Achim Lyon, a third year student in Cognitive Science with a minor in Chinese Studies, left for Beijing in June to participate in an intensive language program over the summer. Now he is studying at Peking University, taking classes in reading, writing, oral Chinese and classical Chinese poetry. “All have proven to be extremely challenging,” writes Achim, “but that is a small price to pay for the opportunity to engage in such a richly international classroom environment.” During the summer-fall break he traveled by train to Wuhan, Chongqing (with a side trip to view the Three Gorges by boat), Kunming and Shanghai. In addition to sightseeing, Achim was the first member of his family to visit his sister-in-law’s parents in Yunnan province. He writes fascinating and insightful accounts about ordinary and extraordinary events in his daily life in China. To catch the full flavor, visit http://www.xanga.com/Achim.
Jonathan Wang (Japan, 2003-04)
Jonathan Wang‘s choice to major in Computer Science with a minor in Japanese Studies is reminiscent of Chris’ combination of science and humanities. He is aiming for a career in computer graphics and animation, artificial intelligence and sound manipulation. Jonathan is spending his year at Osaka University taking engineering classes, doing research and honing his fluency in Japanese. Living in the Foreign Student House, he is paired up with a faculty member for a research project involving virtual reality. As for other courses, Jonathan describes a situation very different from that found in U.S. universities: “I cannot say for certain which classes I’m taking. In Japan a student can enter a class at any time, because entering a class requires no more or less than the professor’s permission. So one can theoretically enter a class the day before finals and pass. What this means, however, is that I will have to attend classes I’m thinking of taking before I can decide which ones to attend to the end of the semester, and which professors to speak to for their permission.” Jonathan contrasted the rigorous testing that determines what high school and college a Japanese student can attend with the relaxed demands on the Japanese college student.
Why did Jonathan decide to go to Japan? “My interest in Japan is based on a mixture of its history, its modern media, and both old and modern culture. Japan is in many ways what American cities are not – it is compact, homogenized, commercialized to the point of being systematized, and there exist standards of politeness, quality, and customs that are unmatched in any other place I have visited. I wanted to come to Japan to be in the middle of a culture which puts so much emphasis on the new, the next, and innovation. I wanted to meet the caliber of people who manage to survive the trying process of becoming a student at a prestigious Japanese university. Most of all, I wanted to be in a world where when I wake up every morning I can expect something new to be seen and learned. Everything is different here, and I love it that way.”
Brian Israel (England, 2003-04)
Brian Israel was able to visit with Ray and Verena in Davis prior to his departure for a year at the University of Bristol School of Law in the United Kingdom. We heard first-hand about some of Brian’s many international experiences in a number of countries in Latin America and Europe, his efforts “to harness technology to shrink the distance between young people around the world” through his project called “The Internationalist,” his involvement in student government and his aspirations to practice international law. After our evening together, Brian wrote: “It is extremely refreshing to learn that others share my desire to spread opportunities for international experience, and your efforts inspire me.” Earlier he had written: “For me it is both challenging and at the same time immensely stimulating to step outside of my North American ideology and into one very different from my own to make sense of events in the world. I much prefer to view the world as a primary text rather than reading someone else’s account of it, and my travels have allowed me to do this.” Living with Portuguese and Serbian roommates will undoubtedly add new perspectives, too.
With a major in International Studies/Political Science and a minor in European Studies, Brian is now taking classes in EU Politics and European Law. Before classes began, he commented that his “academic life is going to be radically different than it is in San Diego – the style of instruction is as different as the place in which it is set.” He continued: “This year I hope to gain a lot of insight into an interest and possible research topic of mine. I am interested in the way in which many Central/Eastern European countries are having to reform their legal/economic systems to fulfill their EU aspirations and/or to attract foreign investment. I became especially interested in this during my recent trip to Belgrade, where I spoke with many international lawyers about the subject.” He hopes to follow up his research in Belgrade next summer.
