By Kaleigh Zierk | Echo
Most kids don't know what they really want to do with their lives. When asked, answers often include teacher, veterinarian, doctor, rock star and so on. One kid, however, wanted to do something starkly different and is finally getting his chance.
Senior Cameron Boehning recently returned from his internship in the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, working in the consulate section. But his passion for foreign policy started long ago.
Boehning lived in Budapest, Hungary, during his fifth grade year of school. The new culture opened his eyes to the differences between countries and sparked a passion within.
"Being so young in fifth grade, I saw a group of people who didn't really act like me, they didn't talk like me, they had different priorities, and that was really good for me at a young age to see that, because then it opened up my eyes to there being such a big world. From then on, I became more internationally and globally focused and aware," Boehning said.
It wasn't until he attended Taylor that he understood the specific path he was going to take to further his international passion.
"Once I got into Taylor it started funneling down. . . . Politics is such a hard field, but it's a really interesting field that needs Christians, especially in the realm of international foreign policy, which is why I fell in love with this career," Boehning said.
Boehning is graduating with a double major in international studies and communication. His international experiences during Taylor include studying abroad in Spain and Bolivia, interning in El Salvador, and visits to South Korea, Italy, Honduras and Guatemala. Throughout his life, Boehning was able to remember over 13 different countries he has either visited or lived in, though he admitted he may have forgot one or two.
Each of these international experiences brought Boehning new challenges and insights.
"Taylor's Semester in Spain program was a great experience that really challenged me linguistically. Because of that experience and taking 17 credit hours only in Spanish, not being allowed to speak English in the university, that forced me to speak the language, and then it opened up the doors for me to eventually work in Bolivia, and then intern in the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador. Spain kind of laid the foundation linguistically for me to be able to succeed," Boehning explained.
After his return from Spain, Boehning wanted to continue immersing himself in the Spanish culture. So, he started going to a Spanish-speaking church his junior year.
"Latinos are so loving and they're so friendly," Boehning said. "It was extremely easy to become involved in the church. I felt like a couple Sundays in and I was already an integral part. They were excited and expected to see me there every week. I love that culture and it was cool to be as involved as I could be. . ."
Boehning could not stay in the States for long. Soon after his trip to Spain, he traveled to Bolivia and was given the opportunity to participate in BOLMUN (Bolivia Model United Nations), similar to the mock United Nations debate in Chicago. Boehning considers BOLMUN one of his coolest international experiences.
"I was debating foreign policy with all of the top Bolivian students throughout Bolivia. . . . I was actually representing Canada to discuss the Palestine/Israeli debate and conflict . . . out of 350 students there, there were all Bolivians, one Argentine and then myself. So I was the only American, and I stood out! I really stood out," Boehning said, laughing.
Boehning explained his enjoyment of the event and how he made many friends. Representing Canada and being the only white individual, many Bolivians asked him what life in Canada was like. When he wasn't trying to explain that he was actually American, he was learning about the different perspectives on the debate topic.
"(BOLMUN) was a cool experience, even to see more of how complex these world issues are . . . it was really good for me because sometimes the United States . . . and Americans hold a more Israeli point of view . . . and me representing Canada I had to hold a 100 percent pro-Israel view, but I realized very quickly that I didn't have a lot of friends in this debate. I had Israel, I had the United States and I had myself (Canada)."
Throughout the debate, Boehning was challenged to support Canada's stance, but he also reflected on his personal views.
"The rest of the world was pro-Palestine. That was really an eye-opening experience to listen and be debating and looking around the room and realizing, 'Wow, my views . . . are very much in the minority in comparison to the rest of the world,' and then to hear these well-educated students arguing for Palestine, there were times where I had to step back and think, 'What do I personally believe about this issue, because that's a really good point,'" Boehning said.
However, his cultural experience didn't end with Bolivia. Boehning's internship in the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador was his next destination.
"I worked with visas and passports and American citizen services to make sure that Americans were well protected within El Salvador, because at times it can be a dangerous country," Boehning said.
His internship at the embassy was another step toward Boehning's dream career.
"I would love to eventually work in foreign diplomacy. . . . The path to become a diplomat is extremely difficult and a slow process, but working in the embassy as an undergrad put me in a really good position to be successful in this career," Boehning said.
Boehning explained that God was at work through each of his international travel experiences. His life was led and his desires changed over the course of each trip.
"I think we all struggle with understanding God's plans for our lives, and sometimes God makes it a little bit harder for us to find, and then sometimes God makes it really obvious. I think God has made it pretty clear to me that this is a career path, or at least a field, that is so important to me that he wants me to pursue it."
Boehning's semester in El Salvador has given him even more clarity on the direction God is leading him for the future, as well as providing him experience with working with people of other cultures. God gave him many opportunities and let him pick.
"It's been exciting to me to see doors open that I didn't think ever should've opened, or I never expected to open."
Not only did God open doors for Boehning to visit other countries, but he paved the way for Boehning to attend Taylor. Although Boehning loved the global aspect of Taylor, it wasn't what got him to campus.
"Tennis played a big factor in my decision to come to Taylor."
Boehning played tennis in high school, but broke his arm senior year and lost many college offers, except for Coach Taylor from Taylor University. Boehning wasn't quick to accept, since Taylor wasn't high on his list, but soon agreed to tryout after realizing it may be his only offer.
"The minute I came to Taylor, went on the tour, and then I said, 'Yes, this is what I want. This is the school.'"
From that moment on Boehning fell more in love with Taylor, its atmosphere and its global focus."What got me to Taylor was Coach Taylor and the tennis team, and what made me fall in love with Taylor was the global awareness, focus, and emphasis…It's really easy to become very self-focused on what's happening in our lives, happening in our little town and our university. And I respected and appreciated Taylor a lot because when I came here on the visit I saw different cultures, I saw an emphasis on global awareness. That's originally what drew me to Taylor, and I haven't been disappointed."
Boehning was captain of the men's tennis team and President of Global Engagement during fall of his senior year, but stepped down in the spring to intern in El Salvador. He also worked as an ESL (English as Second Language) tutor for a couple of years, and volunteered once a week at Tucker Career Center. He helped recent immigrants acclimate to the American culture and language, and was able to use his Spanish skills to help make things clearer for the immigrants.
"I really tried to maximize my time here at Taylor. Taylor grants students a lot of of cool opportunities as long as they're willing to take them. Personally, I feel that students who are willing to get out of their comfort zone and explore have a greater experience and finish Taylor more content."
Boehning clarified he is not advocating that every student travel abroad during their time at Taylor, but expresses his satisfaction and gratefulness for the experiences he was able to have during his time at Taylor.
"The opportunity to stretch ourselves, either in Taylor or outside of Taylor, is the best way to maximize our time."
Boehning would not change one thing about his time at Taylor.
"I've absolutely loved my Taylor experience. All four years present their own unique challenges and rewards. I love the people, both students and professors and I think Taylor has contributed a lot to making me the person I am today."(Thumbnail photograph provided by Cameron Boehning)
