Basimah is a 2018 Student Ambassador representing the Norristown Area, Pennsylvania, USA at ABTS in Lisbon, Portugal. At the conference, she learned about the skills involved in Intercultural Fluency and practiced them in touring Portugal and learning about its culture. Here’s what she had to say about here overall experience in BTE:

My Favorite BTE memory is…

My favorite BTE memory is when my site went to the park for team building activities and college readiness. We played a lot of fun games and bonded with each other and our mentors. We discussed our core values and steps needed for success, as well as ways to stay on track. I loved it—so much fun!

To me, BTE has meant…

To me, BTE has really opened my eyes to all of the career options in STEM2D. In Johnson & Johnson alone, I’ve seen many different aspects of production, all of equal importance. For example, the labeling and packaging is just as significant as the lab work.

The most important thing I will take away from BTE is…

The most important thing that I will take away from BTE is my new friends and connections. Through BTE, I’ve met people from all over the world. They have shared their experiences, opinions, and insights, all of which I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

I wanted to come to ABTS because…

I wanted to learn about new cultures and what other BTE students are working on worldwide. I wanted to see how world problems (along with solutions) and events are viewed from the perspective of these students. I hoped to gain new knowledge and ideas from the ABTS session that I can share with my BTE peers. I also wanted to build alliances with other BTE members and become friends outside of the program (MORE PEN PALS!)

Thanks to my time in BTE and at ABTS, in the future I will…

Thanks to BTE/ABTS, I’ve made so many new friends and connections. The experience has broadened my horizons and perspectives. I learned that people from all over the world have things in common, we are not that different at all. We will stay in touch and support each other on our journeys through college and the workforce!

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We are proud to award Basimah a digital badge in Intercultural Fluency for her work at ABTS 2018. She showed improvement in skills allowing one to work with people from other cultures. These are:

1. Show Curiosity
2. Recognize and challenge one’s own cultural biases
3. Appreciate Diverse Perspectives
4. Demonstrate Self Awareness