Category Archives: Spotlight

Gabrielle LaBeaux

Gabriella LaBeaux

Gabriella LaBeaux

Gabriella LaBeaux (Alumni)
Major: Communications
Year Abroad: Fall 2019 and Spring 2020
Program Location: University of Strathclyde, Scotland
Current Position: Interior Designer
Company: Weedman Design Partners

How did your study abroad experience help you with your coursework once you returned to SJSU?

Because I studied abroad when COVID hit, I never actually returned to SJSU. I finished my degree online during COVID, able to graduate early due to my course load while studying abroad! Curriculum in the UK was research heavy with a focus on one final project. This prepared me for my senior year of college as I was working through my final Communications projects.

How did your study abroad experience help strengthen your job prospects?
Study abroad gave me access to different forms of communication, culture, and design influence that made me a more competitive candidate when applying for jobs. Both design firms I have worked with since graduating have highly valued travel experience for the added layer of insight and ideas evoked from my travels. Everyone I have worked with at both firms has lived or travelled in multiple different countries so we have a very diverse background.

Please describe any skills you learned abroad that you are applying in your current academic, professional, or personal life.
Academically I took away the importance of research and learned long term follow through backed by evidence.

Professionally I learned how to be adaptable to any style of communication or design. I learned the important in listening and asking thoughtful questions. I also learned to value timeless design practices and incorporating history into my work.

Personally I took away prioritizing life above your work. People in the Europe work to live and in America we live to work. In Europe life is more balanced and employers see the benefit in employees having more personal time. So I have looked for firms who practice this mindset.

What was the most memorable experience or moment from your time abroad?
In Scotland, I have so many good memories from pro futbol games, to high tea, and road-trips through the country. I have two memorable experiences.

The first most memorable experience was my birthday party. I gathered my American and Scottish friends and we went out for drinks and dinner. We ended the night in a club with a bounce house. It was one of those nights that was full of good company and lifelong friends.

The second was volunteering at a camp hosted out in the countryside at a beautiful old old old mansion. I got to mentor and give advice to high school students and share so many fun things with them about being American! They loved my accent- ha! I attended a Ceilidh for a fundraiser for the camp which was a traditional Scottish dance party and it was awesome! Yes the men really do wear kilts!

What other experiences do you wish you had optimized while abroad to help you in your career path?
I feel like I actually did this really well. I would tell any student to find some local professionals in your city and connect with them. Wether it be a coffee date, shadowing, or even just an email chain- make those connections. It teaches you about your passion and career path but in an international lens.

Any other advice to current Spartans about maximizing the study abroad experience? 
Save up and travel as much as you can! See your country but also fly to nearby ones. Traveling with friends can be so fun but set your expectations beforehand to be sure you are on the same page for activities and finances. I would even suggest a solo trip. I solo tripped to Iceland and made friends during my excursions. It taught me a lot about myself and how to be comfortable and aware being alone.

Connect with Me
IG: @gabriella_labeaux
Instagram Podcast: Listen Now
Apple Podcast: Listen Now

Alexey Kolechkin

Alexey Kolechkin

Alexey Kolechkin
Major: Finance
Term Abroad: Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
Program / Location: SJSU Exchange Sophia University, Tokyo Japan
IG: @alexey.kolechkin

Why did you want to study abroad? 
I’ve been interested in Japanese culture ever since taking Japanese language classes in high school, so I wanted to experience living in Japan firsthand, improve my language abilities, and meet lots of new people.

What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?
Realizing how much money I’ve been spending, which is ironic considering that living in Japan is fairly cheap right now since the dollar is so strong compared to the yen. But since I go out a lot, whether it’s exploring/traveling or shopping or just hanging out with friends, I end up spending a lot of money on experiences. It’s not something I regret, since thankfully I have enough savings to cover it and I’m making lots of great memories, but it is something I will have to keep in check later on.

Any advice to potential study abroad students?
Seek growth and learning through discomfort. Living abroad for an extended period of time can be scary and challenging, but it’s one of the best opportunities for growth and self-development that you will ever have in your life, so take advantage of it and go somewhere exciting!

How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic?
I minimized the amount of classes I’m taking so that I could put more focus on each one while dealing with the challenges of studying abroad. There is almost always something new that pops up that I have to deal with, or exciting experiences or events that I want to participate in, so I realized I had to take a lighter course load to have time for everything and still be able to succeed academically, as well as succeed in my other goals.

