Meet the Spring 2012 Classmates Connecting Cultures Bloggers
Francisco Gonzalez
London, England
My name is Francisco Gonzalez and I am from Laredo, Texas. I am currently attending Texas A&M International University. My major is Criminal Justice with a minor in sociology and I choose to attend to the Roehampton University program in London because of the importance of that city regarding my career. The modern metropolitan police force was invented in London and since then the city has been regarded as one of the leading places for criminological research around the world. I choose to partner with the TAMIU Association of International students because they are very involved in promoting study abroad in TAMIU. I want to be able to express my ideas and promote studying abroad through the classmates connecting cultures blog.
Briana O’Neill
Belfast, Northern Ireland
My name is Briana O’Neill. I am from Flower Mound, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and I attend the University of Texas at Arlington. I am currently a sophomore and am majoring in Political Science. I chose to study abroad in Belfast, Northern Ireland because it is the city in which my father was born and raised and where all my paternal family members still live. Although I have traveled in the UK before, I am very excited about actually being able to experience the Irish culture as a resident! Through working with Classmates Connecting Cultures, I hope to provide a detailed, first-hand perspective of studying abroad and all the adventures that come with it!
Breck Scarnavack
Sevilla, Spain
Hola! Me llamo Breck Scarnavack. I’m a junior at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. I am a double major studying Spanish and Public Relations and Advertising. I grew up in Lansing, Illinois; a small town outside of Chicago. I think travel is fascinating! Someday, I would love to experience all of the different cultures throughout the world. My desire to travel is the main reason I decided to study abroad. Through studying abroad I want to learn as much as possible about the Spanish language, culture and people; that’s why I chose Sevilla as my study abroad destination. Sevilla is rich in Spanish culture, yet manageable in size. Known for its vivacious spirit, I look forward to getting to know the local people! I’m eager to submerse myself in the culture and soak up the wonderful experiences that lie ahead. I am excited to blog with Ms. Samaniego’s third grade classroom. I can’t wait to share my experiences with new food and music! I hope to give the students a glimpse of another world in an enticing way. Hopefully this will motivate each student to not only feel comfortable with other cultures, but also to learn more!
Victoria Gonzalez
Salamanca, Spain
Hello! My name is Victoria Lin Gonzalez. I am from San Antonio, Texas, where I attend Trinity University. I am currently pursuing a major in Urban Studies, with a concentration in Public Issues and Policy and a minor in Economics. I have the wonderful opportunity of spending this semester in Salamanca, Spain where I hope to strengthen my Spanish conversational skills and discover a part of my Hispanic heritage. I am very excited to blog with Girls, Inc. San Antonio – a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold! I look forward to exciting conversations with the girls about overcoming and embracing cultural differences – such as a foreign language, new customs, and interesting food – and highlighting what it is like living as a woman in Spain. I hope our discussion will lead to similar aspirations of cultural discovery and self-confidence.
Lauren Wederich
Florence, Italy
My name is Lauren Wederich, I live in central New Jersey in a town called Belle Mead near Princeton, NJ. I am a junior at Rowan University studying psychology. I have never been to Europe and really want to travel around and explore. I choose Florence because I’m an artist and it is one of the most monumental locations during my favorite art period, the Renaissance. I love the idealized figures and large fresco murals. I studied art history in high school and I cannot wait to see the actually pieces in person! I choose Florence University of the arts because the professors speak English but taught by international faculty. I hope to inspire others to take the plunge and study abroad, even if they may not be old enough yet. I want my readers to understand that this is an option that offers such great opportunities. I would like my readers to experience a different country with me. I wish they could come on the adventure with me, to taste the pasta and see the duomo in person but I guess video will just have to do.
Alyssa Fidel
Prague, Czech Republic
Hello world! My name is Alyssa Fidel—born and raised in Albuquerque New Mexico. I attend Austin College in Sherman, Texas where I immediately fell in love with psychology and as you would guess, that is my major! Throughout my first two years at Austin College I always wondered about studying abroad. I finally gained the courage and confidence to apply to ISA and to study abroad for a semester in Prague, Czech Republic. You may ask yourself, why Prague? Well it is for that exact reason–how many people do you know that have studied in Prague? Not many! I want to be one of the few that venture through and experience this beautiful city! I am extremely interested in WWII and Prague has such rich history and culture within this era. Blogging with Austin College students gives me the privilege to spread the word about this great opportunity that should be taken advantage of. I would like nothing more than to tell all of my stories to my fellow classmates. By participating in CCC I hope to think deeper into each situation I experience, documenting my time abroad rather than just relying on my memory of these experiences.
Sara Smoter
Buenos Aires, Argentina
My name is Sara Smoter and I am from Johnstown, Pennsylvania! I attend the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa where I am majoring in Spanish and Political Science and working on a certificate in Latin American Studies. I have chosen to study in Buenos Aires, Argentina this semester in order to experience a new, exciting culture, try different foods, meet new people and improve my Spanish speaking skills. I have also chosen to work with Señora at Bishop McCort High School in order to inspire some students to pursue a Spanish major in the future and to step out of their comfort zone and study abroad. I would like to make a group of high school students more culturally aware and open to different ways of life. I would like to expose them to the food, music, dance and everyday life in Buenos Aires. By writing in my blog I will be able to reflect on my trip, share my experience with others and be more appreciative of the wonderful opportunity I have been given to spend a semester in Buenos Aires!
Liz De Luca
Buenos Aires, Argentina
¡Hola queridos! Soy Liz De Luca. Estoy terminando mi tercero año universitario en La Universidad de Belgrano en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ir a Argentina ha sido mi meta para 8 años y estoy muy emocionada estar acá. Algunas otras metas incluyen bailando en Tango en una presentación público en las calles, viajando a La Tierra del Fuego en Ushuaia, y hiciendo nuevas amistades con argentinos. ¿Tenés preguntas? ¿Querés saber algo más specífico de mi viaje? Por favor, ¡dímelas! Estoy acá para mí, pero estoy acá para vos también.
