In her scholarship application, Halley Henscey wrote that her passions are language, art and human interaction and that she has a strong, visceral attraction to the Italian culture. We heard more about her aspirations when we met during the summer. At the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, Halley is becoming fluent in Italian to the point where she will soon be taking classes at the Università per Stranieri, completely in Italian. She is gaining new understanding of her goals and place in the global community as an International Studies major, and most of all, having a marvelous time immersing herself in Italian culture. Between Halley’s descriptions of Etruscan arches, Tuscan vineyards and highlights of her trip to Prague, Amsterdam and London during fall break she has observed that “Having a functional computer does not contribute to my greater happiness” and “If you walk more slowly, you’ll feel better when you get where you’re going.” In early August, Ray, Verena and son Ben (himself a UCSB graduate participating in the EAP program in 1994-95 in the United Kingdom) spent a long and lively afternoon getting acquainted with Halley and her dad Michael.
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).
Paul Suarez (Spain, 2006-07)
Paul Suarez combines a major in Bioengineering with a minor in Spanish Literature and a love of music. During his year at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paul hopes to achieve mastery in Spanish and gain a broader perspective—expecting to learn as much about himself as about the culture and customs of Spain. Becoming fluent in Spanish has been a dream of his as long as he can remember and he looks forward to finally being able to communicate with his relatives in El Salvador. Besides literature classes, Paul is taking a course on Religious Forces and International Society that involves discussions by a very “multinational” group of students. So as not to lose touch with his engineering field he is searching for an internship. Trips to Portugal and Bunol have provided a change of pace, as did visits to various museums in Madrid. Paul has noticed that there are as many people out in the streets at 4 a.m. as there are at 4 p.m. and comments that “you can’t throw something in any direction without hitting either a bar or a pharmacy.”
Jennifer Kim (Spain, 2006-07)
Jennifer Kim’s major is Literatures in English; her goal is to obtain a credential to teach literature in a bilingual classroom, instilling in her students the love of literature that is so central to her life. As a youngster, Jennifer lived in Argentina—an experience that left a lasting impression on her in terms of her awareness of other cultures and her desire to become fluent in Spanish. She writes that, “The language is beautiful and I do want to perfect it.” To this end Jennifer spent the summer months working on her Spanish in Morelia, Mexico, living with a local family and learning about Mexican culture while teaching her hosts about her own background. In Morelia she missed Korean food, but as soon as she arrived in Granada, Spain she missed Mexican food! Life in Granada, surrounded by large numbers of international students, has made Jennifer aware of how insulated from world affairs she had tended to be prior to this experience. “One subject that keeps coming up and keeps me thinking is anti-Americanism. I never realized how strong and real it was until I got here. Listening to another’s perspective on the American lifestyle is rather startling and harsh at times.” Jennifer was happy to report that a German student said to her in Spanish: ”I don’t usually like Americans, but you’re different and I like you.”