Jacob Habinek (Hungary & Czech Republic, 2003-04)
With a double major in General Biology and Religion, Jacob Habinek is planning to pursue graduate studies in Religion after finishing his undergraduate degree. He will divide his year abroad between Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary (fall 2003) and Charles University’s Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education (CERGE) in Prague, Czech Republic (spring 2004). In a recent letter, Jacob commented: “While there is little I can pursue here with regards to my Biology major, Central Europe offers a fascinating number of opportunities for the student of religion, having been a meeting place of religious traditions for nearly a thousand years and many times a model of coexistence or a flashpoint of religious conflict during that tenure.” To improve his understanding of these complex situations and developments in the formerly Communist countries, Jacob is taking Sociology, Anthropology and History classes during the fall semester, and learning Hungarian as well. The fact that his ancestors came from this part of the world gives him an added motivation to learn about the region.
Marisol Gutiérrez (Mexico, 2003-04)
Marisol Gutiérrez is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Spanish Literature and plans a career in Immigration Law. At UCSD she worked on the bilingual newspaper “Voz Fronteriza” and performed with the Aztec Dance Group. This year Marisol is enrolled at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City, getting used to a different teaching style (“mostly one-on-one learning and debate with the professors”) while taking classes like Government and Public Issues and The Sociology of Indigenous Cultures in Mexico. She is trying to join UNAM’s soccer team and starting to practice Aztec dance. Besides travel to various destinations in Mexico, Marisol is enjoying life in a metropolis. “One of the things I have come to love about the city are the abundant small coffee shops and bookstores, not to mention the museums and foreign films. My book collection has started to grow, and I have no idea how I’m going to take them back to the States.” In accepting her scholarship, Marisol wrote: “As I prepare to study abroad, I carry with me the comfort of knowing that there are people like you who care about enriching a student’s experiences during college.”
Mary Jo Velasco (France, 2002-03)
Mary Jo Velasco (2002-03, France) is studying European History and Music in Bordeaux. She was very pleased to have auditioned successfully into a prestigious amateur chorale that is performing three big concerts with works by Prokoviev, Mozart and Berlioz this year. In her initial intensive language program Mary Jo met students “from all over the world.” She found an apartment in downtown Bordeaux and had an opportunity to travel in Ireland.
Julia Carter (Egypt, 2002-03)
Julia Carter (2002-03, Egypt) is pursuing a double major in History and Religious Studies. She chose to study at the American University in Cairo to gain some understanding of the interaction of historical and religious issues in the Middle East, as well as to learn how the U.S. is viewed from an Egyptian perspective. In August we were able to discuss Julia’s plans and hopes for the year while she visited in Davis; Ellie by then had come home to Davis and was able to share many lively anecdotes of her year in Spain. Julia has sent fascinating accounts of her explorations of Cairo, Saqqara, Memphis, the Fayyum Oasis (where “I truly felt like Indiana Jones, crawling about in an attempt to discover the mysteries of the ancient world.”) and Taba on the Red Sea.
Ben Winkler-McCue (Spain, 2001-02)
Ben Winkler-McCue carefully considered his options for finding a coastal university in a Spanish speaking country (having spent a year studying in Costa Rica), where he could study toward his double major in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, and Spanish Studies – while continuing his passion for surfing. At the Universidad de Cantabria in Santander he has found the courses he wanted and the ocean three blocks from the apartment he shares with international students. He put his work experience at a Santa Cruz Deli to good use recently when he helped serve a birthday feast in Basque country. “Surrounded by French Basques who didn’t speak a lick of English, I never felt out of place.”
Ellen Holloway (Spain, 2001-02)
Ellen Holloway (whose e-mail is ellieingranada) is enrolled in studies toward her degree in Spanish Literature. A high school exchange program in Chile sparked her interest in continuing Spanish, while volunteering at a Davis hospital encouraged her to consider medical school or a career in public health. Ellie seems to have a knack for creating travel opportunities.
