Carlo Francisco (Japan 2020-21)

Carlo Francisco is a Japanese Studies major at UCSD. He was born in the Philippines but has spent the majority of his life in San Diego. Prior to his birth, Carlo’s parents spent the majority of their professional lives in Tokyo and, as a result, he feels “a great sense of gratitude towards Japanese society for giving my parents the financial capability to bring me into this world.” The study abroad opportunity will give Carlo the chance to experience firsthand the culture that was such an important influence in his family history. He hopes to build the knowledge and skills needed to achieve his personal goal of giving back to Japan. After graduation, Carlo hopes to work as a CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) to promote cultural cooperation and international understanding between Japan and the United States of America.  

Carlo was unable to fulfill his study abroad plans due to the pandemic.

Jonathan Sarabia (Spain 2020-21)

Jonathan Sarabia is a Business Psychology major who will be studying at Carlos III University of Madrid in Spain. Jonathan grew up in San Francisco and has never left the country, so he is eager to go abroad and experience a new culture. Jonathan writes, “I am half Mexican and half Chinese, but I have always felt disconnected from my Mexican identity because I could not speak Spanish. Although I do not believe that language ultimately defines one’s race or ethnicity, I do believe it is powerful in connecting other people with each other.” He has been studying Spanish at UCSD but believes studying abroad in Spain will enable him to fully immerse himself in Spanish culture. He loves working and collaborating in diverse settings, and believes that exploring Spain will help develop his cultural intelligence, create global relationships, and become more independent.

Jonathan deferred his study abroad plans to the 2021-22 academic year due to the pandemic.

Sage Gregory (Scotland 2020-21)

Sage Gregory is a UC Davis mathematics major, and will be studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Through her prior experiences, she has learned that “the world is the greatest classroom” and is looking forward to maximizing her education through new experiences, the discovery of new places, and full immersion in the Scottish culture. Sage chose St. Andrews specifically so that she could have an overseas adventure while also being able to learn from a world renowned mathematics program. She hopes to continue to explore the applications of math and narrow down her interests and career prospects. Outside of the classroom, Sage has been a member of the Napa County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team and has worked to teach children to have respect for nature and the environment through a farm-based summer camp. She hopes to be able to have an impact on the community of St. Andrews in a similar manner.

Sage was unable to fulfill her study abroad plans due to the pandemic.

Matthew Zane (Japan, 2020-21)

Matthew Zane is a UCSD Computer Science/Japanese Studies major who plans to study in Japan at Waseda University. He is half-Japanese, but was not taught much about his ethnic cultures and language, and as a result has made is a goal to reconnect to his family’s culture. As a staff member of the UCSD Japanese Student Association (JSA), a student organization that plans and runs events for Japanese students and people who are interested in Japan culture, Matt regularly practices his Japanese and talk to Japanese foreign exchange students. Hearing about their experiences studying abroad has inspired him to study abroad for a full year. During his time abroad, Matt hopes to take his language skills to the next level and join some of the circles (Japanese clubs) to meet Japanese students and other foreign exchange students. During the summer of 2020 he is interning at a tech company in San Diego and hopes to continue at their Tokyo branch during his time abroad.

Matt deferred his study abroad plans to the 2021-22 academic year due to the pandemic.

Kayla Erler (England, 2019-20)

Kayla Erler is a UCSD Engineering major, studying at Imperial College in London, England. Her focus is Structural Engineering, which fits well with her aptitude for problem solving and her ambitions in design solutions and structural analysis. She is excited to "learn in an environment that has both modern innovations and older historical buildings for inspiration." Kayla believes that her study abroad will contribute to a more well-rounded, versatile engineering background which will be applicable in many countries. She cites the example of learning Eurocode (the main Engineering code in Europe), which will be invaluable for her career and is "an opportunity to see the differences between how things are done in the United Sates as opposed to Europe." In addition to her studies, Kayla has joined the civil engineering society and the horse-riding society. The latter meets once a week for lessons, including jumping and going for rides in the forest of Trent Park In London. Kayla plans to travel to Paris for winter break and Budapest in the spring.

