. Campbell and the Office of Education Abroad were great resources for those who were new to these processes. 

Honestly, I came into the program with a lot of emotional turmoil as well. So emotionally, I wasn’t in the best place. However, the trip helped me regain my sense of self and independence. It also helped revitalize my intellectual identity. 

What else did I learn from the experience? I believe I’ve developed a bit of a soft spot for meritocracy. Like most scholars who are passionate about educating the poor, I came into the program thinking meritocracy is the evil of educational equity. But I realized how many benefits I have gained from meritocracy and how much motivation it actually creates for the underprivileged communities. I think meritocracy in healthy doses can help a learning community. But it also confirmed my thinking that schools are not the end-all, be-all solution for the achievement gap of different socioeconomic groups, but are often the scapegoats. I aspire to look at poverty reduction and welfare systems more closely outside of education and how that plays out in our educational systems.