Spring 2012

Abby Baumann – Leeds, England

Vitals: Sophomore Communications Major with an emphasis on Radio, TV, and Film

Goals: While the list of things I want to do abroad is endless, I’ve narrowed it down to just a few. I want to experience British culture, read British literature, try new food, travel around Europe, explore castles, go to the theater (theatre), meet The Queen, pick up a British accent, and sneak on a train to Hogwarts. Ultimately, I hope to take chances, live in the moment, and get the most out of this incredible experience.

Motivation: I’ve always been drawn to Britain. I guess you could blame it on my childhood obsession with reading and desire to be a princess. As a kid, I read every book about King Henry VIII, his six wives, and the whole Tudor family. When I was 11, my grandparents actually took me to England for 4 days. Before I knew it, I was back in America. I never stopped reading, though, and my fascination only grew stronger. It’s been 9 years since I’ve been, and I cannot wait to go back!

Previous overseas travel:England, France, Mexico, Bahamas

Adelaide Davis – Cape Town, South Africa

Vitals: Junior International Studies and History Major, African Studies Minor

Goals: To travel around the African continent! I’ve been fantasizing of scuba diving in Mozambique, visiting Victoria Falls, and climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. I also want to get involved in clubs at the University of Cape Town. To be able to spend my spare time volunteering would be a dream come true.

Motivation: For me it never was a question if I would study abroad. The question always was where! I chose Cape Town because of its diversity. I wanted to be able to directly enroll at a  university where I could learn from classmates from all over the world. The University of Cape Town is a melting a pot of cultures – the perfect place for me!

Previous Overseas Travel: Australia, Canada, France, Spain, England, Scotland, Costa Rica, Italy & Switzerland

Hannah Erdman – Rome, Italy (John Cabot University)

Vitals: Journalism and Mass Communication Major, emphasis on Strategic Communication

Goals:  My list of goals for studying abroad goes on and on and on. There is so much I want to accomplish while I’m in Rome, and all over Europe, but most importantly, I want to fully embrace and experience the Italian lifestyle. I believe you learn the most from others, so I am going to introduce myself and get to know anyone and everyone I can. I hope to have a fun Roman adventure and experience something new and exciting.

Motivation:  I want to learn. Not just learn in school, but in every situation I come across. I hope being abroad will expand my views of the world and different cultures. I hope it will change me for the better and give me a unique experience and outlook on life. I am ready to be challenged and thrown out of my comfort zone.

Previous overseas travel:  France

Drew Fink, Rome Italy (John Cabot University)

Vitals: Third Year, Neurobiology Major, History Major, Wisconsin native, favorite color: green

Goals:  Escape the science curriculum for a semester, explore Rome, meet new people, travel throughout Europe, improve my language skills, improve my writing skills, learn how to cook like an Italian, finish my history major, develop a taste for wine, drive a Ferrari, chill with the Pope, maybe dabble in some Spanish bullfighting.  Generally just channel my inner sponge and absorb it all.

Motivation:  This is one of those rare opportunities to go on a four month adventure and experience a ton of new things in a short amount of time.  I love history so being in Europe for the semester is going to be a great chance to see some wonderful historical stuff.  I also wanted to take some creative writing classes here at Madison but I didn’t want to do the pre-reqs.   John Cabot University offered a few writing courses that I could get into without taking basic English and composition classes so that was a big factor as well.  Also, a couple years ago I spent a few days in Rome and I was blown away by how awesome it is.   So I decided I needed to come back. I’ve got a have a handful of friends studying in Europe during the spring so I’m looking forward to gallivanting across Europe with them as well.

Previous overseas travel: Ecuador, Ireland, Ethiopia, England, Italy. Does Canada count?

Tess Hahn – London, England

Vitals: Junior, Majors in Journalism & French and Minor in Integrated Liberal Studies

Goals: There are several. They are as follows. To get to Warwick Avenue and be met by the entrance to the tube. To set fire to the rain. To wake up in London and find myself in the city near Piccadilly, not really knowing how I got there. To hear London calling to the faraway towns and to the underworld. To see a foggy day in London Town, having me low and having me down. But really, I just plan on getting through to Platform 9¾.

Motivation: I decided fall semester of my Freshman year that this city, this program, and this semester would be mine for the taking. The fact that I get the chance to spend a semester in the city, interning, taking classes, and getting incredibly lost only to eventually find my way again is an experience that has quite literally made me click my heels for joy. Who knows? Maybe all those heel clicks will turn into hurdles, and I’ll land myself a Gold medal at the Olympics. I’m only joshin’ ya. My biggest win is experiencing a single day without tripping over my own feet.