Moa Smith (Sweden, 2019-20)

Moa Smith is a UCD double major in Political Science and American Studies, studying at Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden. Her mother immigrated to the United States from Sweden before her birth and Moa hadn't had the opportunity to meet her family in Sweden prior to studying abroad. During her year abroad, Moa will take almost all of her upper division political science classes and is "looking forward to taking these from a Swedish perspective, given the differences in the Swedish and U.S. political systems." She has finished her first class at Uppsala and got "the highest grade possible on the exam, which was a relief given how different the academic structure is here." She has an international group of friends that goes hiking and likes to fika (a daily Swedish snack/fellowship gathering) together. Thus far, Moa has taken the train to Stockholm, visited her grandparents in Hedemora, and traveled to Örebro. After her undergraduate studies, Moa is considering going to law school to study criminal law.

Devin Doss (China & Japan, 2019-20)

Devin Doss, a UCSD double major in Japanese and Chinese Studies, is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. He studied this summer at Peking University in Beijing, China in the Summer Chinese Language Intensive Program. He describes his time in Beijing as an enriching experience and his language development as rapid. His long term goal in pursuing languages is "to develop the ability to better and truly communicate with a broader variety of people." While in Japan, Devin hopes to join a club to better integrate into the school's social life on campus. Over his lifetime, he has played multiple instruments and sang in different choirs and performed in many venues. He writes: "I plan to explore a new aspect of music I have yet to greatly do much in; dance!" Following his studies abroad, Devin hopes to find an internship back home in San Diego related to his aspirations to work in translation and interpretation. Longer term, he would like to pursue a Master's in International Business so that he can use his language skills in a business context.

Minna Luu (France, 2019-20)

Minna Luu is a UCD International Relations major studying at Sciences Po in Paris, France. Minna is Vietnamese and grew up surrounded by her native culture in San Jose, CA, which has the highest population of Vietnamese people outside of Saigon. As a junior in high school, Minna was lucky enough to be able to live in Cannes as a foreign exchange student for two weeks. While those two weeks flew by quickly, the kindness from her host family and the amount of knowledge she gained was irreplaceable. She was also briefly able to visit Paris and fell in love with it; so much so that she promised herself that someday she would go back. Aside from school, Minna is a baking enthusiast and has been dubbed a “foodie” by many of her friends who know her passion for cooking and eating. She is also a fan of cinema, museums, and enjoys playing her violin from time to time. By the end of her year abroad, she hopes to come back more confident in her French and to have gained a more nuanced understanding of the French-Vietnamese culture she comes from. She writes of her initial experience abroad: "Surprisingly, even though it's only been two months, I feel quite comfortable in Paris and a little more like a local each day. I was even able to give a person directions in French about which metro line to take."

Tammy Mok (2019-20 Japan)

Tammy Mok, a UCSD Computer Science major with a Japanese Studies minor, is studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. During her year abroad, Tammy wants to conduct research and take language and culture classes to set her on the path to fluency in the language. In addition, Tammy "hopes to learn from the stories of those around me, explore a whole new culture, and grow a more global perspective." She notes that the class sizes are much smaller than UCSD and she is exploring clubs and circles (a more casual version of a club) with an eye towards joining the Aikido club and the Cooking circle. Amongst other keen early observations of cultural differences, she writes that "many people have said to beware of the lack of garbage cans on the street, but I didn't expect there to be almost a complete lack of them."

Alex Slone (Czech Republic 2018-19)

Alex Slone is a Sociology major studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. He grew up in Northern California and has adopted the entrepreneurial mindset that region is known for. He has held internships with a health food startup and another startup focused on artificial intelligence and 3D sensors. Alex hopes to one day start a company and sees discovering different perspectives as a key challenge to do so. Since arriving in Prague, he has settled into his classwork and found time to travel to Barcelona, Krakow and Berlin. He writes, "I've come to realize that people are really not that different around the world. We all face the same problems and experience sadness and happiness. Really what is different is environment and culture." Over winter break, Alex will be staying with a family in a small town in Italy, working on a farm. The family is a Worldpacker host, a program that provides food and accommodation in exchange for doing work.

Isabella Silva (Japan, 2018-19)

Isabella Silva, a Japanese Studies major, is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. She has a love of languages and has studied Spanish and ASL in addition to Japanese. This passion extends to her career goal: after graduating she plans to move to Japan and South Korea to become an English teacher, "striving not only to instruct my students on the topic of the class, but additionally to be a role model and cultural ambassador." At UCSD, she was an English in Action (EIA) tutor to a student from Turkey and a student from Taiwan. During weekly meetings she answered specific grammar questions, explained cultural norms and conducted conversations to help them improve their English. Since arriving in Tokyo, Isabella has been "impressed with how much I know, yet at the same time there are many moments that are lost in translation." She writes that she appreciates these conversations because they "challenge me and help me grow." In addition to her course load, Isabella has applied to intern at an elementary school.

