“A World Ravaged by Terror:” that’s a little clickbait-y and dramatic, don’t you think? These are the types of phrases I see in the media every day. Heck, I’m the media, and I’m using this phrase (somewhat ironically). It catches people’s eyes, makes them question what they might be risking not to read such an important sounding article. Who’s out to get us now? Who do we have to fear? In addition, there’s the rampant racism we hear from high profile people like Donald Trump. How are so many rallying behind this man and his scapegoat-laden rhetoric?

Well, people are scared. People are terrified of what they see in the media.

Don’t get me wrong, the media aren’t making things up. Tragic events like the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels happen all the time.

As a student employee in my university’s study abroad office, I get a lot of questions from older acquaintances, parents of students, and parents of prospective students like, “How do you still have a job? Do students still want to study abroad? How in the world did your parents let you go over there [to Europe]?”

First, I would like to put into perspective and address the fact that I was born in Oklahoma City in 1994, a year before the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the deadliest act of terrorism in America pre-9/11. I was a baby when many of my older friends and family members were in frighteningly close proximity to this tragic event that ended 168 American lives.

Terrible things don’t just happen in far away exotic lands, they can – and have – happened in my own backyard. Oklahoma City? Not even one of the top 20 largest cities in the United States. Not anyone’s first guess for a target.

So that is how my family let me go “over there.”

To answer the other part of the question: I still have a job because study abroad rates, at my school at least, have actually gone up in the last year.

Now, this is the thing that really inspires me. I love traveling more than anything else. Every day I get help advise students on how to begin their study abroad process, what to expect, what to do and what not do. It’s a dream job, really. And the fact that despite all the bad things that happen in the world, this generation remains hopeful, curious, and ambitious about traveling and wanting to understand other cultures… Well, this is the biggest thing that makes me believe everything is going to be alright.

Despite the tragedy, despite what’s in the media, despite people like Donald Trump using their fame to generate more hate and racism in the world: We are going to be okay.

People like Donald Trump didn’t study abroad. People like Donald Trump are not the future.

We are the future of this world. We are Generation Study Abroad. We will not be stopped from trying to understand those who are different from us and helping them to understand us, just because of stigmas we hear in the media. We are educated. We know first-hand experiences in other cultures are the best cure for stereotypes, racism, and misunderstanding.

That being said, don’t be dumb. Read about another culture before you visit. Check out the government’s travel.state.gov website to make sure it’s safe and prepare yourself with what you need to know about the region’s politics. Read up on American politics, too. When you’re abroad, people you meet might want to talk about your country as well as theirs. Wherever you go, whatever you do, remember that you are an ambassador for your country. You are not only going to understand another culture, but help the people there understand what you believe it means to be an American. Help them understand that people like Donald Trump are not like you. People like Donald Trump did not study abroad.