France: Chloe Boehnen
Program: L’Institut Agro Montpellier Exchange, Spring
Chloe’s Major: Global Health
How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?
The academics at L’Institut Agro Montpellier were very different from what I had experienced at UW-Madison. The semester was divided into 3 parts with each being connected to a specific topic under one ‘parcours’ which was an overall outline for the semesters learning goals. I actually took my first part as a part of the Agroecology parcours but then switched to Plant Science parcours for the second and third parts. This organization was nice because you focused on one class and a specific topic for the whole month but the course work was much more intense than I was used to at UW-Madison. In the first section I found myself in class from 8 am to 8 pm with 2 hours for lunch and another hour break before I had French class from 6 pm to 8 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Friday for these 4 weeks we would go on a field trip to observe Farms to see how they had implemented Agroecological practices and why. The second section I got quite lucky as I was in involved in the Agropolis Research Community course and the project my group was supporting only needed us to come in once a week for an hour meeting while all other work we completed at home. However, the other groups were required to be in the lab from 9 am to 5 pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The final section was the most difficult for me despite the shorter hours mainly because I was not a fan of the Professor and I struggled with the material. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday we had class from 9:15 am to 5 pm with a 2 hour break for lunch. On Thursdays we would attend an English course to practice presenting and receive feedback on our project. Overall the subjects I learned about were very interesting but the intensity of the courses compared to those I took at UW-Madison and it was difficult for me to acclimate to.
My time abroad reminded me that understanding begins with curiosity—and that embracing difference is one of the most powerful ways to grow.
What is the moment you are most proud of?
The moment I’m most proud of happened during a late-night futsal tournament at the SupAgro campus in Montpellier. I’ve played soccer my whole life, but I’ve never felt truly confident in my abilities. When I started at UW–Madison, my own anxieties held me back from trying out for the club team. By the time I studied abroad, it had been nearly four years since I last played competitively. One day, a classmate named Fabio invited me to join his team for a small futsal tournament. I was terrified. As we stepped onto the court for the first match, my heart was racing and my legs felt like jelly. But then the whistle blew—and something shifted. My nerves disappeared, and all I wanted to do was play. The matches were short, and although our first team only made it through three games before being knocked out before the semifinals, I didn’t want the night to end. That’s when another student from my class, Boubacar, came over and asked if I would join his team. He even complimented how I played. That small moment of recognition meant the world to me. I said yes immediately. With Boubacar’s team, we won the rest of the tournament—and I even scored an incredible goal in the semifinals. I felt joy, confidence, and pride like I hadn’t in years. I wished I had joined the SupAgro team from the beginning. A few weeks later, I ran into one of the girls from the SupAgro team after class. She invited me to come to training. I said no, this which I regret. That invitation, and the confidence I’d found on the court, reignited something in me though and I’m carrying that spark forward—I’ve already signed up to join a soccer league this summer. This experience reminded me how much I love the game—and that I am capable, even when doubt tries to tell me otherwise.
What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?
The greatest thing I learned during my time abroad is that everyone carries stereotypes when meeting new people—but it’s what we do with those assumptions that determines whether they become harmful or enlightening. The world is vast and diverse, and when we reduce people to the stereotypes we’ve absorbed, we limit ourselves to a narrow view. But when we engage in open, meaningful conversations with those who are different from us, we begin to see beyond labels. These deeper interactions challenge the assumptions we didn’t even realize we held, and in doing so, they reshape our understanding of the world—and each other. Within my group of friends, mostly international students, we often joked about the stereotypes we had before coming to Montpellier—about Americans, Germans, Chileans, the French, and more. What made these conversations meaningful was our willingness to reflect on how we did or didn’t fit those stereotypes. As time went on, those surface-level assumptions faded into the background, and we began to see one another as individuals—distinct from our nationalities. This aspect of my exchange was incredibly valuable. It taught me that stereotypes aren’t always inherently negative; they’re often a starting point shaped by limited exposure. But when we treat them as fluid and open to challenge, they can become opportunities for learning rather than barriers to connection. My time abroad reminded me that understanding begins with curiosity—and that embracing difference is one of the most powerful ways to grow.