Yulin Ma (Scotland 2018-19)

Yulin Ma is a Human Development major studying at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. At UCSD, Yulin was part of the Asian and Pacific-Islander Student Alliance (APSA), helping them with their annual high school conference, an event which aimed to give high school students from underserved communities in San Diego a chance to experience college. Because she is a first-generation student herself, Yulin is passionate about working with youths who are unfamiliar with the process of navigating higher education. In the future, she would like to become a school psychologist in inner city schools. She is excited to be spending a year abroad and experiencing a new culture. She writes, "In my major, human development, there is a heavy emphasis on the compromise between nature and nurture in the influence of development; our genetic disposition controls only so much of our life's trajectory, and experience can heavily shape who we become. Studying abroad has always been a dream of mine because what I had always valued the most in life was experiencing all that I can."

Megumi Kawamura (Japan 2018-19)

Megumi Kawamura, an International Business major, is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. A native of Northern California, she has been active in the UCSD community, serving on the executive board of the Student Organized Voter Access Committee. Megumi grew up playing competitive tennis, golf, and basketball, and most recently competed in a 100-mile bike race. She wrote before leaving for Japan that she "hopes to become more aligned with her heritage, become fluent in Japanese, and explore Japan and its beautiful culture." Megumi was nervous but found that her fears and worries were quickly put to rest when she moved into the Hoshien international student dormitories during her first week. Since arriving, she has taken a trip to Kyoto, and visited her grandparents who live about an hour outside of Tokyo. She writes that she has "met some incredible people from all around the world, had so many great experiences, and have learned so many things about myself and my outlook on life that I would have never learned without this experience." During the rest of her time abroad Megumi hopes to go to Mt. Fuji during the winter and visit Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan during the spring break.

Dominique Winfield (Spain 2016-17)

Dominique Winfield is a Biochemistry and Cell Biology major, with a Spanish minor, studying Spanish language and culture at the University of Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain. She has a dream of becoming an oral surgeon for Dentists Without Borders that was inspired by her first experience volunteering at a free dental clinic in San Diego. Dominique feels that learning Spanish will help her provide more effective care to Hispanic communities in San Diego. In Córdoba, Dominique has begun an intensive language learning program during the fall semester and then will spend the spring semester taking standard college classes in Spanish with local students at the University of Granada. She writes that she is learning the Spanish practice of taking some time to just be quiet. “There is a saying here that I quite like, ‘Los Españoles no vivan a trabajar, ellos trabajan a vivir.’ It translates, ‘Spaniards don’t live to work, they work to live.” Dominique has traveled within Spain, and highlighted a trip her program took to Morocco, that included stops in Tangier, Asilah, Sale, Rabat, and Chefchaouen. She writes that, “there were things that I saw and experienced in Morocco that have changed my life and perspective of the world.”

Alexandria Vollhardt (Germany, 2017-18)

Alexandria Vollhardt is a Literatures of the World major studying at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany. She grew up in Ventura County, California and has a strong interest in languages including German, French, and Italian. The focus of her studies is European literatures and literary theory. At UCSD, she became involved with the Muir Quarterly, a satirical newspaper created and managed by students, as a staff writer and assistant copy editor. She chose to study in Berlin as a way to engage with her heritage while also experiencing a city completely new to her. She writes, “I am learning how to consolidate the difficult and privileged parts of living abroad, and understanding that not every second is a thrill, but rather a piece in a larger puzzle that one must make oneself. Each moment will make up some part of the final product, but right now (at the beginning), I am most concerned with finding the corner pieces.” Alexandria would eventually like to teach at the university level and continue research in the field of literature.

Giovanni Castillo (Spain 2017-18)

Gio Castillo, a Social Psychology major, is studying at the University of Barcelona in Spain.  He grew up in a Latino family in Palm Springs, California. He writes that “the differences I saw every day between American and Latino cultures sparked my fascination with exploring different cultures and understanding the subtle complexities behind their norms.” He is a self-described “knowledge junkie” and loves picking up new hobbies like surfing or the ukulele. Prior to leaving for Spain, he was involved in two research labs at UCSD studying emotion and cognition from multiple viewpoints. In his time in Spain he has experienced first-hand the political turmoil of the Catalan independence referendum. He is currently monitoring the elections for the new regional government after Europe did not recognize Catalan independence on the grounds of political illegitimacy. Large turnout is expected. He writes, “The most impactful moment I’ve experienced thus far was participating in the anti-terrorism march in the aftermath of the attack on La Rambla. The theme was ‘No Tenim Por’ or ‘We Are Not Afraid.’ Thousands took to the streets of Barcelona, myself included, to demonstrate they would not show the fear ISIS wishes to instill.” For Christmas, Gio will be traveling to Dubai to visit a cousin who just had twins. He is also eagerly looking forward to the upcoming match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Emily Yeh (Japan, 2017-18)

