Spring 2010

Bremer, Banner

BremerVitals: Human Development and Family Studies; Child Development major, completing my undergraduate degree in 2011.

Goals: I am completely pumped to travel down under, and experience every aspect of the Australian culture. I plan to indulge in every opportunity that is presented to me, while meeting some pretty spectacular people along the way. Above all, my main goal is to spend a large quantity of time outside of the U.S., and breaking free of the sheltered bubble I have lived in for the duration of my life.

Motivation: The issue for me was never deciding that I wanted to go abroad to study, as traveling runs ragged through my veins. Instead, the meticulous part was making a decision about where I should head for this particular journey in my life. I did my research, paid attention to the signs, and landed on Sydney, Australia. It’s a country I’ve always dreamed of going to, and I truly feel this is where I am supposed to go!

Previous overseas travel: Mexico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden.

Frankel, Banner

 

Frankel

Vitals: Junior Political Science Major

Goals: I want to discover more about Southeast Asia’s rich history,

become somewhat capable of speaking Vietnamese, learn to like seafood, and see as much as I can while I’m there!

Motivation: I am a HUGE political science/international relations/human rights buff, so the history this part of the world holds for me is obvious. A core component of the program is the aftermath of the genocide in Cambodia (the last month of the program is in Cambodia) which I cannot wait for. Plus it’s pretty cool to be able to say “Back in Nam…”

Previous overseas travel: Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary

Tran, Banner

 

 

Tran, Grace 1

Vitals: Junior: Russian, history, certificate in REECAs

Goals: I am really excited to travel in Russia, and immerse myself in the culture. I want to meet as many people as I can.

Motivation: Once I started studying Russian history and literature, I knew that I had to go see these places myself. I have always wanted to study abroad, and this is the perfect opportunity!

Previous overseas travel: None – only border towns in Canada

Chadwick, Banner

ChadwickVitals: Junior Biology Major, Certificate in Global Cultures

Goals: I’m really excited to immerse myself in the culture, learn some of the languages, meet new people, try new foods, and explore new landscapes- around South Africa and hopefully surrounding countries too. I want to see things from a new perspective and bring back everything I’ve learned and share it with people here.

Motivation: I’ve always loved traveling but longed for a more lasting connection with the places I’ve gone or people I’ve met. I knew that studying abroad would be a great way to establish a life-long connection with a specific place, in addition to opening my mind to new ideas and perspectives. There are so many fascinating cultures in Africa, and someday I’d like to see many of them, but I chose to start my exploration in South Africa because it’s beautiful, very historically and culturally diverse, and offered the opportunity to study at one of the best universities in Africa.

Previous overseas travel: France and China.

Kuskowski, Banner

Kuskowski, AVitals: Junior English Major

Goals: I can’t wait to experience actually living in a new culture. More than anything, I want to get to know foreign places and people by being able to call a new country my home.

Motivation: Coming from a family that loves to travel part of me has always known I would study abroad someday. As one of the most diverse places on earth, a city like London will have a new adventure waiting each and everyday. Not to mention being so close to the rest of Europe I can travel to many other countries learning all that I can!

Previous Overseas Travel: England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Mexico, Canada

Stone, Banner

StoneVitals: Junior, Journalism and Communication Arts

Goals: To never pass up the chance to try something new, to talk to locals and explore the city beyond the main streets, and to eat as much gelato as possible.

Motivation: I love traveling, so studying abroad has been a long-time goal of mine. I knew I wanted to be able to experience another culture for a semester, but didn’t have a particular country in mind. When I came across the Florence program, I fell in love. Studying literature, art, and history in Italy for a semester while living in a 17th century villa? There’s no way I could let that opportunity get away!

Previous overseas travel: Scotland, England, France, Ukraine

Heeren, Banner

HeerenVitals: Junior double majoring in Economics and Business Management

Goals: I would love to immerse myself in Belgian culture and travel around Europe. I hope to veer off the beaten path and truly experience the different cultures in the region.

Motivation: I wanted to study abroad to expand my understanding of the world and learn from different perspectives. I have always loved traveling and studying abroad gives me the chance to experience the culture in ways I couldn’t by just visiting. I chose Brussels because of its central location in Europe and its role as capital of the European Union, which creates great educational opportunities.

Previous overseas travel: France, England, The Bahamas, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica

Kobiske, Banner

KobiskeVitals: Junior Psychology Major

Goals: My goals are to see as much of Ireland and learn as much about it as I possibly can in one semester. This is a once in a lifetime experience, and I plan to make the absolute most of it. I want to form some lasting friendships with international students and come back to Madison with boatloads of extraordinary memories to last me a lifetime.

Motivation: I’ve been planning on studying abroad since I was in kindergarten; I’ve always been curious about the rest of the world and traveling is a top life goal of mine. About three years ago my parents went to Ireland on vacation, and ever since I saw their pictures (and P.S. I Love You), I’ve been hooked. Everything from the beautiful countryside to the rich history just reels me right in, and I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather spend a semester.

Previous overseas travel: Mexico! But I’m not sure if Spring Break counts as a true cultural experience. Ireland is only the first of many international travels for me!

Carroll, Banner

CarrollVitals: Majoring in Political Science with a certificate in Archaeology

Goals: I have always wanted to become fluent in Spanish, so I chose a program that will have me living with a host family and taking all my courses in Spanish.

Motivation: I have already traveled to Western Europe several times and wanted to step out of my comfort zone with my study abroad experience. Peru made sense, since I really want to work on my Spanish and continue my study of archaeology. I also can’t wait to study archaeology in a country with a fascinating cultural history, and eat Peruvian cuisine. A lot of Peruvian cuisine.

Previous overseas travel: Volunteer work in Mexico, as well as trips to Germany, Spain, England, and France.

Torgerson, Banner

TorgersonVitals: Junior, Journalism and Spanish Major

Goals: I can’t wait to immerse myself in new culture and meet new people with different traditions, different interests and a different way of life. I also hope to become fluent in Spanish. They say one sign of fluency is dreaming in another language, I hope I come back and have many Spanish sueños!

Motivation: I chose to study in Spain because I wanted to continue to study Spanish and because I knew that there would be no other time in my life that I would have another opportunity to take courses while living in a foreign country.

Previous overseas travel: Peru, Italy, Netherlands, England, France, Canada, Mexico