Salzburg Global Fellow Madeline Waltman reflects on lessons learned about herself and others during the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change
This article was written by Salzburg Global Fellow Madeline Waltman, who attended the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change session on “Belonging in the Age of Machines: Reimagining the Soul of Media" in July 2024.
When I entered Fellows Hall for the first time, Paul Mihailidis, program director and professor, said that the Media Academy would change us forever. Although I had experienced this in the past through another study abroad program, I questioned how a program focused on artificial intelligence (AI) could do the same. However, little did I know I would walk away with 16 lessons I will cherish forever.
1. Solo travel allows for introspection.
When I travel alone, I often find myself people-watching. As I struggled to sleep on the plane from Newark to Vienna, I observed great kindness as I watched strangers help others and bond over it. This observation allowed me to learn the lesson of introspection that traveling solo provides. I had never thought about a mother’s perspective when traveling with young children, and the compassion others showed a lady with an inconsolable infant. If I had traveled with others, I wouldn’t have been as observant and self-reflective during this flight.
2. Age is just a number.
We all connected with Professor Josef in Vienna due to his wit, bluntness, and genuineness. Initially, we assumed he was in his mid-thirties, thinking this must be why we could relate to him so easily. After finding out he is nearly my parents’ age, I realized how age is simply a number that doesn’t define our relationships and how we connect with others. I frequently thought about this insight throughout my trip as I became attached to particular Salzburg Global faculty members, such as Professor Manuel Chavez and Professor Chris Harris. I never thought I would be relating to a middle-aged man over the popular television show "Grey’s Anatomy" or discussing the pop term “brat.” I will use this new-found knowledge in my career to build closer-knit connections with mentors and those more experienced than me, because relationships are crucial to networking.
3. Information anxiety is real.
The lecture Professor Sanjeev Chatterjee gave about coping with information anxiety as machines seemingly continue to infiltrate our lives deeply resonated with me. I often feel like I can’t escape technology as a Gen-Z communications major passionate about social media and public relations. Still, I felt like I was in the minority of people overwhelmed by the urge to consume content constantly. After discussing this dilemma in a group and with similar students, I realized I am not alone. Together, we brainstormed how to let go of this pressure, such as completing tasks that care for the mind, body, and soul. Since adopting this habit, I can better prioritize my needs.
4. Everyone has a story.
Boriana Treadwell’s spotlight session on the humanity of storytelling allowed me to become as vulnerable as possible and deeply listen to others’ life-altering experiences. In just 60 minutes, I became bonded to a small group of people, some of whom I had not yet spoken to, in a way that I only had with a select few people in my life. This session was magical because it showed me that we are all connected by one thing - emotion - which machines can never replicate.
5. You are complete in your incompleteness.
One of my favorite lectures of the entire session was Professor Chris Harris’s presentation, "Disrupting the Killing Rhythm," because it taught me that you do not just hit a point in your life where you can sit back, relax, and feel satisfied in the work you have done. No one ever reaches this point because there is always more to do, more to learn, and more change necessary in the world. When he initially said this, I panicked because, as an anxiety-ridden perfectionist, all I have ever dreamed about is being able to take a pause, step back, and enjoy the life I create for myself. When his talk ended, I felt a new sense of confidence and peace I had never experienced before. I felt this way because he later explained how we all are “complete in our incompleteness.” This phrase healed something inside me, as I constantly think I am not doing enough to succeed and feel like I need to push myself harder to do better. Still, I am also always mentally exhausted from the amount of hard work I put in every day. This quote has become my new mantra because I now realize that no matter how hard I try, I will never feel complete, and that’s ok because that is not the point of life. The goal is to realize that we can’t conquer it all, but what we are doing is all we can do, and that is enough in itself.
6. Sitting with discomfort is essential for change.
Another key takeaway from Professor Chris Harris’s lecture was how important it is to be uncomfortable because that is how people are motivated for change. I witnessed and experienced this discomfort daily as we debated in Fellows Hall, which led me to ask provoking questions, think about how to bring these conversations back to my university, and evaluate what fugitive spaces already existed in my life. This presentation permanently shifted my view on my power to be an activist by teaching me to love discomfort even in spaces like Louisiana State University, where it seems impossible to envision the majority caring about issues such as racism, DEI, and equal rights, because those are the types of spaces where it’s most necessary to use your voice.