Emily Yeh is a Political Science – International Relations major studying at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. Emily grew up in Taiwan before moving to Irvine, CA in 10th Grade. Prior to college, Emily took a gap year and interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan. Besides studying in Japan, she has studied in France and Switzerland during her college career. In 2014, Emily was appointed by the International Olympic Committee as Youth Olympic Games Ambassador and was part of the Chinese Taipei delegation at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. She has participated in the UC Washington Program (UCDC) and interned at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a trans-disciplinary research think tank. Prior to departing for Japan, she was a research assistant at the UCSD Department of Political Science working on a project funded by the UCSD Frontiers of Innovation Scholars Program that seeks to make sense of the political communication on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Her career and research interest lies at the intersection of sustainable development, environmental policy, and urban planning. Emily is “dedicated to the knowledge transfer of her off-campus experiences and tries to make more students aware of the resources available.”

Thomas Bayne (The Netherlands, 2017-18)

Thomas Bayne, a Political Science major, is studying at University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. A native of Northern California, he came to UCSD after a period of pursuing artistic ventures in Los Angeles. He hopes to expand his knowledge of international political systems during his year abroad and bring such understanding back to the U.S. in hopes of creating a more efficient U.S. system. Outside of academics, Thomas enjoys film, literature and hiking. He has made trips to Budapest, Dublin, Amsterdam and Brussels thus far. Thomas writes that “the EAP experience has widened my idea of not only what profession I could enter but where I would practice that profession.” He has been hired by several organizations to photograph and report on events in Maastrict and hopes to start an internship in the field of journalism during the summer. He writes, “None of this would have been possible without the kindness and opportunity afforded to me by the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship.”

Mikayla Webster (Japan 2016-17)

Mikayla Webster is a Computer Science major studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. She intends to use her programming knowledge to advance the field of language translation. At UCSD, she led a collaborative project with the Red Cross of Tijuana. Her team’s goal was to create a software solution to help better distribute the Red Cross’ limited number of ambulances. The experience inspired Mikayla to pursue an international career in software engineering. Her love of language learning narrowed her focus to automated language translation. Her goal is “to facilitate higher, faster, and easier levels of communication across nations and cultures by tearing down the language barriers that separate them.” Mikayla has a personal goal of learning at least five languages in her life: English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic. She writes that, “learning new languages gives insight and perspective that can only be accomplished when individuals step outside their own area of comfort and experience. By gaining knowledge about different peoples beyond one’s current understanding, the mind can better facilitate tolerance, acceptance, and universal love.” She is living in the international housing area at the university and has befriended students from China, Indonesia, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Venezuela. Mikayla has met Japanese students through an English-Japanese language exchange group that meets regularly, including several students who were good friends with previous Borton scholars attending Tohoku (Christian Koguchi, Austin Pukasamsombut, and Vincent Yu). She is working in the Advanced Acoustics and Intelligent Systems Lab at Tohoku University, with a focus on psycho acoustics. The prompt for her research is the human brain’s ability to filter sounds that it hears. Mikayla is working under a Japanese master student who is attempting to recreate this affect in headphone speakers. She will spend the upcoming months learning from this master student while defining her own similarly-themed project.

Justin Lim (South Korea, 2016-17)

Justin Lim is a Human Biology major studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He is a Korean-American raised in Northern California. His interest in Korea was sparked when he visited the country as a third grader. Justin plans to apply to medical school in the future. In his free time, he enjoys photography and learning about computer hardware. His initial experiences in South Korea include being exposed to new forms of Korean cuisine, as well as dishes known to him that have gained new dimensions but retain enough familiarity to remind him of home. Justin writes that, “School life at Yonsei does not seem to be significantly different than at UCSD. While class sizes seem to be smaller at Yonsei, the difficulty and procedures are comparable to those at UCSD. Student interactions are a different matter.” He is working hard to acclimate himself, and though it is difficult, he finds the process enjoyable, and it is in these interactions that he is “learning things about Korea that I could only learn while living here.”