Working as a faculty member at the Norton School, I am responsible for providing a first-class learning experience for my undergraduate as well as my graduate students. When I came to Arizona from my home country, Germany, in 2008, I encountered vast differences in the educational systems that translate into differing expectations, achievements and desires of students, faculty and society. Living and working here, as well as profiting from UA’s constructive environment, is a great learning experience for me. My experiences provide me with an opportunity to reflect on, adapt to and shape this new environment I find myself in. This might also explain the characteristics I greatly value in my students: creativity, determination, a penchant for critical reflection and a positive attitude toward change.