Notes From Abroad: Learning Hits Different Out Here

Mollie King | Copenhagen, Denmark 

Finding stories to tell

“Settling into my daily life, I have been doing a lot of biking around the city. One Wednesday, I biked to the coastal town of Dragør. It was very inspiring to pass through unique neighborhoods, businesses and parks, stopping occasionally to peek inside little bakeries, take pictures and pet the horses. 

This week, my Storytelling for A Changing Planet class will begin interviewing people and fleshing out narrative stories for our final project. My team decided to focus on nature in Copenhagen as a commodity, a place and a right for people. We want to explore how interacting with and reclaiming natural spaces in Copenhagen signifies a climate change paradigm shift. By focusing our lens on the experiences of people, we bring an important and often undervalued perspective to the climate-solutions narrative. I hope that our end product will inspire people to question what nature means to them.

As I fight the nerves before conducting my first formal interview, I tell myself over and over that ‘I am a reporter. I know how to effectively tell stories.’ Since the beginning of this course, we’ve practiced all the things that reporters do. We’ve conducted interviews with strangers. We’ve learned how to pull news protocols. We’ve identified various kinds of journalism like constructive, investigative, portraits and opinions. Most importantly, we’ve adapted to Danish customs like quietness in public spaces, conscientious recycling, always keeping right in the bike lanes and punctuality over everything.

I began this course with no background knowledge of reporting or structured storytelling methods. Now, I feel confident in these practices—and I feel like I have stories to tell.”

Pamela Rojas | London, England 

Teamwork makes the dream work 

“My time in London is going by incredibly fast. It feels like I just arrived, yet I'm already getting used to daily life here. Something that brings me a lot of joy each day is stopping for a coffee near Regent’s Park. I’ve also started running here, and exploring new paths has helped me feel more connected to myself and the city.

This summer I’m working as a business development intern at Merx, a startup that helps brands deliver personalized commerce experiences through AI. My role involves supporting the team in building strategic partnerships, analyzing user flows and helping with content development and business documentation. 

Being in a fast-paced environment has given me hands-on experience working at the intersection of technology, communication and creativity. I’ve also become much better at teamwork and communication, learned how to express ideas clearly and listen to others, and improved my time management. These skills have helped me contribute more effectively to the team and increased my confidence in professional settings.

One of the best parts of my experience has been meeting people. I’ve made friends from different universities and majors, and gotten to know many people from different countries at Merx. Working on an international and multicultural team has taught me to appreciate the value of different perspectives. Everyone brings unique insights based on their background and experience, and this diversity has made collaboration more creative and dynamic. I now see innovation as a group process rather than an individual effort.”

Milind Kankipati | Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The late-night turtle patrol 

“We recently moved to a new town in Costa Rica called Ostional, a community known for its surf culture and incredible biodiversity. I’m now staying with a new host family at the Ostional Surf House, where everyone surfs—including the host parents and kids! 

The highlight of this week has been our participation in late-night turtle patrols from 2 to 6 a.m. We’re here to witness and study the arribada, a rare natural phenomenon where hundreds (sometimes thousands) of sea turtles come ashore simultaneously to lay their eggs. To prepare, we’ve adjusted to a new ‘night shift’ by sleeping from 7 p.m. to midnight. It’s been exhausting but wandering the beach under a blanket of stars, surrounded by nesting turtles, feels like something out of a dream and makes every hour of lost sleep feel worth it. It’s both peaceful and humbling to be part of such a powerful natural event, and even more meaningful knowing our data supports national conservation efforts here in Costa Rica.

Outside of fieldwork, we’ve also had time to engage with local culture in fun, hands-on ways. One afternoon, we learned how to make traditional tortillas from scratch. We even shaped our own designs before cooking them. These moments, both scientific and cultural, are what make this program so unique. I’m learning just as much outside the classroom as I am in it.”

Leilani Rivera | Tokyo, Japan

Creativity in the classroom

"I love being able to do coursework abroad. I feel that I'm able to balance my schoolwork with exploring Japan. All the topics we study correlate with the excursions we go on, and I like getting the chance to connect what we learned in class to what we see in real life. 

The classroom is not like my typical classroom. I walk through the city to get there, which is cool because I get the feel of city life near offices. I also appreciate that three people can sit at each table in our classroom. Learning in this environment feels more beneficial because there are opportunities for more meaningful conversations with my peers. 

In class, we work on our understanding of an article assigned for the week by creating flow maps and charts to demonstrate our comprehension. Over the past couple of weeks, my group has performed interpretive dances and plays to explain what we’ve learned from the article. I find this to be a very unique experience that leaves room for creativity and fun in the classroom. I gain more from these experiences than simply presenting slides in front of the class."

