By: Joshua Grise, Student Ambassador, USA Pavilion

Volunteering at the USA Pavilion at this year’s World Expo in Yeosu, South Korea, has been a life changing experience. Growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, diversity was always an issue in my life, mainly because little existed. I was thrilled when I moved to Los Angeles for college and small children did not stare at me in stores or ask me if I was related to their Asian friend. I was blown away when I arrived in Yeosu and saw the amount of diversity that existed there; there was even more diversity than in Los Angeles! From getting lost on a bus with Thai students to meeting visitors on an elevator from Gambia, I have already become a more cultured person.

The World Expo itself is amazing. Over 100 countries are represented here. The staff at each and every pavilion is unique and has its own stories to tell. Seeing each of the pavilions has opened my eyes to countries I did not know even existed.

Last week, two of my fellow U.S. student ambassadors and I got lost on a bus and ended up in the heart of South Korea’s countryside. Initially we were unsettled but we quickly found we were not alone when we saw pavilion staff from Thailand in the same predicament. Sharing this five-hour long experience with the Thailand team brought us closer and we have become good friends and often get together. Every time we meet, we learn something new about each other’s culture, from pop music to small phrases. Every time I see them, I shout “Na-ra-ga” which is Thai slang for “Hey, what’s up? / You’re awesome!”

I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with peers from across the globe. Within one day, I met my neighbors from Switzerland, helped some Angolan students carry groceries, learned Russian from Kazakh performers, met a Ukrainian folk dancer and hosted an international party. From a diversity standpoint, one day at the World Expo is equivalent to a decade’s experience.