Episode Transcript
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Judy Oskam (00:03):
Welcome to Stories
of Change and Creativity
Scotland Edition.
This is a short series where Iexplore how people navigate
change and embrace creativityeven when the path isn't clear.
I'm Judy Oskam and in thisedition I'm coming to you from
Queen Margaret University nearEdinburgh, scotland.
(00:26):
I'm teaching a three-weekpublic relations course as part
of Texas State University'sEducation Abroad program and
along the way I'm sitting downwith students, faculty and local
professionals to capture theirstories.
From first-time travelers tocreative pros.
(00:46):
These conversations reveal howglobal experiences can shape who
we are and how we communicatewith the world.
I hope you enjoy ourconversation.
Angie Olmos (00:59):
Well, I'm Angie
Olmos.
I'm going into fall 2025 as asophomore and my major is mass
communications, with a minor ofinternational relations.
Judy Oskam (01:11):
Oh, nice, so that's
why you were interested in this
trip.
Yeah, okay.
So tell me about what made youpick this trip.
Angie Olmos (01:18):
You, you were so
adorable at the mass
communication week.
I'm not fishing for complimentshere at all, no, you seemed so
excited and seeing you beexcited about this trip made me
excited about this trip Ibrought the golf, the putter, no
it was during the speaker weekof all the different teachers,
oh yeah, oh yeah, and so youseemed the most excited about
(01:40):
your trip, so it kind of broughtmy attention.
Oh, that's good.
I'm glad to hear that.
And how has it been?
We're?
We're in week three right now.
Talk about the experience.
I love it.
Yeah, honestly, like like, justlike the train.
I just love taking the train.
I don't like taking the busyeah, but if I have to, I take
(02:01):
it.
Um, I've gotten used to likethere's a coffee shop here and
like Black Sheep Coffee is likemy new home.
Oh, that's I think every time Igo into the city.
That's I go get coffee there atleast once a day, nice.
Judy Oskam (02:16):
Nice.
So talk about the difference.
This, this hub program, is anew experience for Texas State
students, because we're actuallyliving in the dorm and we're
going to class Monday throughThursday.
How has that been?
Do you feel like you're moreconnected with the culture and
the city?
Angie Olmos (02:36):
I definitely feel
like that because, like, even
though, like after like class,like we get to still be like
ourselves and like explore forourselves, and I feel like it's
like not safer, like it feelsmore at home because like, at
the end of the day, you're goingback to the same room that
you've made to yourself and likeyou just like have made a
schedule for yourself, and itfeels like you're like back in a
(02:57):
dorm at your freshman year.
Yeah, yeah.
Judy Oskam (03:00):
Yeah Well, speaking
of schedules, do you have any?
Have you built any habits herethat you, that you didn't have
before?
Have you thought about that atall?
Angie Olmos (03:16):
I think like my
habit is really just like after
class I go with like Ava to thecity and like we do whatever our
homework is for that week orour interview for that week, and
then we go get black sheepcoffee and then this is an ad
for black sheep coffee right,hey, sponsor me, sponsor us.
And then we just kind of explorethe city and then come back or
we'll eat at the city and we'vekind of developed a schedule on
Thursdays we go get McDonald'sbreakfast.
(03:37):
So we've kind of just gottenaccustomed to what we like to
eat and where we like to go.
So, like, I think that's likemy schedule in a way.
Judy Oskam (03:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah so
some of those habits.
Now you're you're entering yoursophomore year, so what habits
will you take back then?
And uh, because I like thestudy habit.
That's great.
That you go with a friend andstudy, that's nice, I'm
definitely taking that one.
Angie Olmos (04:02):
I can't study by
myself.
I need to have like someonethere present, either studying
with me or just being there and,I guess, like cooking, since
you try to make us cook.
Judy Oskam (04:12):
Well, we do have a
full kitchen and we're in for
the listeners.
We're in flats, so we have ourown private room, but then we
all share a kitchen.
Yeah, and my kitchen has twolittle couches in it.
