University of Wisconsin–Madison

Iceland: Sophia Grams-Weston

Program: UW Field Study in Iceland, Summer

Sophia’s Major: Genetics and Genomics

Here's me at Thórsmörk with a glacier to my right and a volcano to my left!
Here’s me at Thórsmörk with a glacier to my right and a volcano to my left!

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

My most memorable experience is when our group went over to Thórsmörk, where we not only did our field study but also hiked 1600 ft. At the top we could see a glacier to our right and a volcano to our left (pretty on brand for the land of ice and fire). This truly was an awe-inspiring experience. It was so beautiful. Hiking up all that way and getting to see that view as a reward was the best feeling!

Overall this class taught me a lot and helped me gain lots of new connections that will help me in my future studies.

My second favorite part of the program was seeing all the waterfalls. This was one where we had to walk through a cave to see!
My second favorite part of the program was seeing all the waterfalls. This was one we had to walk through a cave to see!

Describe your internship, research, or fieldwork and how the experience helped advance your career or studies.

My program was full of people from different backgrounds and majors. Doing field studies with people that have different perspectives and knowledge was definitely a challenge at times but it also created new ideas. This helped remind me that research and generally jobs have you working as a team and that despite it being difficult it helps build on many skills like compromise, leadership, and creativity.

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

I know the two weeks there seems like a short time but it’s full of so much that it feels like you got to see everything within that short period. This program is definitely worth it; you’re going to learn so much and meet so many cool people!