Alexandra Delaney, a Physiology and Neuroscience major and Biology minor, is studying at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. She has a clear vision of her academic goals: “I knew I wanted to be a scientist when I unlocked the mysteries of Jell-O at age five and as I grew older I decided a career in medicine and research was the best way to synthesize my interest in biology with international collaboration.” She decided Denmark would be the ideal location for her study abroad because the University of Copenhagen has an internationally recognized neuroscience PhD program and she hopes to work with an investigator in the neuroscience graduate program. In accepting the scholarship, Alexandra wrote: “I feel fortunate and immensely grateful. I hope I can live up to the legacy of all the previous applicants, and most importantly, Chris.” Reflecting on her upcoming year in Copenhagen, she said: “I do not know how I am going to be changed or what I will experience, but I know something remarkable is going to come of it. Study abroad will not be just another academic experience, it will be a transformation in lifestyle and attitude that will impact me for years to come. I will not waste this gift.” In July, Ray and Verena were pleased to welcome Alexandra to Davis and spend some hours in conversation with her. In Copenhagen she lives in a single room on a hallway where she shares a kitchen with 22 other students. “It’s like a big family and we all share chores and cooking.” To celebrate the end of exams in late October, Alexandra was planning to introduce her “family” to pumpkin pie. She enjoys biking around Copenhagen and practicing her Danish. While on a trip to Paris she spoke Danish so the French wouldn’t know she was an American. She is looking forward to witnessing history in the making when world leaders descend on Copenhagen for the Climate Change Conference in December.
Hannah Rahimi (Spain 2009-10)
A Composite Literature major in Spanish and English Literatures, Hanna Rahimi wrote in her application that “moving to Spain will help me further develop my sense of self, give me the opportunity to see new parts of the world, new ways of life, and new ways of thinking.” Hanna’s minor in music is grounded in her love of singing. In four years of high school she sang in fourteen different choirs, ranging from school choirs to community choirs to jazz ensembles. At UCSD she was a member of an all female a cappella group and the La Jolla Symphony Chorus. Hanna felt that “staying abroad for the year, rather than a shorter trip, will allow me to go beyond the blatant differences and discover the more subtle aspects of the culture that cannot be seen in a few months. Instead of being a visitor to the country, I will have the chance to be a part of it, to feel at home in a new and wonderful place.” Ray and Verena were fortunate enough to host Hanna for an afternoon in Davis prior to her departure for Spain. Since arriving in Spain, Hanna has explored Granada and its environs, hiking in the mountains around the city and loving the fact that everything in Granada is accessible on foot and the city is full of life at night. She posts detailed descriptions of her experiences on a blog, from the classroom to tourist trips to Barcelona and the beach. Early on, she noted that the most interesting difference between Spanish and American culture was the fact that time in Spain is “of no consequence, everything we do is at our leisure.”
Cindy Bao (China, 2009-10)
Cindy Bao, a Literatures of the World major with a minor in Chinese Studies, is studying at Peking University where she is taking courses in Chinese Literature. To prepare for her time at Peking University, she spent the summer in Beijing Normal University’s intense Mandarin course for American students. Cindy had her first experience of living in China through participation in the Legends of the Silk Road program in 2008. Through spending a full year immersed in Chinese culture, she hopes “to restore my disappearing connection to my cultural heritage” as well as find and secure her identity and “gain the understanding, wisdom and grace of the culture of my motherhood.” On her first morning in Beijing, Cindy discovered small eateries and bought thirty dumplings; on the second day, a group of EAP students got lost and were happy to end up in “hutongs,” or traditional residential areas.