GRIP: Elephant Community Press in Hong Kong For most of my life, I attended rural public schools where elementary school was a right turn from middle school, and high school one roundabout away. I lived in a little protected world in the middle of a prairie. Few ever left Stuarts Draft. Everyone’s educational ambitions centered…
GRIP: Wine, Heritage, and Hospitality in Porto, Portugal Never in my life did I imagine spending a summer in Portugal learning about wine, the tourism industry, and immersing myself in Portuguese culture. But here I am! All thanks to GRIP. A few days before my departure, I felt very nervous. While I had some experience…
GRIP: PR and Marketing in Bangkok, Thailand One thing no one warns you about before arriving in Bangkok is the weather—not just how hot and humid it is, but how quickly it changes. After multiple coworkers asked me how well I had adjusted to all of Bangkok’s rainy season, I naturally wondered: how bad can…
GRIP: Nursing Research in Dublin, Ireland Nervously before my first day of work, I preplanned my attire as if it were the night before a school field trip and anxiously lied down as I played out every scenario in my head. Most notably, the one where I was imagining myself pulling all-nighters because of how…
GRIP: Business in Sydney, Australia One of the more surprising challenges I encountered during my internship was learning how to take initiative in a professional setting. While the office environment has been incredibly warm and supportive, I initially found it intimidating to approach team members directly and ask for tasks. I always considered myself a…
GRIP: Entrepreneurship in Montevideo, Uruguay When people asked me where I was going to spend the summer and I answered “Uruguay,” I was often met with confused expressions or comments like “Where is that?” or “Isn’t that near Argentina?” Few people seemed to know much about the country, let alone its culture or community. But…
GRIP: Engineering Research in Singapore When I arrived in Singapore for my research internship at the National University of Singapore, I knew for sure I wanted to explore the local cuisine, a tantalizing combination of Chinese cuisine, Malaysian cuisine, Indian cuisine, and so much more. However, I didn’t expect the everyday act of ordering cai…
GRIP: Nursing Research in Dublin, Ireland Over the past two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to explore Dublin and other parts of Ireland, and it’s been such an eye-opening experience. I didn’t realize how rich in history Ireland is, and it feels like every part of the city has a story to tell. Learning about…
GRIP: Legal Research at University of Minho Law School in Braga, Portugal On Saturday, May 30th, we all took a much-anticipated day trip from Braga to Porto. It was early when we left, probably earlier than most of us wanted to be awake on a weekend, but the excitement of exploring a new city definitely…
GRIP: Sustainable Development in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam If I had to pick one of the most unexpected joys from living in Vietnam for 2 months, besides the delicious coffees, beautiful cafes, and scrumptious food, it would have to be hoarding my fruit for the week. Starting off my fruit journey midway through the…