Why abroad? Why Gilman?

            To say that going abroad was a life changing experience sounds so cliché, but the reality is there really is no other way to describe it. No matter how much you read, study, or investigate, nothing compares to lived experience, and in our globalized world we need more people who genuinely understand other cultures and societies because they have actually lived in them. For me, my time in Santiago, Chile was both humbling and liberating. It gave me new perspective not only on the world and my place in it, but also on myself as an individual with the power to make choices.

Another undeniable reality is that studying abroad is expensive, a fact which deters many potential social leaders from pursuing it. This is where I offer my knowledge and assistance to all of you who excitedly await your own program’s start dates, but who also are not doubt aware of the financial burden you face. For my study abroad program I received a $3000 scholarship from the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Foundation. It was this scholarship that made my study abroad experience come to fruition in a manner that released me from the stress of taking more government loans. This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. Their goal is to broaden the student population who study abroad by offering scholarships to those who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints. They offer 2300 scholarships of up to $5000 each per year and even offer an additional $3000 scholarship to recipients studying languages identified as critical need. The application process is relatively simple, one short essay and a follow-up project upon return, and the benefits are undeniable.  I know that, for most of you, the idea of writing another essay is about as appealing as pulling teeth, but you cannot pass up the opportunity to get up to $5000 to help with your study abroad expenses!!!

In addition to providing all of you with this information, I will act as a student advisor to any of you who wish to apply for this wonderful scholarship. Feel free to email me a draft of your essay for editing, or any other questions you may have about the application process you can either post here or email me at amichals@ucsc.edu

I hope that all of you have as life changing and memorable experiences abroad as I did and that you take advantage of this great scholarship opportunity!! Happy travels!

The trip

            Probably the most memorable thing about my first few weeks abroad was how unbelievably tired I was. Not physically, as I had not found a good place to exercise, but mentally. Even though I had studied Spanish for 5 years before stepping foot in Chile, I was not prepared for the mental exertion required when surrounded by it 24/7. It wasn’t until I had been in Chile for more than a month that I actually felt I had gotten the hang of things, although people still occasionally chuckled at my language errors. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for immigrants in the U.S. who come with little or no exposure to English, and I now have a new level of respect and empathy them.

            The next thing I learned was how to take initiative in order to get what I wanted out of living abroad. Given the way my program was organized and the relative shyness of Chileans, it would've been very easy for me to spend the majority of my time with other Americans from my program, speaking mostly English and living a social bubble isolated from the real Chile. Part of me was tempted by this situation, as were many others, because it was familiar. However, I realized early on that I had chosen to live abroad because I wanted to experience another culture, and the only way I was going to do that was through my own initiative. So I broke away from comfortable presence of other Americans and sought to make friends with locals. The depth and potency added to my experience living abroad was unmeasurable, and the willingness to go out of my comfort zone and take initiative will help me throughout my life.

             During my time in Chile I traveled to Uruguay, Argentina, and explored a large portion of the Chilean countryside. I sang in a choir, tried belly-dancing, got lost countless times on the buses, and learned not to let my limited Spanish skills frighten me from speaking up in class. I went skiing in the Andes, repelled off a 100ft cliff, mountain biked around a volcano, and learned that life always has something unexpected up its sleeve. My internship with the Inglés Abrás Puertas program run by the Chilean government solidified my desire to become a teacher so I can help cultivate and expand new minds to the myriad of possibility. And if I could offer one piece of advice to those dreaming of going abroad I would say: Dreams will remain dreams until you initiate!