Christopher Beck (Italy, 2001-02)
Christopher Beck is attending the Universitá degli Studi di Bologna – Europe’s oldest university “where the ghosts of Petrarch, Dante, Copernicus and others roam”. As a Philosophy major with future plans for international law, Christopher is taking classes with impressive titles like Storia dell’Estetica e Fenomenologia and Filosofia dell’India e dell’Asia Orientale. He reports that his professors seem very passionate about what they do, although this does not make them punctual for lectures. Despite the bureaucratic mysteries, “I know I’m in the right place,” writes Christopher.
Shige Itoh (Japan, 2000-01)
Shige Itoh is studying Management Science and Japanese Studies at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, with plans for a career in US-Japanese relations. After he returns from Japan, Shige will be preparing for the Law School Admissions Test and will be applying to law school. He writes, “I will be finishing up my Management Science and Japanese Studies majors this year, and will use my learning experiences from Japan as the foundation for the two honors theses I plan to write for both of these majors.”
Yukio King (Germany, 2000-01)
Yukio King is attending the University in Göttingen, Germany focusing on Urban Studies and Planning, with a particular interest in community development and environmental design. He is already plotting to get back to Germany. Yukio writes, “I mean it is not really even about Germany. I think it is more about being in an amazing place like Berlin where things are ever changing, and speaking a new language, and learning everyday.”
Nicole Wu (France, 1999-00)
Nicole Wu studied Economics and French Literature and Theater at the University of Montpelier in France. Her goal is international career in business. Nicole finished her degree in Economics in June of 2000. Back in New York, she took a TV and film acting workshop. She continues dance classes and has added voice lessons. She traveled to Brazil in 2001. She is now working as an Operations Associate for Fixed Income Securities at AIG Trading in Greenwich, Connecticut. She also finds time for Brazilian Martial Arts and volleyball.
Austin Leininger (Scotland, 1998-99)
Since returning from the University of Stirling in Scotland, Austin has completed his degree at UCSD, graduating magna cum laude in Religious Studies with a minor in Classical Dance (Ballet). Currently, Austin works days as Senior Technical Writer at Intel Corp. and nights and weekends as pre-seminary intern at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church where he is discerning a call to holy orders (studying to become an Episcopal Priest). Austin hopes to start Seminary school where he will be working toward a double masters — an MDiv (Master of Divinity needed for ordination), and an MA in Biblical Languages which he hopes to take on to the PhD level. Though he has not found a dance studio since leaving San Diego in 2000, Austin continues to hone his balance and poise by studying Goju Ryu Traditional Okinawan Karate in which he is currently a purple-belt. Though Austin currently lives in San Jose, CA, he hopes to move back to Scotland for a couple of years after ordination.
Andrea Martinez-Calvillo (Mexico, 1999-00)
Andrea Martinez-Calvillo is studying Latin American Literature and Dance at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, with plans to become a teacher. She is learning to speak Nahuatl and to sew her costume for the Ballet Folklorico by hand. After graduation, she plans to continue her studies of Latin American Literature and History at the University of Costa Rica. Volunteer work at a secondary school will prepare her for entry into the teaching profession. “I am very excited about this study abroad experience and hope to learn and grow from this travel opportunity as much as I did from my stay in Mexico.”
Mark Morris (Ghana, 1998-99)
Mark Morris finished his BA in Visual Arts and a BS in Management Science. He is Visual Arts Coordinator at a gallery in San Diego and works at a restaurant as well. He is considering applying to graduate schools for Master of Fine Arts programs. Mark had two exhibits in San Diego after returning from Africa. Recent travels have taken him to Spain and Peru.
Jennifer Chang (England, 1997-98)
Jennifer shares Chris’ background as a graduate of Davis Senior High School and student at UCSD’s Warren College, as well as his interests in science and music. She anticipated her experiences abroad with an eager mind and open heart, contemplating not only the immediate adventures but also the long-range benefits of this opportunity.
Since receiving the scholarship, Jennifer graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCSD in June 1999. She stayed an additional year to complete a graduate degree in Biology, with research focusing on meningitis, and then was employed by a bio-technology firm. She is currently working on her PhD at the University of Washington in Seattle.