Research findings generally agree that international-service-learning (ISL) experiences may contribute to changes in the self in service learners. However, few studies have investigated how the self is experienced and rediscovered in the process of ISL. The purpose of this study was to investigate how students experienced their own self-becoming in interpersonal encounters with locals during ISL experiences. Seven in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with seven college students engaged in a 21-day ISL project in Ghana; their accounts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) experiencing a gap, (2) launching out into the deep, and (3) embracing new possibilities. The findings provide a basis for future research and demonstrate the potential of ISL to help students explore and reconstruct their sense of self.

研究结果普遍同意，国际服务学习 (ISL) 经历可能有助于服务学习者自我的改变。然而，很少有研究调查在 ISL 过程中如何体验和重新发现自我。本研究的目的是调查学生在 ISL 体验期间如何在与当地人的人际交往中体验自己的自我成长。对在加纳从事为期 21 天的 ISL 项目的七名大学生进行了七次深入的半结构化访谈；使用解释性现象学分析对他们的叙述进行了分析。数据分析中出现了三个主要主题：（1）经历差距，（2）深入探索，以及（3）拥抱新的可能性。