Akito Yatsugi is a UCSD International Business major studying at the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan for the 2022-23 academic school year. Akito is a native of San Diego, California where his parents are heavily involved in the local Japanese community. Through interactions with students from Japan and their parents, Akito gained a passion for learning about Japanese culture and language. During his year abroad, Akito plans on fully immersing himself in the Japanese culture by joining student circles as well as actively participating in both school and social events. He reports that, “Classes are interesting and in particular, I find my interpretation class exciting, as it is challenging yet fun.” He was surprised to find that many students at the university speak English well, as many of them have spent time living abroad. In his free time, Akito enjoys surfing, watching baseball, and exploring foods from different countries. He plans to travel to many cities in Japan to eat food items that he has not tried before.
Brianna Angulo (France, 2022-23)
Brianna Angulo is a student at UCSD majoring in Political Science-International Relations and minoring in human rights migration and is studying at Sciences Po in Paris, France for the 2022-23 academic school year. She will graduate from UCSD in June 2023 and plans on attending graduate school to learn more about international relations and immigration policy. Brianna writes, “As a young Latina born and raised in Downey, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles, it is crucial for me to fully immerse myself in my culture and learn more about my family’s journey immigrating from Mexico to the United States. Listening to my grandparents’ immigration stories motivates me to aid fellow immigrants and seek justice for them.” She wants to do further research to understand the immigrant experience and address the current humanitarian crisis. She believes her year abroad in Paris will help her study the importance of political participation, gain a deeper understanding of global issues, and experience cultural immersion. Brianna reports that her classes are very exciting and what has struck her most “is the passion and ambition of the students. It is very motivating and pushes me to do my best.”
Ashley Lopez (South Korea, 2022-23)
Ashley Lopez is an International Relations major at UC Davis, studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic school year. She is a first-generation student from Los Angeles. She has been studying Korean since her senior year of high school and has loved every challenge of learning a new language and culture. Studying Korean has made Ashley more involved in learning about cultures and aspects of society that are different from her own. She is excited to finally attend her dream University at Yonsei, a dream that was stalled by the pandemic. After graduation, Ashley hopes to pursue a Korean Language degree and continue higher education in International Relations. She enjoys cafe hopping and going around the city to take photos in her free time. While in Korea, Ashley writes that she “aims to fully immerse herself in the culture and its people to get the most out of her time in Korea.”
Duy Nguyen (South Korea, 2022-23)
Duy Nguyen is an International Studies-Political Science major at UCSD studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea for the 2022-23 academic year. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Duy was exposed to a diversity of cultures throughout his youth, especially the Korean community in Garden Grove. These early experiences motivated him to pursue International Studies and Political Science at UCSD, while specializing in Japanese and Korean Studies as his minors. Duy believes his experience abroad will allow him to unlock a new understanding of international politics from South Korea's perspective, as well as gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation of Korean culture. Duy is the first in his family to attend a four-year college and hopes to pursue a doctorate in international politics in order to teach other college students. Duy was a research assistant under Ph.D. candidate Patrick Hulme at the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy, whose work consists of analyzing Congressional sentiments on the use of military force and the presidential authority to do so across a wide range of U.S. foreign conflicts. Duy helped to analyze these Congressional sentiments and has researched conflicts ranging from the Korean War to the current conflict in Ukraine. In his free time, Duy enjoys working out, watching sports, and eating spicy food. Whether engrossed in his studies, wandering around the campus at Yonsei University or catching a baseball game at Jamsil Stadium, Duy is excited to study abroad in South Korea.
Ragini Krishnaswami (South Korea, 2022-23)
Ragini Krishnaswami is a Korean major at UCLA studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korean for the 2022-23 academic year. Her interest in Korean language and culture was piqued in her senior year of high school. Ragini has been exposed to multiple languages from a very young age; three of which are Indian languages. She explored her interest by learning other foreign languages, but she was most captivated by Korean. She made Korean her major at UCLA and found she was even more interested in learning about the culture and lifestyle in Korea, right at the source. By learning multiple languages, Ragini hopes to “connect the world and create new bonds through communication.” She has connected with several other Borton Scholars in Yonsei since arriving. She writes, “One of my classes is a cinema class, and my friends and I are planning to travel to Busan for the Busan International Film Festival. I can't wait to explore more of this country and experience the culture firsthand!” Ragini believes that her year abroad in Korea will not only give her the opportunity to learn the language she loves but also a chance to grow into a citizen of the world.