Overseas Travel: France, Canada (Yeah, that’s right. I’m counting Canada

Brooke Hein – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Vitals: International Studies Major, Global Security track

Goals: While I am really looking forward to improving my Spanish language skills, I am most excited about being able to be a part of a culture completely unfamiliar to me.  I want to get to know the people, the landscape, the food, the music, and the lifestyle. I also hope to spend some time outside of the city itself exploring the Patagonia mountain range and smaller surrounding cities.

Motivation: I have been fortunate enough to travel to a large part of Central America, but South America remains a great unknown to me. After much deliberation, I decided that my study abroad experience would be most gratifying if I chose a destination that would challenge everything I know and am familiar with. I am bound to learn the most about myself and about Argentine culture after working through these challenges.

Previous Travel: Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Costa Rica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Virgin Islands.

Gillian Losh – Merida, Venezuela

Vitals: Journalism major

Goals:  I want to reach conversational fluency with my Spanish. Improving my Spanish reading and writing skills wouldn’t be too bad either. Also, I want to learn as much Venezuelan slang as I can.

Motivation:  I first traveled to Latin America three years ago, and I fell in love with the culture and the Spanish language. Since then I’ve traveled all around Central America, but this will be my first time in South America. I wanted to experience living in a country with completely different cultural values than the U.S. and Venezuela seemed like it would be very different from the other places I’ve been.

Previous overseas travel:  Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, England, Lichtenstein

Alex Marks – Monteverde, Costa Rica

Vitals: Zoology Major

Goals: My main goal would have to be attaining first-hand knowledge and understanding of Costa Rican ecosystems, the influence and impact of outside forces on them, and then cultivating ways to defend and preserve these natural resources. I relish the opportunity to be able to explore Costa Rica and its surrounding countries in all of their inherent, natural beauty. Scuba diving is a must! I also desire to improve my level of comprehension of the Spanish language outside of the classroom. I hope to develop and improve my Spanish-speaking skills daily and eventually become more fluent.

Motivation:  If it hadn’t been for an extensive research project on Costa Rica during senior year in high school, I don’t think I would have even considered studying abroad in Costa Rica. That project alone sparked my interest to study abroad. From the pictures I saw to the articles I read, I knew that one day I had to travel there. When I discovered that there was a study abroad program offered in Costa Rica relating to ecosystems and nature, I knew that this was the program for me. Costa Rica, here I come!

Previous overseas travel:  Family cruise to the Bahamas, Canada… more countries to add later!

Holly Stevenson – Sydney, Australia (University of South Wales)

Vitals: Journalism Strategic Communication Major.

Goals: I plan to fully immerse myself into the Aussie culture once I arrive! I hope to turn everyday into an adventure and really take advantage of living abroad. I want to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, learn to surf, bungee jump, hang out with some kangaroos, and who knows, maybe I’ll even ride an elephant in Thailand. Additionally, while I am not off looking for new things to do, I will be having an internship in Sydney that I hope will allow me to learn a great deal about the advertising industry there.

Motivation: I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. Like Madison, it seemed to be a place that I could only hear amazing things about. I have a handful of friends and family that have been to Australia who could not be more happy with their experiences there. The people are friendly, the food is great and the beaches are beautiful. Oh, and the University of New South Wales happened to have a great journalism program. So let’s be real, how could I not go?

Previous overseas travel: Peru, Costa Rica, Belize, Puerto Rico, Mexico & Canada.

Yaqi Tong – Paris, France

Vitals:  International  studies,  sociology, French Certificate (maybe), Integrated Liberal Studies Certificate(less likely)

Goals: I really want to improve my French (pronunciation, intonation, conversation, writing…). Hopefully I can be fluent (or close to) in French after a semester. However, people have warned me that before you feel embarrassed about your French, Parisiens will start talking to you in English. But I’m till glad that it’s not Mandarin。

– I’m also very excited about the classes I’m going to take. Literature, Art history, Sociology in Paris!

-Be a member of my homestay family and have a comfortable family life in Paris! Since I’ve been in boarding school ever since I was 13, family means something to me.

-Go to museums/ jardin/ historical sites as often as class. It’s a fair thing to do in Paris.

-have healthy interest in desserts.

-don’t lose anything and dress like a young lady every day.

Motivation:  Francophone culture somehow becomes the third most attractive culture to me (my first is China/Mandarin and second is US/English). I love French, it sounds so beautiful, I mean, if I speak it with some deliberate effort to make it sound beautiful as it should be. Also I love to “devour” culture in a way that by learning one language I will have the means to try to understand the culture of several countries scattered around the world but whose official language I know.  To accomplish those grand ideas, I need to gain language competence and know about the center of Francophone culture—Paris, France.

Also, I’m the kind of person who knows the “existentialism” before “a gooseflesh”.  The result is that I happen to know more French writers, artists, philosophers, sociologists, films and books than French cuisine or wine or just “life”. I’m glad that the Paris Spring Program offers homestay with a French Family. It seems that I’ll have a life in Paris!

Previous overseas travel:  U.S., Thailand

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