Stefan Hatch
CAS ’26
Urban Studies & Psychology
PGS: Palermo: Empires Migration and the Mafia
GRIP: Lien Centre for Social Innovation in Singapore
SA: Queen Mary University of London
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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, so I am happy to talk to students who are deciding which programs they want to engage with.
I also am a double major, and managed to secure credit for both majors while abroad. I am excited to work with students to find scheduling solutions that keep them on track academically – especially for Urban Studies and Psychology.
My Experience Abroad
As an Urban studies major, the ability to explore dozens of cities across three different continents during my travels helped me globalize much of my theoretical knowledge I had accumulated in the classroom and around Philadelphia. I also learned how to find good food, use local transit, and spontaneously explore new places, skills which will be useful for the rest of my life and potentially my career. I also learned about how cities work, and got an invaluable first-person perspective to many cities, which sparked my curiosity to explore the history of these places more.
Other Highlights
- Bonding with people from Penn.
While I certainly met people from my exchange sites, the abroad programs I was in also gave me the opportunity to connect and deepen friendships with other students from Penn. Whether that was my classmates in a PGS, my GRIP cohort, or people I met alond the way while studying abroad, I came back to Penn with more friends than I had left with. - Having free time. Separation from Penn and its hyperactive mentality makes you realize how busy things can get. All study abroad opportunities will give you free time to explore your city, hobbies, and travel interests. While some people say that the transition back to Penn can be difficult, I found that the extended change in pace in my life allowed me to feel restored and grounded upon returning to a busy life at Penn.
- Time alone. At Penn, I often found it hard to bring myself to enjoy things alone, even if I wasn’t in the mood for socializing. But while abroad, I often found myself going for walks, meals, sporting events, and even a few trips all by myself. Like the other two things in this list, spending time by yourself can be done anywhere, but for me, being abroad enabled me to increase my comfort with solo experiences.
