Contact Ask Me About… As a native English speaker and proficient French speaker, I arrived in Barcelona knowing only a couple of Spanish phrases. I was surprised to discover that Catalan was the dominant language in daily life. At corner stores, instead of saying “buenos días,” I quickly learned to say “bon dia!” This immersion…
Contact Ask Me About… One unique aspect of my study abroad experience that other students should ask me about is what it’s like to be fully immersed—in language, culture, academics, and community engagement—all at once. I studied in Sevilla, Spain through a small program of about 25 students, which created a tight-knit community and allowed…
Contact Ask Me About… I intentionally chose the same destination—Australia—for both of my consecutive Penn Abroad programs. This decision gave me the unique opportunity to spend an extended period in a new country and explore its culture from multiple perspectives. Through the Penn Global Seminar (PGS), I was introduced to Aboriginal communities and visited remote,…
Contact Featured Blogs Ask Me About… My Experience Abroad I took classes related to my professional interests (ex. my sustainable and impact investing finance class), while also practicing Mandarin in every day life. I avoided taking elective classes early on in college, so I had a lot of space to study whatever I wanted while…
Contact Ask Me About… In 2024, I participated in three different Penn Abroad programs. I knew I wanted to go abroad but I wasn’t sure how, so I decided to engage with all three types of programs. I realize that scheduling constraints and competition for places means that all students don’t necessarily have this privilege,…
Contact Ask Me About… Growing up in Côte d’Ivoire, studying in the U.S., and now living in Paris, I’ve experienced education systems in French and English. Therefore, I am constantly code-switching, not just between languages, but between worldviews. I’ve had to adapt to new cultural norms, but I’ve also held onto the values that shape…
Contact Ask Me About… My Experience Abroad Studying abroad has granted me the opportunity to make meaningful steps down my academic path as a Biology major on the pre-med track with a Korean minor. This semester represented an immersive chance to test my language skills and advance my fluency. Although I’ve been studying Korean for a few years now, I…
Linda Gayle is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences studying international relations. Through GRIP, she is working at Civic Compass in Buenos Aires, Argentina, researching the relationship between technology and democracy, and applying this to developing advocacy training for Latin American nonprofit organizations. Linda is from the coast of the Chesapeake Bay…
Ask Me About… What it was like to be abroad for the first time, taking only Penn classes while also working in Spanish. My GRIP placement in Medellín was my first extended time living outside the United States, and it pushed me to adapt quickly to a completely new environment both academically and professionally. I…
Hana is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences studying International Relations with a concentration in Human Rights, and a minor in Religious Studies. During the summer, she will be in the city of Braga, Portugal working as a Legal Research Intern to advance research on human rights. Hana is excited about exploring…