Student Spotlights

Student Spotlights

Oles studying abroad/away are pursuing exciting opportunities with various programs and universities both abroad and away! Student Spotlights highlight their transformative experiences Oles have learning, participating in clubs, and so much more while studying abroad abroad/away.

Infinite Voyage of Dreams by Alliance Umutoni Ishema ’25

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Name: Sophie (she/her)

Major(s): Gender & Sexuality Studies

Concentration(s): Public Health

Study abroad/away program: University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland)

Term abroad/away: Fall 2022

Trinity Alps Wilderness — **Name:** Ruby (she/her)

**Major(s):** Environmental Studies

**Concentration(s):** n/a

**Study abroad/away program:** Oregon Extension (Ashland, Oregon, USA)

**Term abroad/away:** Fall 2022

The biggest difference for me was generally the lifestyle difference. My program was tucked away in the mountains of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Southern Oregon, and we students lived in cabins and attended daily lectures and small group discussions in our professor’s homes. Alongside school, we spent our time helping to maintain the campus farm through weekly farm posts and Friday chores. Life moved a lot slower on the mountain and we were given more time to spend time outdoors, cook meals together, read good books, and experience everyday life away from the distractions that come with modern technology and cell-phones.

I learned that, despite my past hesitations, I really enjoy having small group discussions. I used to struggle when participating in class discussions and dreaded going to class on days when I knew I would be expected to share my own ideas. My program gave me the space and the time to grow into a person who is comfortable sharing their ideas, and I learned that I actually really enjoy sharing my thoughts, as long as I am given time to articulate and think through them, which can be hard to accomplish in the fast-paced discussions that can be present in standard college classrooms today. I also learned that I really enjoy small, community-based work, as I got to experience intentional and meaningful community endeavors through my work on the campus farm with my peers.

Even though my program was not outside of the United States, I was still very surprised by how different my everyday life looked there compared to at St. Olaf. It was a more relaxed and community-focused way of life that emphasized connection and intentionality. My lack of access to my cell phone during the week allowed me to engage with and build strong connections with my peers, and also allowed me to spend more time trying new things such as gardening, farm management, salve making, kombucha making, attending sourdough workshops, and more. My life became very hands-on; I harvested some of the food I cooked with, cooked and shared meals with my cabin members, participated in weekly community chores, and chopped and hauled firewood that I then used to heat my cabin with using a wood stove. My daily actions felt more meaningful because I learned in many ways how to provide for myself and my life.

11/9/22 National Taiwan University – Guoching Dormitory — **Name:** Hannah (she/her)

**Major(s):** Chinese

**Study abroad/away program:** Term in Taiwan at National Taiwan University

**Term abroad/away:** Fall 2022

Trinity College Dublin Long Room — **Name:** Ainsley (she/her)

**Major(s):** English

**Concentration(s):** Gender and Sexuality Studies

**Study abroad/away program:** Trinity College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)

**Term abroad/away:** Fall 2022

Il Bosco Verticale — **Name:** Muqeet

**Major(s):** Quantitative economics, statistics & data science, finance area of emphasis

**Study abroad/away program:** IES Abroad Milan – Business Studies (Milan, Italy)

**Term abroad/away:** Fall 2022

I would say that the biggest difference between studying at St. Olaf and studying abroad in Milan, Italy, was the sociocultural experience. Students had to commute daily from their place of residence to the IES Center or other locations where classes were held, since there was not a purpose-built residential campus. It was also expected of students to be well-dressed when leaving their place of residence, whereas at St. Olaf, it is a relatively casual environment.

Student Spotlights

Student Spotlights

Sophie ’25 – University of Aberdeen

Ruby ’25 – Oregon Extension

Hannah ’24 – Term in Taiwan

Ainsley ’24 – Trinity College Dublin

Muqeet ’23 – IES Milan