ABOUT | Globalscholar

In May 2020, I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and International Studies, emphasizing in Global and National Security, a minor in Spanish, and a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) certificate. With the globalized nature of my degree programs, pursuing the Global Scholar Option was a perfect opportunity!

The highlight of my Global Scholar experience was spending a semester abroad in the Dominican Republic. Ever since I first learned about studying abroad during a high school Spanish class, I knew it was something I wanted to do in the future. I finally got the chance to do so the spring semester of my second year of college. I chose to study in the Dominican Republic to improve my proficiency in Spanish, to study in a destination of the beaten path, and to escape the Wisconsin winter weather!

I lived in the city of Santiago De Los Caballeros during my time abroad. With a metropolitan population of over a million it was an adjustment from living in Oshkosh. I was housed with a host family, and had a roommate from Trinidad and Tobago. My host family introduced me to numerous elements of Dominican culture. For example, every day for lunch we ate a tradition Dominican dish, called la bandera, which includes a variation of meat, rice, beans, and a salad. It was also often served with plátanos and cassava bread.