Salutations
everyone!
My name is Kurtis Kunz,
I’m 22 years old and I am in my ninth semester here at the University of
Oklahoma. I am working towards a degree in International Studies, although I
studied International Business for my first two years. I am set to graduate
this December.
I was born and raised in
Oklahoma City and attended Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. While my
mom's side of the family all hails from OKC, my paternal side of the family is
French. My dad and his family were all born and raised in Cannes, France. My
dad joined the French Navy at age 16 before working as a scuba diver for the
international resort chain Club Med. This job landed him in the Turks and
Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, where he has lived and worked since
1988.
I have been lucky enough
to be able to visit him during my time off from school since I was 5. These
visits introduced me to the sport of scuba diving, which is one of my favorite
things to do in this world. After graduation I plan on moving to Turks and
Caicos to work in the family business. I am currently working towards my PADI
Open Water Scuba Instructor to expedite this process.
Personal Photo of me scuba diving in Turks and Caicos
While I plan on living
in Turks for the immediate future, I find it hard to believe that I will not return
to Oklahoma one day.
I have two younger
sisters; one a sophomore here at OU and one a freshman at Bishop McGuinness. I
really enjoy travel. I spent 7 weeks in Europe at the beginning of the summer
visiting my grandmother and doing a 4 week study abroad course in Cannes. I
hope to visit the majority of countries in Europe. I am working on learning
French, though I am far from fluent. I am taking 18 hours this semester while
working part time so it will be a busy semester, but I can see the light
at the end of the tunnel.
Oh, I am so glad when International Studies majors take this class, Kurtis! As you can guess, India is a part of the world I find really fascinating, and while the epics are an unusual way to get to know that part of the world, it really makes sense: the epics are incredibly important to India today, as they have been for literally thousands of years! And that picture of you scuba-diving is so cool. One of the great adventures of the Ramayana is when Rama and his monkey army build a bridge all the way across the ocean from India to Sri Lanka... and there really was an ancient land bridge there. Very cool stuff! If you keep an eye out for lakes, rivers, and the ocean, you will find all kinds of stories with water that might interest you this semester. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMore about Rama's Bridge as it is called if you are curious:
Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu
Hey Kurtis! We have a lot in common! I am studying anthropology and I just finished my minor in International Studies! As a freshman and sophomore I was also interested in learning the French language. I took those courses to fulfill my foreign language requirements. Despite my utter failure comprehending the French language I really enjoyed learning about the French culture! I also posses a love for traveling and once I graduate from this University I too will find it hard to return to the OKC area.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to try scuba diving (archaeology even has a specific field ‘Underwater Archaeology’ that a lot of people go into), but I have never had the opportunity to try it out. I’m glad you were able to visit your family in France and study abroad this summer! That must have been an awesome trip.
Scuba diving sounds like so much fun. I have been reading people’s introduction and a lot of people been going out of country for vacation and study abroad. I really wish I will be able to do that. It is so cool that your das if from France and your mom is from Oklahoma City. I liked the picture of scuba diving in your introduction blog.
ReplyDeleteHey Kurtis, it sounds like you will have a busy semester, but keep at it you are almost finished. It sounds like you really enjoy visiting your dad. I bet he is proud of you. Not everyone can handle the workload you are currently have. You may not remember this but my hometown, Clinton, played Bishop McGuinness in football. It is a small world is not it? I bet that you have some good stories from all your scuba diving excursions. What place was your favorite place to scuba dive?
ReplyDeleteHello Kurtis,
ReplyDeleteI have changed my major 5 times while being in college and International Business was one of them, until I wanted to do something that dealt with internal affairs within the government. I have always wanted to go scuba diving, which is on my bucket list of things to do. I think that moving to Turks and Caicos would be amazing. I have been granted an opportunity to have an interview that would allow me to travel abroad three times a month, so I hope that I land the job!
Kurtis, your scuba diving photo is amazing! I started working on my PADI open water diver course this summer because I worked for an underwater robotics company, OpenROV. Since you scuba dive, you might appreciate looking at what the robots can do. The area by Cannes is a great place. I had the chance to visit Nice last semester. Where else did you go while you were in Europe?
ReplyDeleteI also love scuba diving! I feel that you may be a tad more experienced in it than I am but I definitely enjoy getting into the water. Your future sounds like fun if you are going to move to the Turks, but I’m glad you are almost done. Hopefully your last semester won’t be too hard or leave a bad taste in your mouth.
ReplyDeleteThere really is nothing like it! Where all have you been diving? Turks and Lake Tenkiller are the only places I've been. But naw, this semester won't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Like I just said on your intro, International Studies isn't near as bad as biochemical engineering haha
DeleteHey Kurtis,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have had a very interesting life. Like you I enjoy traveling. I hope to one day visit more countries in Europe. I have only been to Ireland, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. My favorite European country so far is Ireland. I have never been scuba diving. I do not think I plan on trying it out. It kind of scares me. Your picture of you scuba diving is really cool though!
