Alumnus Reflects on Unlearning Everything

Author: Carroll University

Published Date: 7/10/2019

Categories: Alumni Cross-Cultural Experience Students


Jack Sherman with Florence, Italy in background
Jack Sherman '18 in Florence, Italy
Jack Sherman ’18, an assistant content specialist at Milwaukee-based advertising agency Bader Rutter, was recently published in the magazine, BEYOND, produced by ISI Florence and the Umbra Institute. The essay, titled "How to Unlearn Everything," explores some of the relationships Sherman cultivated and the "stupid things" he did to unlearn his cultural biases while studying abroad in 2016. Sherman traveled to Italy while participating in the cross-cultural experience course, Italy: Travel Writing in the Italian Tradition.  

Sherman reflects in the essay, "What does it mean to study abroad? Is it a cultural experience? An experiment in independence? A rite of passage for emerging scholars? A definitive answer will probably always elude us. But I’ve had some time to think about it and, year after year, I’ve habitually come to the same conclusion: in many ways, studying abroad is an arduous process of unlearning everything you’ve ever known."

He adds, "I was having embarrassingly enlightening moments on a daily basis, and I was thankful for them. Most of all, I was excited to unlearn even more."

Download the full essay here
Video Ratio size 16 by 9 Carroll University Video
Learn more about Jack's Cross-Cultural Experience

The World is Your Classroom

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Pioneer Core

Carroll University’s general education requirement, or the Pioneer Core, is more than a checklist of required courses. It’s the centerpiece of our undergraduate experience and an opportunity to explore your interests across the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences with a cross-cultural thread running throughout.

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Cross-Cultural Experience

Whether you travel near or far, you’ll learn to see the world through someone else’s eyes and build understanding for people, places and ideas that are different from your own through the Cross-Cultural Experience graduation requirement.

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