Melissa Arreola is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, double majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Comparative Politics and in History with a concentration in Political History. In the spring of 2026 she will be studying abroad at the Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, where she will learn about Mexican politics and history.…
Semester Abroad: Exchange at Penn Hanxi, one of the Exchange at Penn Correspondents, shares her experience here at Penn during the Fall 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. As finals, projects and presentations approach, my exchange semesters at Penn are quietly reaching its end. It’s…
Semester Abroad: Exchange at Penn Franz-Josef, one of the Exchange at Penn Correspondents, shares his experience here at Penn during the Fall 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. There is a parable I return to when I think about my first weeks in the United…
Semester Abroad: Exchange at Penn Kelyn, one of the Exchange at Penn Correspondents, shares her experience here at Penn during the Fall 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. Every exchange starts like a recipe you’ve never tried before, equal parts excitement and uncertainty. It might…
Semester Abroad: Exchange at Penn Amanda, one of the Exchange at Penn Correspondents, shares her experience here at Penn during the Fall 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. If you’re considering studying abroad at the University of Pennsylvania but feel overwhelmed with the idea of…
Semester Abroad: Exchange at Penn Hanxi, one of the Exchange at Penn Correspondents, shares her experience here at Penn during the Fall 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. When I entered Franklin Field with my PennCard, the sound of the marching band was already echoing…
GRIP: Ashoka in Mexico City, Mexico As my time in Mexico comes to an end, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve experienced, what I’ve learned, and what I’ll carry with me. I’m proud of how much I’ve pushed myself to try new things, both big and small. I cut my hair, wandered through…
GRIP: Ashoka in Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City (CDMX) is considered the “New York City” of Mexico. After all, it is the largest city in North America—even bigger than New York City’s 8 million residents—with its population of 22 million. Being born and raised in Queens, New York, I immediately started scanning for similarities and…
Contact Ask Me About… What makes my experience stand out is how I pursued immersion as both a social and academic practice. I saw the trip not just as a series of destinations, but as a chance to understand the why behind every place, person, and performance. Every bit of free time became a research…
Contact Ask Me About… Studying at the University of Havana in fully Spanish courses was one of the most unique and challenging experiences of my college journey. Although I had taken Spanish courses at Penn, nothing compared to the complexity and speed of Cuban Spanish. I had to adapt quickly, not just to the language,…