"Studying abroad not only allowed me to connect my past with my present, it also helped me find a path to my future."
Before coming to Columbia I had been lucky to work as a ballet dancer in Norway, France, and Germany. Yet, I hoped that someday I would be able to pursue an undergraduate education and dreamed of studying at Columbia. I was in disbelief when I read my acceptance email and imagined a future studying in New York City.
My first two and half years at Columbia transformed me intellectually and expanded my abilities as a student and person. I relished the academic challenges and calling Morningside Heights my home. However, I felt that a part of me was missing. I realized that what I needed to do was reconnect with my past by exploring global education and studying abroad.
Studying at University College London in Spring 2020 was the perfect opportunity for me to experience another system of education and be exposed to a new culture. As a Political Science student I relished the opportunity to be in London when the United Kingdom left the European Union, and discuss Brexit’s implications during my British Politics class. Also, I had the opportunity to take a graduate level course, Rethinking Capitalism, with Marianna Mazzucato. I could not believe that the economist that I had been reading about in the New York Times would now be my Professor! Listening to her theories grounded in pragmatic optimism inspired me to consider graduate school and a future studying comparative policy. Studying abroad not only allowed me to connect my past with my present, it also helped me find a path to my future.
