I went abroad for Spring 2026 in the program "SIT Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation."

SIT Ecuador is a non Columbia-led study abroad program, so I had to ask Columbia if I could be sponsored to do this program. I was in a country I had never visited, with people I didn't know, living with a family whose language I didn't speak, and taking classes in a language and field I knew little about. However, it was the most fulfilling semester I have had since being in college. I got to meet so many incredible people and work with brilliant scientists and ecologists across the cloud forests of Ecuador, the Andean Páramo, the Ecuadorian Amazon, and even the Galápagos Islands. I know a thing or two about adjusting to a study abroad program, so if you feel nervous about the experience or want to know how to make the best use of it, I'd be happy to speak with you!