EXT. NEW YORK CITY – DAY

A small-town Iowa college student navigates a maze of buildings along the bustling city streets. While his friends and family worry about him potentially getting dragged behind a dumpster in a dark alley, he walks with his head held high as if he were an average New Yorker.

The scene I just described is one I experienced in June.

I was gifted the opportunity to enroll in a four-week producing workshop at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) at its campus in New York City, thanks to BVU’s Rollins Scholarship. The BVU Rollins Scholarship is one of many value-added funding opportunities BVU students can apply for thanks to donors of the university. For the Rollins Scholarship in particular, I had to go through the process of writing a proposal where I pitched a professional development experience. Writing a proposal was a completely new writing experience and pushed me out of my comfort zone, but proved to be worth it.

Of late, so many political and social messages about higher education communicate that it doesn’t matter or it’s too expensive, or the hotbed of all things “woke.” But this is the story of how higher education turned me into a more well-rounded individual by pushing me into somewhere unknown.

Having the ability to step outside your comfort zone and personal views adds value to you as an employee and can’t always be “taught on the job.” And escaping your comfort zone will make you feel better internally as well. In a Psychology Today article, a 2023 study found that 70 percent of people who broke out of their comfort zone described feelings of courage.

In my program at NYFA, there were seven of us in the cohort. Of those, two of us were from the U.S., and the other five were from France, Belarus, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Each of us in the program had vastly different upbringings, values, and world views. As a result, through my interactions with my peers, I was able to hear stories about life different than what I consider “the norm” and viewpoints that challenged my own.

These experiences pushed me way out of my comfort zone and forced me to actually talk to people (terrifying) and build networking relationships with others (Ahhh! Commitment). Looking back on the experience now, I feel like being pushed is the best thing that could have happened to me. Exiting my bubble has made me not only a more well-rounded person but also more confident in my ability to connect with people I have just met. It pains me to think about all the knowledge and connections I would have missed if I had stayed to my lonesome self and within my comfort zone. I probably would have only made friends with the rats in the subway. (Yes, I did see some.)

My New York City experience wasn’t the first opportunity I was given through BVU’s value-added funding. In my collegiate career, I was also gifted value-added funding to help pay for a trip to Ireland for May term and attend national and state media conferences. Such experiences allowed me the opportunity to take on challenges that helped shape me into a more confident, compassionate, and curious human being. Exploring new spaces and meeting new people beyond campus, which quickly becomes a bubble of safety for most, builds problem-solving and communication skills that also allow us to think differently about the world. As a result, the value-added kinds of experiences available through BVU set students apart when applying for potential jobs and prove they have broader perspectives.

I know, I know. Getting out of the comfort zone is easier said than done, especially with all the unknowns that can happen.

When I told my family and friends I was going to be in New York City for a whole month, almost immediately they said something like “Don’t get mugged,” “Don’t get pushed into the subway,” or “Watch out for the rats.” The possibility of being put into any of those situations may scare the small-town Iowa kid away. However, the fear of the unknown didn’t stop me from charging head-on at this experience. I knew facing these fears would only make me a better person, whether I failed at them or not.

Yes, life can feel like you’ve been sucked inside a twister, and while there’s no place home, the benefit of educational travel is worth far more than any pair of ruby slippers.