7. Music and art are universal.
What surprised me most about the session was how, despite our language barriers and cultural differences, we could connect through music and art. Through Andrea Vilhena’s workshops and Chris Harris’s playlist project, we could work together to create, and this mutual understanding of art and music allowed me to open my eyes to the fact that this is where our cultures intersect. These media forms can bring us together because when immersing ourselves in art and music, we each have a unique perspective stemming from the raw emotions they evoke in us, which doesn’t require a translator to understand, and will always bind us together.
8. Strangers can teach you more about yourself in 2 weeks than you can learn in 21 years.
While staying at Schloss Leopoldskron, I was very conscious of how absurdly grand it was and how many of us would never be able to have such a privileged experience. Yet, it wasn’t until our peer Jennifer spoke about how hard it was for her to make the most of her study abroad experience, because people from her home struggle with problems that seem unsolvable, that I took in just how lucky I have it. Instantly, my complaints about the lack of air conditioning and the busyness of the session schedule became minuscule and made me see just how selfish I could be. Never again will I take for granted my access to fresh water, heat in my classrooms, or falling asleep with a full stomach because, for so many, that is just a pipe dream.
9. Communication is rapidly changing.
This session has made me think about the world differently in countless ways, but one that changed my brain chemistry was a new form of technology my group-mate, Vagmi VS, introduced to me. This device already exists and transmits entire languages or other types of immense information in under ten seconds by connecting to your brainwaves. This conversation showed me I need to dream bigger because concepts that seem like fiction exist today.
10. and 11. Mistakes are a part of the journey, and learning outside the classroom is just as essential as learning within the classroom.
When traveling to unfamiliar places, it’s easy to make mistakes when figuring out public transportation, ordering off a menu, or trying to communicate with locals. Yet, traveling gives you life experiences you would never gain solely on a campus. I had my fair share of learning occur while navigating Europe. I’m so grateful I did because, as a result, I stumbled upon beautiful waterfalls, laughed at myself, and tried and enjoyed foods I would have thought were too far out of my comfort zone. These mistakes showed me that there is joy that comes out of the unexpected, that nobody is perfect, and that maybe there is a greater purpose for that.
12. and 13. If you let it be, fear is an agent for growth, and you should never turn down an adventure.
Before leaving for Austria, one of my main priorities was to travel as much as possible. My top bucket list experience at the time was to go to Venice, Italy. Somehow, by letting go of my fear of traveling with people I had yet to form relationships with, and simply by saying yes, I wound up agreeing to travel to Ljubljana, Slovenia, at 1am on the same day that we would depart for our three-day adventure. I stayed in a hostel, sharing a bathroom with strangers. I also took over the planning process, which showed me how much I love the challenge of mapping out a last-minute trip. If I had turned down this journey, I probably would never have traveled to Slovenia and seen the beauty it had to offer or have grown to conquer my fear of hostels and lacking a clear plan.
14. Relaxing and taking in the culture is as vital as seeing as much as possible.
When my family travels, we joke about how we are not on vacation but on a trip because we are very go-go people who prioritize going to every landmark over relaxation. I learned during this experience that a slow meal where you can immerse yourself in the culture can be a better way to experience a city than being a tourist and squeezing in every attraction.
15. You are more intelligent than you give yourself credit for.
After the first night of Salzburg Global celebrations, where I met so many genius academics, I questioned what I had to offer my fellow students. By the time my group turned in our final project, I saw how much I was able to give my insight through my knowledge of inclusivity for individuals with special needs, public relations, and advertising. I never expected to be such an asset to our team, but the final result showed me how you look on paper is not all that matters.
16. We are more alike than we are different.
During one of the first meetings of the session, Paul Mihailidis addressed us by saying, “We are more alike than we are different.” Initially, I was weary because of the divisive landscape we are living in, but nothing was as accurate as this. I connected with people of all kinds of mindsets, sexualities, and genders, who, at first glance, seemed as different from me as physically possible. Despite these differences, I related to so many others through shared experiences, mental health, and polarizing conversations. When it comes down to it, we can all make each other more aware because we are simply humans with something to offer each other. We come from a place of love and are just trying to figure out this crazy thing called life.
This article was featured on Medium, which includes more coverage from the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change session on “Belonging in the Age of Machines: Reimagining the Soul of Media.”
The Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change is an annual program that convenes emerging leaders in media fields to build networks for positive change. If you would like to find out more about the Academy, please email , Faculty Chair and Program Director.
