Paterno Fellow
Hometown: Edison, NJ
Majors: Spanish & International Politics
Minor: Media Studies
How did you learn about this opportunity?
I found this program by investigating online through the various University resources.
"I want to work in the media industry and by going to Chile I have improved my conversational ability in Spanish."
Tell us a little bit about your experience.
Chile was wonderful! Santiago was the perfect mix of Latin American culture with a metropolitan atmosphere. This study abroad program is designed for the adventure seeker. There are two short trips that the program organizes for the students: the first to the historic city of Valparaiso and the other to La Serena. On this second trip we biked more than 80km over a period of two days. The sights that we saw were beyond words can explain. Chileans are very friendly; I came back with life-long friends and almost perfect fluency in Spanish.
What are your career goals or plans? How did this experience impact them?
I love languages and Spanish is the third language that I am learning. I believe that in the career market today, languages are essential. I want to work in the media industry and by going to Chile I have improved my conversational ability in Spanish. I hope to work for a business where I can utilize the languages I have learned. Chile also provided me the opportunity to become more open-minded to new cultures and people, another essential skill for the future. Lastly, I learned a great deal about myself as an individual through this experience. I feel like I have a new self-confidence and new motivation to succeed because of this trip.
Would you recommend this experience to other liberal arts students?
I recommend this trip 100% because it changed my own personal view on the world.