Sophia Garrido is a Communications major at UCSD studying abroad at Royal Holloway in the United Kingdom for the 2021-22 academic year. Sophia was born and raised in Orange County, California and is very passionate about studying different cultures and communities. She loves learning about how media, politics, history, and society all work together to create a culture’s values. At UCSD, she is a member of the sorority Pi Beta Phi, and the UCSD Women’s soccer team. Sophia wants to “challenge herself to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.” In addition to her course work, she is playing competitive soccer. Sophia reports that, “Already, my time abroad has helped me narrow down the path I want to take for my future. It has shown me my passion for international relations so much so to the point where I decided to apply for a summer internship with the U.S. State Department. There is an embassy in Italy that works on promoting religious freedom, as well as an office in Washington DC which does the same. I’ve applied to both, so fingers crossed!”
Neil Dudheker (England, 2021-22)
Neil Dudheker is a Biology major at UCSD studying abroad at University College London for the 2021-22 academic year. He was born and raised in Southern California. Neil believes his experience abroad will allow him to pursue unique connections pertaining to his field of study while also receiving a high-quality education at a competitive university. With the goal of becoming a successful cardiologist in the future, Neil values the opportunity to network with new people and become a more well-rounded individual. He believes that the defining quality of an excellent physician is their ability to connect with their patients, and he hopes that his experience in a diverse city like London will help him develop his ability to connect and communicate with a variety of people. He has found a solid group of mostly British friends who are introducing him to London. Neil writes, “They’ve taken me to Nando’s, which they claim is a cultural necessity. And we spend a little too much time arguing about the correct way to spell and pronounce most words. But overall, they are responsible for making my study abroad experience so special.”
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.
Andrew Kubal (England, 2013-14)
Andrew Kubal, an Electrical Engineering major, is studying at Imperial College in London, England. He was exposed to engineering from an early age by his father, an engineer. Andrew is living on campus, just south of Hyde Park, and describes London as “a big city, not as big as everyone says it is, with bustling streets and nightlife.” He is most excited about the perspective expanding potential of studying abroad. Andrew writes, “engineering is centered on not only understanding complex mathematics and physics concepts, but also on conjuring a novel approach to a problem.” Exposure to foreign points of view “will provide me with new tools in approaching my studies and in my future work.” He joined Imperial’s Erasmus club and so far has visited Edinburgh, Oxford, and Cambridge. He has plans to travel to Germany, Holland and the French Alps.
Sarah Zaides (England, 2006-07)
Sarah Zaides is a first generation Russian immigrant who is majoring in History with a particular focus on the study of Race, Ethnicity and Immigration. In order to study these issues in a global and comparative context, Sarah applied to and was accepted for a year at the Butler Institute for Study Abroad at Oxford University’s St. Catherine’s College. Sarah reports that she has “never, ever, worked this hard” in her life. Her tutorials are on Indian and Irish history, requiring two papers every week. There are no lectures. “Instead, my tutors assign a weekly reading list, usually about twelve texts, and I take off for the Bodleain (where Marx studied) to read the texts and write a paper.” On another subject: “The ritual here is very charming, although sometimes too patriarchal for my taste. The dining hall looks like something out of Harry Potter (not surprising since it was filmed here). We sit at long tables and are served 3 – course meals. The faculty sits at the head tables, and when they enter (wearing black robes, of course) we stand, wait for them to reach their seats, and then the master slams down a gavel and says a prayer in Latin!” While these studies also fit in well with Sarah’s minor, Literature, she is not likely to be able to indulge her pastimes of equestrian competition, surfing and snowboarding this year – but perhaps she will be able to find a piano somewhere (as Achim Lyon did in Beijing).
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.
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.