GRIP: FinTech in Medellín, Colombia When I first decided to plan a trip to Cartagena with my cohort, I thought it would just be a quick getaway; a chance to see the coast, do some sightseeing, and then come back to Medellín refreshed. What I didn’t expect was how much it would change the way…
GRIP: FinTech in Medellín, Colombia When I landed in Medellín for my GRIP internship, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I knew I’d be working with a large construction and real estate company, but the day-to-day reality ended up being much more dynamic and hands-on than I imagined. Within my first week, I found…
GRIP: FinTech in Medellin One of the most interesting parts of Colombian culture shock this summer was my experience being in the Amazon’s rainforest and meeting its people. For four nights, I toured the river-region of the Colombian Amazonas department. There, I stayed in its capital city of ~35,000 and then briefly lived on an…
Contact Ask Me About… Living and working in a new language: While staying in Argentina for two months, I had to navigate day-to-day life and a workspace in a new language. Being an international student from Germany I have had a similar experience coming to the US for college, nevertheless, spending an entire summer only…
GRIP: Markenetics in Montevideo, Uruguay There’s a word in Spanish with no true English equivalent: sobremesa. It describes the time spent after a meal, not eating, but simply enjoying each other’s company. Reflecting on my time in Montevideo, I’m not just grateful to know what sobremesa means. I’m grateful to have lived it, and to…
Contact Ask Me About… Studying abroad is undeniably life-changing, but it also brings moments that can be difficult to hear about or experience firsthand. I would like to share my answer to the question: “What is a situation that was emotionally taxing, yet ultimately changed me?” When I was in Cape Town, I witnessed the…
Contact Ask Me About… Through my experience abroad, I had to learn how to work and communicate in my second language. I quickly realized that speaking Spanish in real life was much different than my experiences in the classroom, especially when I was expected to contribute in a professional environment. At the same time, it…
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,…
GRIP: Social Impact in Buenos Aires, Argentina “Por qué amo a Buenos Aires” – Eladia Blázquez Porque hay amor en tus baldosasy es el dolor la misma cosa,porque te amo y me embriago con tu aireal nombrarte, Buenos Aires, en mi canción. Translation: Because there’s love in your sidewalksand pain feels like just another part,because…
GRIP: Entrepreneurship in Montevideo, Uruguay Of the many stories I carry from my years in Spanish classes, one that has stayed with me and has proven to be surprisingly relevant during my time in Montevideo, was told by my sixth grade Spanish teacher. She had been living abroad in Spain and was recounting her day…
