I am very thankful that my study abroad experience has significantly helped prepare me for my future endeavors.  The study abroad I went on was in Florence, Italy.  This was a psychology study abroad where I got to take a psych class entitled Cross-Cultural Influences: Parent and Child Interactions.  This was the perfect course for me because in the fall I am beginning my master’s degree in social services.  Once obtaining this degree, I plan to work with children and families.  Through this course, I received an in-depth education on the different developmental stages children go through.  Not only did I get to learn  about these stages in the classroom, but I got to do a practical application of them through observing children in Florence.  As part of our course requirement, we had to observe children on our own time, or we took field trips to places like the market to observe kids.  We then were asked to connect them to various developmental stages/theories we learned about, as well as to note cultural differences.  I was able to note many cultural differences between children in Italy vs children in the States. I observed these differences through a lens of cultural humility, which I was taught about in class.  Being able to practice cultural humility is an extremely important skill that I will need not only in my master’s program but also in my professional experiences.  In my master’s program, I will be involved in field education where I am directly working with both children and parents who come from all different walks of life.  My ability to be culturally humble and sensitive is going to be imperative in order to build relationships and understanding between me and my clients.  As a result of this class, I feel confident in my abilities to better understand children developmentally, as well as to provide culturally competent care.