#globaluprogram

By: Rachel Payne

Program: Chemistry Research in Germany

Term: Summer 2018

“The process of elimination is more about being willing to try something new than being able to reject something outside the scope of your view. I tried something new and I didn't enjoy it. More than being a waste of time, it refined my view of the future.”

Earning the Career Development Badge:

Work in Germany wasn't easy, particularly in my lab. Expectations were extremely high and staying overtime was normal. Over time, I found myself dragging my feet into work, dreading the monotonous flow of reactions that would absorb my time. Eventually my research postdoc caught my lack of enthusiasm and asked what he could do to help. After a lengthy conversation over lunch, the situation improved. As it turns out, organic synthesis just isn't my area of interest. I love the process of research, the questions, the analysis, even the experimental writeups: I just don't enjoy the subject itself. Upon returning to the United States I enrolled in entirely new coursework in nuclear engineering. Turns out I love it. Now I am very involved with nuclear research, working my way towards radiochemistry graduate school. Without the experience in my German lab, I likely would not have traveled the same career path.

Earning the Research Experience Badge:

Resiliency is the key to success in science and research. There were many times in my lab when I would put days' worth of work into a synthesis scheme, only to have molecules turn out impure or unusable. For example, I spent an entire week on purification of a single fluorescent target, only to have the analysis data tell me it wasn't even there to begin with! The entire time I had been isolating one of the impurities. My only option was to go back to the drawing board, reconsider my synthesis plan, and then try a different method. As my postdoc pointed out, there wasn't any use to dwelling on my failure; I should learn from my mistake and move on. In order to succeed, I must be able to fail and move on from that failure. Some problems can't be solved with one swift answer, especially in research.

Transferable Skills:

By: Jayden Howard

Program: Cuba: Complexity, Community, and Change

Term: Fall Break 2018

“My experience in Cuba impacted my experience as a student at the U by encouraging me to seeking more opportunities to do things and go places I have never seen before and also be cautious of the type of community member and citizen I am and want to be in the future.”

Earning the Community Engagement Badge:

This experience has genuinely changed the way I view travel and community. I will never be able to travel without trying to find the roots of a community's culture, like you would find at a place like Muraleando. Muraleando really showed me what it means for a community to come together and solve a problem. In this small corner of the outskirts of Havana, this community turned a mound of trash into an arts center to help foster new artists by teaching them new craft. I have been shown that being an active part of a community isn't just about living or working within it, but is more about knowing and caring for neighbors and coming together when needed. I was able to experience a community that blossomed and welcomed us with open arms.

Earning the Career Development Badge:

This experience taught me a lot about the type of professional I want to be in my future career. One of the biggest dreams for a future job for me is that it includes working internationally. This study aboard opportunity gave me confidence that when I travel for work in the future that I can do so as a professional and show up ready to go and take as much from the experience as possible. It also showed me the importance of being positive and adaptable in every moment. Being aboard could be potentially stressful and may not always go as planned. That's how I learned that the ability to keep a level head and a smile on my face when things go array was not only good for me, but also helped my team.

Transferable Skills:

By: Mahalia Lotz

Program: Intensive German Language & Culture

Term: Summer 2018

“Participating in the learning abroad program provided me the opportunity to connect with my German speaking family more fully. I am now able to better understand the culture we share and speak to them in their native language.” 

Earning the Community Engagement Badge:

While earning the community engagement badge I was able to connect to a much wider German community than my immediate family. I visited a home for older adults twice a week and grew close with many of the residents. Through conversation that grew gradually more fluent each week they shared memories of simple life experiences and profound reflections. Though they spoke slowly, I still had to listen carefully, as they often spoke in very quiet or slurred voices, or in a heavy dialect. I walked with them, played games with them, and drank coffee with them, so we provided the gift of company to each other. But they did the greater service to me, welcoming me into their home and patiently practicing their language with me. They were the most gracious instructors.

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

The main reason I chose to participate in the Kiel, Germany program was to improve my language skills. I wanted to be able to connect to my German family and German heritage through language. I spent significant portions of my childhood with the German language in my ear, so I knew I had an aptitude for it, but I had very little formal training. The instructor and classroom in Kiel provided the perfect supplement to my preexisting German language skills. The curriculum was flexible, and focused on conversational fluency with an emphasis in grammar. It was rigorous, but engaging. I found plenty of opportunities during and after class to practice new skills, and I noticed a hug improvement in my German fluency after five weeks studying in Kiel.

Transferable Skills:

By: Jasmine Johnson

Program: Intensive Japanese Language in Osaka, Japan

Term: Summer 2018

“Even the smallest of things can be a learning experience. Appreciate every opportunity you have to meet new people and experience new things. You never know what you might learn and discover.”

