Introduction

My name is Nia Worrell. I’m currently a last semester senior; I graduate May. I’m a double major in computer science and international studies with a minor in computer engineering. As for career goals, I’m focusing more on the computer
science side. I want to go into cybersecurity but am hoping to bring the global aspect from my international studies into it.

Study Abroad Experience

I went to Greece during my spring semester of junior year. I was based in Athens, but I did a lot of traveling outside of the city. I tried to immerse myself in the culture, which was one of my main goals. I tried to visit places
around the east of Europe. My roommates were also international students from Korea, Mexico, and Africa. Living with them was really fun, so that added a lot to my experience.

Did your study abroad experience help you develop you linguistic skills? If so, how?

Absolutely! Obviously I learned Greek, which is a very unique language and different from English. People there often speak English there, but in a different way, so knowing Greek helped me understand little nuances in
conversation. Learning how people add the culture aspect into language was really interesting. Everyone was so willing and happy to teach you these things because you learn the culture and get to take it back home with you.

What were the most meaningful takeaways from your internship experience? How did it enrich you professionally and/or personally?

My international studies focus’s is in global health, so it was interesting to see Greece’s medical situation, especially public insurance, which we don’t have in the U.S. That’s actually what I ended up writing my term paper about. On a personal level, it taught me to be more open. I also learned the ways that friendship dynamics work: in America we have the concept of good friends, close friends, and best friends; in Greece, there are different names, formalities, and expectations associated with these dynamics. That’s definitely something that I’ll use in my life, because theres a different connection there that we don’t necessarily have.

Introduction

I’m Trisha Ghosh, I’m currently a Senior studying computer engineering and international studies with minors in math and philosophy. My career goal right now is to get into cybersecurity, so I have been focusing on international security and diplomacy.

Study Abroad Experience

I studied abroad in New Delhi, India, and my internship was based on data privacy. I worked with an NGO called Pretham, which helps underprivileged students, particularly girls. A new law had come out in India, called the Digital Privacy Protection Act, similar to the GDPI act in Europe, which needed to be extended to companies across India. I worked with a team to come up with an accessibly-worded consent form, which was to be used in underprivileged areas, so that individuals could be made aware of their rights. The consent form was needed to help us record the progress that the students were making at school.

Was your study abroad experience supported by a grant/special funding? How did you approach the financial aspect of your student abroad experience?

I took a semester off to stay in India. New Delhi is my hometown, so I was staying at home and commuting from there. I spoke to my advisor, and was allowed to take a semester off.

What were the most meaningful takeaways from your internship experience? How did it enrich you professionally and/or personally?

Before this experience, I didn’t know how to present information using Excel and PowerPoint or give presentations to showcase my findings. Having different team members help me learn all of that was a valuable experience. Also, before I joined the NGO, there was no database containing information on the different programs and states that people were working in, so I was responsible for creating a database that tracked where and with who everyone was working. This helped me a lot in the computer engineering aspect.

Introduction

My name is Kintan Silvany, I am a fourth-year studying international studies and education. I really want to work in the global sphere of international education, specifically with immigrants and refugees. I want to become a diplomat and possibly become a teacher.

Study Abroad Experience

In the Spring 2024 Semester, I studied abroad at the University of Sydney. I went there to study the Indonesian language. Along with that, I completed an internship at the asylum seeker center, where I was a center support intern. I helped the office and the clients with their daily needs; it was a great experience overall.

Was your study abroad experience supported by a grant/special funding? How did you approach the financial aspect of your student abroad experience?

My study abroad was supported by the Gilman Critical Language Scholarship because I was studying the Indonesian language. I applied the semester before with a lot of help from the Education Abroad Office, especially Ms Cami Ross. She gave me a lot of guidance on how to apply, and a lot of tips. It was really great because it paid for my housing when I was there. I am grateful for the critical language scholarship because it  motivated me to learn the language.

Did your study abroad experience help you develop your linguistic skills? If so, how?

Indonesian is one of my native tongues, but because I grew up in America, I’ve assimilated to English as my native tongue. Growing up, I learned the informal way of speaking Indonesian because of being in a casual setting, like talking to my family. The experience helped me strengthen my vocabulary and learn how to differentiate between the formal and informal ways of speaking, which was really useful.

What were the most meaningful takeaways from your internship experience? How did it enrich you professionally and/or personally?

It really taught me what I do and don’t want to do. Originally, I thought of going into teaching right after graduation, but after the internship I realized that I want to do more community work and help people in the immigrant and refugee population. I like direct service work more than behind-the-scenes work; I think that the biggest impact you can have in a person’s life is by actually being in it.