Madeline Balzarini | Cape Town, South Africa

Food for thought

"My internship at the South African Urban Food and Farming Trust (SAUFFT) has immersed me in Cape Town culture and been incredibly fulfilling. The organization aims to increase food security, economic opportunities and social cohesion in disadvantaged communities. Interning for SAUFFT has allowed me to work on projects such as creating a manual on how to operate an urban garden and a presentation on potential financing pathways for farmers. 

I work one day a week on the Oranjezicht farm and the rest of the week from an office in Langa. Langa is a township ridden with a history of oppression and inequality. The remarkably high unemployment rate (about 70%) burdens the area. Although facing many challenges, Langa has a tremendous amount of heart and community members have embraced me warmly.

On an excursion we visited another township called Gugulethu. Here, a family made us a meal of warm steamed bread, a bean dish, creamy spinach, potatoes, ginger beer and custard cake. To be hugged by strangers upon meeting and welcomed into a person's home touched my heart, made me feel cared for and gave me a sense of belonging. 

My knowledge of and relationship to food systems and cuisines continue to deepen through my experiences in Cape Town. I have learned more about the process of growing food, the ways food can act as an equalizer and bring people closer together, and how food, when withheld, can be weaponized. 

To me, Cape Town embodies the notion of doing more with less. A history of extractive colonialism in conjunction with droughts means Cape Town has needed to be innovative about when, where and how it uses resources. Working with the farmers and seeing how SAUFFT is improving people’s lives has crystallized that I want to work in environmental sustainability."

Abigail McMurry | Berlin, Germany

Connecting Americans abroad  

"My internship is the official network for U.S. citizens living overseas, dedicated to keeping Americans abroad connected to the electoral process and fostering a community of informed, engaged and empowered individuals through strategic communication.

While I’m interning for a local chapter in Berlin, I communicate with all the chapters in Germany regularly. My recent work has involved administrative tasks, such as phone banking, managing volunteer coordination and database upkeep, and planning for upcoming events like our recent Pride celebration.

Recently, I attended an exclusive tour and talk at the Netflix Berlin office organized by my study abroad program. It was compelling to hear about how much this office has grown in seven years as well as how its first original series, “Dark,” unexpectedly became popular. This insight helped me appreciate how appealing to local audiences, and gaining loyalty in that method, can help boost company profits. 

Being part of a global team has shown me how diverse perspectives spark creative solutions and foster more inclusive collaboration. This experience has cemented my interest in transnational advocacy and pushed me to advance towards a career that examines the impacts of foreign affairs by being immersed in them. I’ve come to appreciate my ability to adapt quickly, unify diverse perspectives and use creative skills to connect communities with a like-minded goal."

Mani Sefas-Loos | Berlin, Germany

Learning amongst history 

“Studying abroad is a unique and stimulating way to learn. Unpacking an important event in class then actually going to the site of that event is incomparably impactful. 

My Berlin global seminar recently covered the history of World War II and the Holocaust. This topic is quite heavy, and learning about it was sometimes both intellectually and emotionally challenging. Despite this, I’m grateful to have learned these lessons here. Learning about Nazi Germany in Germany gave me a deeper understanding of the tragic history. 

One of our academic excursions was a visit to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, which now functions as a museum and memorial to the 200,000 people imprisoned there. Our entire commute to the site was accompanied by heavy rain, an atmosphere which felt fitting for the topic. 

My class also learned about the artistic and social culture of pre-Nazi Germany. This period—the time of the Weimar Republic—was full of unconventional art, the breaking of social barriers and exciting new technologies. 

The Bauhaus School (both an art school and design philosophy) is an example of Weimar Germany’s rich culture. During Hitler’s reign, the Bauhaus School was closed and its artists forced to flee the country. Visiting Dessau in a class excursion and seeing the innovation, creativity and passion of Bauhaus in person made the loss of this movement resonate deeply.”

Gerardo Flores | Barcelona, Spain

The city is a classroom

"Throughout my time here, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet fellow students as well as locals. One of my most mind-blowing moments was realizing that a new friend and I are from the same county, study the same major, are in the same college and both lived in the same building this past quarter. It felt like the world got smaller in the best way.

My classroom is located inside the CEA CAPA building, in the heart of a lively, tourist-filled area of Barcelona. The streets outside buzzing with people, shops and cafés are in striking contrast to the quiet, modern building designed for focus and learning. However, much of our learning happens outside the classroom. We’re constantly moving through the city—on tours, museum visits and even multi-day trips.

Our coursework is deeply connected to our surroundings. For one assignment, we’re analyzing symbols of identity throughout the city, and it’s made me more aware of the powerful visual messages found on everyday walls. It’s one thing to study identity and resistance in theory but seeing it unfold across the city in real-time—in street art, posters and even casual conversations—has completely shifted how I think about language, politics and place. This class has helped me experience Barcelona both as a visitor and a more engaged and curious learner.

This trip is pushing me to be more independent and to trust myself when navigating unfamiliar places. Little by little, I can feel myself becoming braver and more open to new experiences, and that’s something I hope to carry with me long after I leave."