During my study abroad experience in South Africa, I participated in a book retreat in the countryside with my 19 roommates and our program facilitator. We dissected a profound book, Reconciliation, which is a forward of Desmond Tutu’s theology of Ubuntu written by Michael Battle. Tutu not only fought for freedom during the apartheid but encouraged forgiveness amid the racial battle for the nation to progress.

I was moved by Tutu’s work and vision, and the retreat was a pivotal moment in my journey. It was also my introduction to our abroad program and to the idea of service-learning. My lens was challenged, shifted, and redirected towards striving to understand the world through the eyes of others. I learned about a word that has stayed with me: Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is a deeply rooted African term that was popularized by Tutu in his ethics and became a unique concept with the urgency he placed on it in his fight for peace. It means “humanity” and is also understood as “I am who I am because of who we all are.” I was thrilled to hear the word again on a leadership retreat I participated in during my last year of college. It is being illuminated as an invaluable concept for guiding young people to live their lives with integrity.

Ubuntu goes beyond the idea that we are all connected, intertwined, and relatable. It emphasizes the value of seeking to be a good person who desires to find their highest self and lives for others, not for personal gain. What I like most about this concept is its universalism. It is relative to the abundance of cultures and realities that make up our world.

In sharing this beautiful concept with you, I wanted this writing to exemplify what you can learn if you step outside your comfort zone. The opportunities are endless to live a more prosperous, beautiful, and purposeful life. It is essential to be open to exploring and seeing outside the box. When we fully embrace the human experience, we must understand what we are already part of to join the dance.