Story by Miranda Landsman
I was blessed to accompany a group from SHSU to the AUDEM Conference in Sarajevo. This experience was one that I will never forget; it truly changed my life.
In Sarajevo I was taken completely out of my comfort zone, surrounded by the new and unfamiliar. I had never had eyes look at me like I was an outsider, a foreigner. I cannot describe the terrifying, thrilling experience of being immersed in a culture completely new. It was an adventure I will always remember.
My job was to help document this adventure. I helped manage media and document events for the AUDEM Conference as well as for the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy. I spoke with so many amazing people, made so many invaluable connections. The professors attending the conference were from all over the world; each one had a story to tell. I was captivated by those stories.
Sarajevo itself was a story, a city with so much history. Every person we met from Sarajevo had a deep, personal connection with that history. The people do not want to see their history repeat, so they are trying to change the atmosphere of the city. We were lucky to visit Sarajevo during this time of transition.
Traveling abroad with GCJD has changed me forever. I see the world differently now, in a way that is hard to describe. This experience has been one of the most valuable of my career here at Sam Houston State University. My eyes have been opened to the world around me, a world with so many stories to be told.
Global Center for Journalism and Democracy
Dan Rather Communications Building, Room 201, Huntsville, TX 77340