Where Will Penn Take You?

"I became increasingly aware of the importance of cultural humility and seeking to understand health and illness perception and care in different cultures. Being abroad allowed me to journey physically to a new place, but also mentally into another way of approaching healthcare."

"I was able to delve deep into the startup ecosystem of Southeast Asia while also conducting due diligence on broader industry trends. My entire internship experience has furthered my interest in financial services, and I definitely see myself working in venture capital at some point in my career."

"Going to Lebanon let me see the many ways in which religious and political identities often conflate, overlap, and even contradict through meeting all different kinds of people and learning their stories. The most valuable takeaway from my time abroad was learning empathy towards those with very different backgrounds from my own."

"You start to gain a global perspective the more you come in contact with different people and cultures. The more you challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone and to really immerse yourself in new cultures, the deeper your sense of compassion, tolerance, and understanding becomes.”

"My abroad experiences were purposely disconnected from my coursework and my major at Penn. I wanted to embark on travels that would broaden the scope of my knowledge base and expose me to fields of study and vocations that I was previously unfamiliar with. Both of my experiences did exactly that."

"Interning at Project Pengyou and learning about US-China relations further confirmed my desire to major in Global Analysis and possibly minor in International Relations. It has definitely motivated me, even more, to study abroad in Asia in the future. If you're even considering, do it! There is no better and more opportune moment."

"Through my courses abroad, I was able to achieve an auspicious balance between liberal arts courses that extended my cultural fluency and business courses that taught me international business practices, all the while learning in Spanish."

"Taking International Relations courses taught from a Mexican perspective greatly expanded my understanding of Mexico's foreign affairs. Learning about my own country from another country's point of view was extremely eye-opening and has helped me approach U.S. affairs with a much more holistic, objective mindset."