Yeah, maybe yours does too, andit's got a table with four
chairs, full kitchen.
So I'm encouraging the studentsto save them money if they
(04:32):
cooked a little bit.
So that's something.
So I will tell the listenersthat you guys sent me a picture
of your food at the kitchenyesterday.
So it's like yes, you are, youare Well.
What else have you learnedabout the culture?
Now?
You've traveled some already inyour international studies
minor.
Now you've taken theopportunity during this.
(04:54):
We meet Monday through Thursdayand then you've gone on some
adventures over the weekend.
Angie Olmos (04:59):
Yeah, so I think
the first weekend here I went up
to North Berwick with everyoneelse and then second weekend I
went up to the Highlands with myfamily and then, after this
trip ends, I'm going to London.
I think I just, I just lovetraveling because, like, you get
to see so many like differentplaces, different cultures, and
you get to meet different peopleand I'm not like I'm very
(05:23):
social, I'm very friendly, butlike I'm also like sometimes shy
to meet people and I think thistrip has brought like the best
of me like to like, like makenew friends and like meet
strangers and like, yeah,sometimes you don't have to talk
to strangers, but like theyhave so many people, have so
many stories and it just likeit's wonderful to hear their
story because, like, maybe don'tthey, they don't get to share
(05:46):
it with someone else and likebeing the person they like want
to share that too, like I foundit very special well, now your
your project for the class.
Judy Oskam (05:53):
We did a.
We did some mini projects inthe class and one of the
projects she did was with alocal boutique owner.
Yeah, talk about that, becauseyou really got in and got to
know her.
Angie Olmos (06:03):
She was really
really sweet.
Um, you can tell like she'snever used social media maybe
her son does and like she waswilling to, like she was willing
to answer a lot of questions,but like in a hurry because she
didn't know what she was doing.
But like I still like like itwas just like in one of those
like conversations you have withsomeone you just like meet in
(06:24):
the street or like your hometown, that you've like known forever
and she was very welcoming,yeah, and I think you guys gave
her some good advice, whethershe takes it or not.
Judy Oskam (06:33):
That's the thing,
because when you're looking at
public relations strategies andtactics and you're trying to
solve problems or take advantageof opportunities and you guys
really just stumbled into areally great project there so
well, in the class I've tried toget you up and do a lot of a
(06:54):
lot of presentations.
So how has that been?
Cause I want you to get supercomfortable with that.
Angie Olmos (06:56):
You guys have all
been super at that.
I low key, like it.
Like I like I said like I'mvery social, like very friendly,
so like I, I like just talk alot.
Like if I meet someone, I wouldjust like sit down, listen to
them while I talk to them.
It's like that's never likebeen my issue, but like I've
helped Ava.
Yes, like yesterday I put yourcolleague, I pushed her.
I pushed her into, like uh,interviewing for our third
(07:17):
project.
She was kind of scared to do itby herself.
I was like I'm just standingright here at the door, yeah,
like I'm encouraging you fromhere and like good, well and and
working together.
Judy Oskam (07:26):
What does that say
about collaboration,
collaboration, and is it easierto do when you're in an
experience like this, or what?
Angie Olmos (07:34):
Definitely, we
both have our strengths and we
both have our weaknesses, andnow we're doing the solo
projects.
You're going to see which isour strengths and which is our
weaknesses.
Sure, but I'm really creativeand I'm really friendly and I've
done interviews like duringhigh school.
So like that's like my strength, well, like my colleagues, is
(07:54):
like writing and like I can sayrandom sentences and she can
just write it down perfectlyNice.
So, like I think this projectand like this like study abroad,
has really helped us both.
Like help our weaknesses grow abit, yeah, while helping each
other's strengths, yeah, yeah.
Judy Oskam (08:13):
I like that.
So what would you say to peoplethat uh are on campus in Texas?
Kind of thinking do I reallywant to spend the money and the
time and what should I do?
What would you tell otherpeople who might have an
interest?
But they're not really sold yetdo it like you.