Tzipporah Moehringer (Spain, 2022-23)
Tzipporah Moehringer is a Biopsychology and Spanish double major from UC Santa Barbara who is studying abroad at Complutense University of Madrid for the 2022-23 academic year. Tzipporah grew up in San Diego, California and is eager to exchange the familiar setting of a beach town for the bustling, historic city and its completely different culture and way of life. Tzipporah’s first experience with Spanish in middle school made her passionate about learning the language. She looks forward to returning home from a year abroad not only fluent, but confident in her knowledge of the language and culture. Tzipporah is determined to pursue a career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and work with Doctors Without Borders, performing cleft palate surgeries on patients in underrepresented Latin American countries. Tzipporah writes, “after my formal education is complete, I plan to establish a private practice in San Diego (where there is a large Hispanic population), so it will be important for me to be able to speak fluently with my Spanish-speaking patients in their native language.” Before traveling to Madrid, Tzipporah was able to connect with recent Borton Scholar Jonathan Sarabia, who gave her tips that helped her immensely with traveling and settling in. During her stay in Madrid, Tzipporah is excited to immerse herself in Spanish culture, build friendships with people she would not have otherwise met, and transform herself into a stronger, more independent young adult.
Sophia Garrido (England, 2021-22)
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!”
Shellsea de Leon (France, 2021-22)
Shellsea de Leon is a Political Science major at UCSD studying abroad at Sciences Po in Paris, France. She has been studying French since her first year of high school and has loved every second of it. Shellsea is the first in her family to go to college and she wishes to make her academic career the best it can be to make her family proud. After graduation, Shellsea hopes to pursue a law degree and work as a lawyer or in a government agency like the Environmental Protection Agency. She writes, “In my class on climate change it has been very insightful to have conversations on the Paris Accord, but also on COP26 and how countries determine who is the most responsible for carbon emissions and pollution.” In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, hiking, or singing with her dad. While in France, she aims to fully immerse herself in the culture and its people and practice her French in order to become fluent. Shellsea writes that her comprehension of the French language has increased significantly. “I remember when I first came to France and I was absolutely confused as to what everything meant, even though I had years of learning the language. I think, however, thanks to my engagement and pursuit of taking French classes, it gave me an amazing opportunity to get more involved in the culture.”
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.”
Rebeca Brambila (Italy, 2021-22)
Rebeca Brambila is a first generation Mexican-American college student majoring in International Business and minoring in Real Estate and Development at UCSD. Both of her parents are from Mexico, but her great-grandfather was from Italy, where she is studying at the University of Bologna this year. In order to finance her study abroad, she juggled working part-time while being a full-time student. Rebeca writes that “this scholarship has made going abroad not only possible, but my reality. I cannot thank this organization enough for this amazing financial contribution that will allow me to fulfill my dream of going abroad.” Rebeca plans to immerse herself into the Italian culture, make connections with diverse people from different cultures, and take on an internship in Urban Planning. Thus far, she has made a lot of new friends in Italy, many from different countries around Europe, like Lithuania, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Poland. In January she will be moving into an apartment with two roommates, including fellow Borton Scholar Daniela Mendoza!
Daniela Mendoza (Italy, 2021-22)
Daniela Mendoza is an International Business major at UCSD studying abroad in Bologna, Italy for a full academic year. Daniela fell in love with the Italian language and culture on a trip to Europe in 2018 and has completed the Italian language sequence at UCSD. In her free time, she enjoys eating good foods, watching the sunset, reading books, going for long walks, and listening to music. Much of what she reads and listens to is either in Italian or Spanish. Daniela finds that “learning a language is not always just learning how to speak it, but also listening to it and reading it can help to train your mind to using it more often.” She loves the beautiful buildings where lectures are held at the University of Bologna and writes that there are “classrooms all over the city and even though it can be stressful to go from one class to the other, it allows you to explore the city even more.”
Michaela Schwartz (Chile, 2020-21)
Michaela Schwartz is an Environmental Policy major at UCSD who plans on studying abroad for an academic year in Chile. While in San Diego she watches the sunset at the beach every night - the ocean’s beauty is an endless source for inspiration in her major. From a young age it was obvious to her that there is a lot to learn outside of the traditional classroom. This has led her on many travel adventures including six month stays in Madrid, Australia, Hawaii and shorter solo trips to Europe, the Philippines, Vietnam and Kenya. Michaela sees the study abroad program in Chile as an opportunity to continue with her passion to see the world while gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural differences that impact a country's contributions to climate change. She is excited to be practicing her Spanish again and refuses to leave Chile until she is singing, talking, and dreaming in fluent Spanish.
Michaela was unable to fulfill her study abroad plans due to the pandemic.
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."