My time studying abroad with UTRGV expanded the way I understand people, culture, and service. Through this experience, I saw how creativity, tradition, and everyday human connection shape the way communities care for one another.
Studying in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Italy pushed me beyond my comfort zone and helped me become more adaptable, open minded, and self-aware. As a healthcare professional from the Rio Grande Valley, those lessons reshaped how I view leadership and the importance of empathy in any field.
I returned home with a deeper appreciation for my community and a stronger commitment to serving it with respect, humility, and a global perspective.
I am currently a graduate student here at UTRGV, and during my time as an undergrad, I had the privilege of participating in two amazing study abroad programs!
My first study abroad was to Germany during Summer 2023. It sounds cliche, but studying abroad really did change my life. I moved to the United States from Germany at a young age, but financial and familial complications hindered me from visiting my home country. Through scholarships and faculty support, I was able to return to Germany for the first time after nearly fifteen years. This opportunity allowed me to reconnect with an important aspect of my heritage, and to do so as a student hungry to learn more about the world made it an even more meaningful experience.
Coming back from Germany left me eager to travel again, and so that following winter, I embarked to Switzerland. While participating in the Winter 2024 Minimester, I saw the beautiful winter landscapes of Switzerland and its neighboring countries while experiencing first-hand the key marketing concepts that my course was teaching us. On top of that, I also made lifelong friends, both with people I met abroad and with fellow UTRGV students.
Studying abroad left me with so much more than a course credit: it nurtured my curiosity, it helped grow my confidence, and it encouraged me to take on new challenges in my academic and personal pursuits. It opened my eyes to the world outside of the RGV, and experiencing university culture in different countries has inspired me to apply to international PhD programs.
When I first stepped onto campus as a freshman, I never imagined that a simple visit to the Study Abroad Office would spark a dream that would eventually change my life. Although the idea stayed in the back of my mind for years, I eventually discovered UTRGV's Florence, Italy program-a perfect opportunity in a country I had always dreamed of visiting.
Applying was intimidating. I didn't know anyone in the program, and I questioned whether I was capable of taking such a big step on my own. Choosing to apply anyway became one of the most rewarding decisions I've ever made.
Studying abroad in Florence taught me independence, confidence, and the importance of pushing beyond my comfort zone. It expanded my perspective, showed me how much larger the world is than I had imagined, and inspired me to dream bigger for my future. From practicing Italian with locals and exploring historic cities to building lifelong friendships, every experience helped me grow in ways I never expected.
The program also reminded me that education extends far beyond the classroom. It is about embracing new cultures, saying yes to opportunities, and challenging yourself to see the world differently.
Looking back, studying abroad didn't just change my summer-it changed me. As an ISP Ambassador, I hope to encourage other students who may think these opportunities are out of reach. Sometimes the life you're meant to live is waiting just outside your comfort zone, and all it takes is one brave decision to discover what's possible.
Although I never imagined myself studying abroad, it's been the best thing I've ever done. If you would've told me last year I'd be studying abroad, I wouldn't have believed you. I went to South Korea last summer-Busan, Gyeongju, and Seoul-and what I thought would be a nice experience turned into something that completely reshaped how I see myself and the world.
The most meaningful part was volunteering and working with high school students. I expected to teach them something, but they ended up teaching me. Hearing about their lives-the constant cycle of studying, hagwons (academies), homework, sometimes working a job on top of it all-really opened my eyes. It struck me how similar our struggles are across the world, yet how different our circumstances shape them. They're dealing with pressures I'd never really considered, and they were curious about my life in ways that made me realize how much I take for granted.
But honestly, the hardest part wasn't the cultural differences. It was communicating in Korean. I wasn't fluent, and at first I was uncomfortable trying to express myself in a language I wasn't confident in. But that discomfort became the breakthrough. Being forced to slow down, think carefully about what I wanted to say, and just try-even when I stumbled-broke something open in me. I became a better listener, a better communicator, and way more comfortable with imperfection.
That's what studying abroad really gave me: not just memories or a transcript line, but the understanding that growth happens when you're uncomfortable. My advice to others: be ambitious. Throw yourself into places and situations that scare you, where you don't speak the language fluently, where you feel out of place. Because you'll come out somebody you never would've thought you'd become. I certainly did.