Critically engaging with other cultures and their art makes us more curious and empathetic – and USF encourages this through studying abroad and other outlets. ORACLE GRAPHIC/ISABELLA CRUZ

When I was a toddler, I was obsessed with the 2004 cartoon Peppa Pig — much to the exhaustion of my parents.

Of course, my tastes matured as I did, but Peppa Pig stands as my introduction to many aspects of British culture, which I remain interested to this day.

This summer, I will have the amazing opportunity to experience the United Kingdom firsthand through USF’s Summer in London program.

Summer in London is a month-long, six-credit study abroad program in which students “culturally explore” the titular city, according to its website.

Offered courses — such as “Exploring Graduate School in the U.K.” and “British Politics, Culture and Life” — are designed to educate students on topics directly relevant to the UK’s history and culture.

Kiki Caruson, the vice president of USF World, said USF Education Abroad is dedicated to encouraging “cultural curiosity.”

This cultural education is why I’m so excited to study abroad this summer — more than simply wanting to take fun vacation pictures for Instagram.

I believe that expanding your cultural horizons is important to developing open-mindedness and empathy. Doing so involves recognizing that other people may hold differing perspectives and value systems from yourself.

Related: OPINION: USF’s diversity offers connection beyond the classroom 

Art acts as a snapshot into a given culture and the individuals within it, and is a particularly great way to gain an understanding of unfamiliar cultures, according to a 2023 article from Cultivate Arts and Education. 

For example, I fell in love with Chinua Achebe’s 1958 novel Things Fall Apart after reading it last summer.

Many of the novel’s chapters depict traditional Igbo rituals, performance and music in an attempt to counter the dominant colonialist narratives about Africa. It portrays both the beauty and ugliness of pre-colonial Igbo culture up until the arrival of British colonialists.

“Although the action of Things Fall Apart takes place in a setting with which most Americans are unfamiliar, the characters are normal people and their events are real human events,” Achebe said in a 1991 essay included in the book “Approaches to Teaching Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.”

I think Achebe’s words perfectly highlight art’s role in fostering common understanding across wildly different cultural lines.

But while it’s one thing to read a book depicting a different culture from the comfort of your home, it’s another thing entirely to read it in an educational setting.

The opportunity to connect literature to its real-life inspiration is what I personally find so exciting about the Summer in London program.

One of the classes I’m taking through the program is “Jane Austen in London” — and part of the class will be visits to neighborhoods that Austen actually wrote about, according to USF World.

These educational excursions will allow me to engage with the country’s culture more deeply than if I were simply vacationing there or reading one of Austen’s novels from home.

And even if you’re not taking literature classes, USF’s study abroad programs are still designed with cultural education in mind — particularly through art.

Other Summer in London classes still involve a number of excursions to famous British landmarks — including Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and The British Museum, according to the program’s website.

Visiting these landmarks in a classroom setting helps students better appreciate and understand their significance.

Still, studying abroad — despite providing immense educational value — simply isn’t feasible for every student. 

Even with the possibility of receiving scholarships to help offset costs, many students have preexisting responsibilities that prevent them from committing to an extended trip.

Luckily, immersing yourself in another culture doesn’t begin and end with studying abroad.

USF’s Tampa campus has a ton of cultural clubs that host frequent events — such as the Black Student Union, Asian Students in America and Club De Español.

Related: OPINION: Cultural clubs create connection and belonging at USF 

For example, ASiA hosted its 9th annual pageant earlier this month, and sophomore computer engineering major Yasir Hussain attended. 

Hussain said the pageant was a talent show featuring student performances representative of their country of origin — including singing, dancing and even art pieces.

Although I was unable to attend the pageant, my friends and I have been to some of ASiA’s events in the past and really enjoyed them.

The organization’s fall 2024 banquet, which I did attend, was a multi-hour celebration with free food, music and dance performances spanning a variety of Asian countries.

The countless cultural events hosted on the Tampa campus offer the chance to experience other cultures’ art for free.

So, although studying abroad offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture, there are many great alternatives right here on campus.

Still, I’m so incredibly glad I will be studying abroad in London this summer, and I hope to learn about the city’s art and culture in the process.

My parents are probably just glad I waited until I was an adult to go. If we had gone when I was a kid, I definitely would’ve wanted to spend the entire trip at Peppa Pig World.