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

During my time in Japan, I greatly improved my language skills by being immersed in the culture and language. I communicated with other students in both English and Japanese. Many of the Japanese students at the college were learning English while I was learning Japanese. This allowed us to help each other study and improve our skills in the other's native language. It was very interesting and made learning fun because we were able to connect with each other as we studied. While on the program, I was learning every second of every day but I didn't really feel like I was working because I was enjoying myself. Even just simple things like going shopping or going out to eat were a learning experience and an opportunity to improve my language skills. I had never experienced something like that before because this was my first time visiting somewhere outside of America. I felt like I spoke more English than I should have, but when I returned and continued to communicate with friends I had made, I realized I had very much improved my understanding of Japanese without even realizing. While the Japanese class helped a lot, I think that the real-world experiences were far more valuable and useful. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Transferable Skills:

By: Alessandra Cipriani-Detres

Program: Intensive Spanish Language & Culture in Oviedo, Spain

Term: Summer 2018

"Oviedo will be an important part of my life forever. Everyone I got to know including my host family and new friends played a huge role in making this such a positive experience. Viva España."

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

I learned Spanish all throughout high school and what I learned was never enough for me to become even remotely fluent. Living with a host family during my time abroad allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and make mistakes which improved my Spanish speaking skills more during this five-week program than these past five years. It was also very helpful that I wasn't studying in a big city like Madrid or Barcelona since it would have been very easy to fall into the trap of not speaking in Spanish since most people in large cities know English. One of my favorite parts from the program was doing a scavenger hunt around Oviedo with our group. It was a nice end to my time in Spain because I got to walk around a city I had gotten to know extremely well in such a short amount of time. We also had to speak in Spanish during this event to do a cheese tasting, ask locals to take pictures of ourselves, and ask around for directions. I am extremely grateful for this program. In the future, I would love to live in a Spanish speaking country for an extended period of time to learn about another culture and to prefect my Spanish.

Transferable Skills:

By: Jonas Glick

Program: Intensive French Language and Culture

Term: Summer 2018

“The Learning Abroad experience has impacted my student experience in providing me a real sense of internationalism. I realize that people all over the world are just like me, they hope, they work and they try to enjoy life to the fullest. This has been one of the greatest things I have learned while attending the University of Utah.”

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

This badge's requirements helped me hone my language skills. It provided constant opportunities to practice my language skills in an environment in which there were native speakers. It allowed me to make connections with new people that I still have contact with today. The language Immersion program allowed me to feel comfortable using the language in all aspects of my stay in France and helped to make my experience be the best that it could be. I was skeptical at first how much of a difference it would make to be living in the country and using this language, rather than staying in Utah and using the language exclusively in the classroom. However, even in the classroom, I felt myself push ahead to the head of the class because I was applying myself more to learn the language and trying to immerse myself in it. To this day, my knowledge of French helps me make connections with others and this is because of the confidence I gained through the immersion experience.

Transferable Skills:

By: Rachel Smith

Program: Intensive French Language and Culture

Term: Summer 2017

“My learning abroad experience has increased my desire to perfect my French so I may use it in my future career. I would like to work for an international company and   apply for a internship abroad. It has secured my desire to   become a translator of some sort and I hope to one day use French to further my career.”

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

I took three classes in French while in country. One was an intensive upper-level  grammar course which I attended the entire five weeks. Another was an oral perfection class where we practiced speaking the language with other students and the other was French Culture class where we discussed various events in France's history. All of the instruction of my courses was taught in French. I had to communicate daily in French with my host-family as well as in class, shopping, or out at   restaurants. Language is very important in everyday life and my French Culture class really showed how it has affected   history as well. We visited museums and at the end of the class Paula took us to the center of town and showed us where the events we discussed in class took place. The ability to discuss these historical events in French with the French friends that I met was a wonderful experience as I was able to hear and understand their perspective of how it affected their country. Being surrounded by the language meant I was learning new words and phrases constantly. It improved my French immensely as I now see I remember more vocabulary than my fellow students who have not yet had the ability to visit a French-speaking country.

Transferable Skills:

By: Diana Castro

Program: Intensive French Language and Culture in Grenoble, France

Term: Summer 2018

"‘Capture all the moments’- Doing exactly just that made my study abroad more interesting. The little things you notice are important and you wouldn't imagine what great experiences you gain from that. Putting myself out there and enjoying the city was breathtaking. Taking every moment as an optimistic behavior was the best way to enjoy my experience.”

Earning the Language Immersion Badge:

Overall, earning the language immersion badge in Grenoble, was incredible. Since I was 12 years old taking French it has always been my passion and goal to make that a reality and it did. It definitely felt like a dream being in France doing what I love the most, eating lots and lots of crepes. I enjoyed it to the fullest, making friends and getting involved as much as I could with the culture and community. I felt so comfortable to be there and communicating with local French people. My professors at the CUEF were excellent leaders in guiding me to the level of French I needed. They truly were great supporters the time I spent there helping me focus on the areas I needed to work on more. My mind opened up to new ideas of the French culture, language, to experiencing the real life of a francophone in that beautiful city. I was privileged to be learning the language for six weeks and if I could do it once more I would. The connections and friendships built are memorable and impacted my life in an educational, personal, and professional way. I admire my host family for letting me be part of there home for the love and support they gave me. Those six weeks were definitely not enough to cover all the wonderful things you can encounter there, but I will continue to share my experience with all the students that are interested in this study abroad program. "It is truly life changing"!

Transferable Skills: