"...I was exposed to different cultures and experiences that caused me to appreciate our diversity and different perspectives."
My study abroad program was the Columbia Summer in Venice, and the city was our classroom. The Global Learning Scholarship (GLS) allowed me to participate in coursework and site visits. The availability of GLS funding paved the way for me to attend the Summer in Venice program, which is directly relevant to what I would like to study and what interests me in the long run.
I studied Art in Venice and Contemporary Art and Architecture in the Biennale 2025. Art in Venice gave me a more solid base in visual analysis, that is, learning to read churches, palazzi, and paintings in terms of forms, materials, and contexts. During the Biennale course, I analyzed the role of contemporary artists and architects in addressing the issues of climate change, migration, and equity in terms of installation design and exhibition curatorial discourses. Collectively, the coursework refined my skills in connecting historical texts with practice in the present, a capacity to which I will be returning to Columbia in terms of research, writing, and studio critique.
This studying abroad experience completely changed me as a person. I definitely grew as an individual because I was exposed to different cultures and experiences that caused me to appreciate our diversity and different perspectives. It's an experience that will never be forgotten. I had a rich summer full of valuable knowledge, extreme excitement, and new friends. Thanks to the GLS scholarship, this study abroad experience contributed to my intellectual growth as well as to my life experience.