Angie Olmos (08:31):
Only you're young
once.
Um, this is something that,like, you can tell your kids,
you can tell your friends, youcan tell your family, and it's
something like it helps you growas a person, because we're
still like, as I said, young.
Like these, like experiencesand memories are like what will
shape us, and you can also useit as networking as well.
But like it's.
(08:51):
It's like a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity and like you're
getting to go somewhere new andyou're traveling by yourself,
like you get a girl as a personin general?
Judy Oskam (09:00):
yeah, well, and some
some people have never traveled
abroad and traveling byyourself to get here, was that
the biggest challenge?
Angie Olmos (09:10):
The biggest
challenge is trying to find my
colleague in the airport,because I've traveled by myself
in states I think the furthestI've ever done was Hawaii by
myself, but that's a school trip, so internationally I was kind
of scared but I was grateful wewere just a row in between us,
(09:31):
we were by each other's side theentire time and that really
helped the whole traveling ninehours by yourself on a plane, a
row like in between us, like wewere like by each other's side
the entire time, sure, and thatreally helped like the whole
traveling nine hours by yourselfon a plane to a different
country right now and then whenyou get here.
Judy Oskam (09:43):
What's been the most
um surprising thing about
scotland?
Well, what have you found themost interesting or surprising?
Angie Olmos (09:51):
I think it's the
um like not accusations, but
like people assume that likeScottish people are like they're
like they hate us or like theylike um, they don't like talking
to people and they just areincredibly rude and I think I've
like met some wonderfulScottish people here during our
time.
Judy Oskam (10:12):
Yeah, so what's the
lesson there here during our
time?
Yeah, so what's the lessonthere?
Don't judge a book by its cover, that's right.
Don't judge and be open to theexperiences.
Well, and were you with thegroup that went on the long bus
ride?
No, because I went that weekendto the Highlands.
You went the week before.
Angie Olmos (10:27):
No that weekend I
went with my parents.
Oh yeah, okay, okay, all right.
So what would you advise?
Judy Oskam (10:30):
Yeah, okay, okay,
all right.
So what?
What would you advise?
What are the sights and soundsof Edinburgh that you'd
recommend?
Angie Olmos (10:38):
Oh wait, that's
looking hard.
I'm trying to think ofeverything I've done You've done
a lot.
Judy Oskam (10:48):
You guys went to
Arthur's Seat right.
Angie Olmos (10:52):
Oh yeah, arthur's
Seat is definitely a must Like
if you're a hiking person, theislands if you're nature I'm a
big nature person-wise NorthBerwick for the views, the beach
and the food.
Judy Oskam (11:03):
Oh yeah, the food.
Angie Olmos (11:06):
Food-wise
Musselboro has a lot of good
food.
Take advantage of the smallcities, because they have
sometimes the best food comparedto the big cities.
Good advice, good advice.
What else did we do?
Primark, the clothing store.
Oh, clothing store, okay.
Judy Oskam (11:25):
That's my favorite
store.
Okay, and the boutique you guyswent to was a thrift shop or
not?
Was it a?
Angie Olmos (11:32):
boutique.
It was just a boutique, it'slike a local boutique but if
marketed right, it coulddefinitely be a thrift store,
because there was the hats, likethe typical Irish hats that you
see at a gift shop for like 30pounds.
Judy Oskam (11:46):
It was only 15
pounds 10 pounds Right, right,
so really shop carefully whenyou're looking at it.
Okay, any last advice forlisteners that might be on the
edge.
Should I go to Scotland?
What should I do?
Just take a chance, Like how,how Albert says it take a chance
(12:10):
on me, take a chance onScotland, take a chance on
travel, take a chance on yourexperiences.
I love it.
I love it.
I love it.
Thank you, angie.
How fun was that.
I love it.
That's good.
Thanks so much for joining uson Stories of Change and
Creativity Scotland edition.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure and follow the podcast and
give us a like and a review.
It really helps more listenersdiscover these inspiring stories
(12:34):
.
Thanks for listening.