Hi Kurtis!
ReplyDeleteScuba diving looks like a lot of fun and I thought your picture was pretty cool as well. It must be difficult with your father being away but it's awesome that you get to visit him. I can't imagine living without my parents. I wish I could speak french. I have never taken a class but some of my friends have. Sounds like you have a pretty hectic semester but it's good that you're keeping a positive attitude. I couldn't imagine living away from Oklahoma especially in another country. I also love traveling and hope to explore Europe one day. I wish you the best of luck this semester and with your future plans!
Hi, Kurtis!
ReplyDeleteWow, what an interesting life you lead! My minor is international studies, and I love hearing about how other people were led to the program. Clearly, you’ve been aware of the world around you from a very young age!
I also studied abroad in France for a short period of time, although I am sure that your French far surpasses mine. My ability doesn’t cover much more than ordering a coffee… haha!
I look forward to learning more about you and your adventures throughout the semester!
I've always wanted to learn how to scuba dive! I had a friend in high school who loved it, but I never got to learn. I love travelling, though, so maybe one day! I'm also learning French and I've been studying it here for five semesters, so it's coming along but learning a language is pretty hard sometimes. 18 hours is keeping me busy this semester, too, but it's nice to be getting so many classes out of the way! Good luck on your semester and your travels!
ReplyDeleteYou should totally try scuba diving! It's a great sport for traveling, there are dive sites just about anywhere you are. You've definitely got more experience than me with French. I haven't studied it at OU for a year, but I learned a lot when I studied abroad. I think the only way to actually master it is to live in the native country. I hope your 18 hours are still going good! It will definitely be nice to get all these credits knocked out..
DeleteKurtis, your introduction is way cool! I have never been scuba diving, but I have always wanted to go! Also, have you been to France very much? I have been to Cannes, but only briefly! It would be so cool to have family living in Turks and Caicos! It sounds like you are living the dream! I get the whole, you will probably move back to Oklahoma thing too. I am from Texas, where I always dreamed of traveling and leaving. Now a few years later, the only thing I can think of is where in Dallas I am going to move to after graduation! Funny how those things work!
ReplyDeleteHey, Kurtis! I didn't realize that you are the same Kurtis as the one in my Public Health in Africa class. I had no idea that your family is from France! That is so exciting. I have a semi-obsession with French anything (language, culture, music, food, you name it!) Nine semesters... I don't think I could do it. I have only been at OU for six semesters and I am feeling the pain. Luckily, I also graduate in December and I never have to feel the pain again! (Just kidding, I'm going to grad school).
ReplyDeleteHey Kurtis, I think it's great that you get to scuba dive for a future job! I"ve never been scuba diving, but I've done some snorkeling off of Key West, Florida and that was amazing! It sounds really fun to do and a great passion to have! I'm right there with you on the nine semesters, I'm taking nine hours this semester and working full-time, I have one more class to take next semester and then I can graduate in May. I can't tell you how happy I am to be this close to graduating!
ReplyDeleteHi Kurtis. It sounds like you had a very interesting and varied upbringing. I’m a little jealous about all of the scuba diving you get to do! My dad enjoyed scuba diving when he was younger but I was never able to get into it, though I’d love to try it some day. I like how you want to carry on the family business as well! It sounds like you will be awfully busy this semester. That’s all I’ve ever known and it will certainly pay off, though I think that’s something you probably already know. Good luck with your studies!
ReplyDeleteHey Kurtis! I am also set to graduate in December and I am so ready to be done. It is getting so close. I think that it is great that you got to spend time in Europe. I have never traveled outside the US but I am dying to see the world. Good luck with the rest of the semester! It sounds like it’s going to be busy for you but it will be so worth it!
ReplyDeleteHey Kurtis!
ReplyDeleteHoly cow! I must say, you have an exciting and exotic background! How cool is it that you have family in Europe you get to visit on your time off from school. I think what your family does is also super nifty! Scuba diving...wow I can only imagine how beautiful it is to see underwater like that. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of the semester and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!
That's awesome that your family is so involved with scuba diving in the Caribbean! That must be a dream come true. I have only been snorkeling a few times but I loved it and I wish I could say that I have been scuba diving before but I'm sure I will end up doing it at some point in my life anyways. 18 hours and a part time job does not sound very fun but keep up the hard work, you've almost made it!
ReplyDeleteHello Kurtis,
ReplyDeleteCongratulation on your graduation! I am glad that you find the right major for you; I heard that some students tried five majors to find the one they like.
I also considered International Business but I did not go into it. From feedbacks from my friends I knew this major is a less informative major; it is like a major designed for master degree. People learnt a lot of introduction courses and made an excellent GPA. However, it is not a job oriented major.