What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community ?
I’ve made friends with several Japanese students and they’ve shown me around different parts of Tokyo and taken me to places like restaurants, bars, karaoke, observatories, shrines, and temples. Having local connections really helps to better integrate with the local community because they show me how to act, speak, and what is considered acceptable and not acceptable.

What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic?
Take the normal precautions as you would anywhere else; wear a mask, wash your hands, try to avoid crowds if you can, and make smart choices

Kianna Vargas

Kianna Vargas

Kianna VargasKianna Vargas (Alumni)
Major: Psychology
Year Abroad: 2019-2020 Academic Year
Program Location: CSUIP / Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile / Santiago de Chile
Current Position: Language and Culture Assistant
Organization: Spanish Ministry of Education

How did your study abroad experience help you with your coursework once you returned to SJSU?

My university in Chile was the number one university in the country meaning that my coursework was extremely rigorous. Attending this school taught me how to better my study happens and how to advocate for myself to professors.

How did your study abroad experience help strengthen your job prospects?
My time in Chile has made me a unique candidate for all jobs I have applied for. Studying abroad teaches you skills you could never learn in a traditional academic setting.

Please describe any skills you learned abroad that you are applying in your current academic, professional, or personal life.
The number one skill I improved on abroad is my Spanish language skills. Although I was confident in my Spanish before arriving to Chile, living and studying there was a humbling experience. In Chile, my Spanish improved immensely, and am now able to use it in all aspects of my life.

What is the most memorable experience or moment from your time abroad?
My most memorable experiences abroad were the solo trip I took to Colombia for a month, hiking Patagonia, and visiting my Chilean friends in their hometowns. A huge perk of studying abroad in the Southern Hemisphere is that the seasons are switched so if you study there for a year you get a summer break. My summer break was from December to March and I used this time to travel across Chile and other parts of South America (Colombia, Peru, and Argentina).

What other experiences do you wish you had optimized while abroad to help you in your career path?
I wish I had volunteered and participated more in school organizations. Due to COVID cutting my time short, I was unable to.

Any other advice to current Spartans about maximizing the study abroad experience? 
Say yes as much as possible, don’t be afraid to be outside your comfort zone, and try your best to make local friends!

Alycia Low

Alycia Low

Alycia Low (alum)
Major: Public Relations and Minored in Professional and Technical Writing
Term Abroad: Fall 2017
Program / Location: SJSU Exchange University of Roehampton, London, UK
Position Title: Recruiting Coordinator
Employer: Roblox

How did your study abroad experience help you with your coursework once you returned to SJSU?
Overall I think my experience helped me become more confident when it came to social interactions with my classmates. It also helped me see things from a different perspective. Having gone abroad, I recognized that there were other ways to approach questions I had about the world.

How did your study abroad experience help strengthen your job prospects?
It definitely helped me stand out as a candidate and was often a topic of conversation when interviewing. They would ask about my experience abroad and how that has shaped me. For me, studying abroad has really shaped the way I think about my career. It’s what led me to my position as a Study Abroad Student Assistant, which has helped me realize I want to go down this career path in recruiting/HR.

Please describe any skills you learned abroad that you are applying in your current academic, professional, or personal life.
Going abroad and having that experience has taught me how to have more grace and compassion for those around me who are from different parts of the world. While I was in the UK/Europe, I was a minority (as an Asian-American) and it helped me appreciate other cultures, including my own, even more!

What is the most memorable experience or moment from your time abroad?
During my last couple of weeks in the UK, I had the opportunity to travel alone in Scotland. This was probably one of the best decisions I had made. It taught me how to be self-sufficient and brought a whole new perspective on travelling. I had the unique experience of eating alone for consecutive meals, for example, and even asking fellow tourists/locals for directions or photos. Through this trip, I was also able to fully embrace the boldness I had learned over the past few months abroad, which helped me to be more confident in my social interactions and even my decisions.

What other experiences do you wish you had optimized while abroad to help you in your career path?
Although I had a great time in London, I do wish I had the opportunity to try living abroad for a longer period of time and maybe even challenge myself to go somewhere out of the ordinary. I also wish I was told that it’s okay not to travel all of Europe in that one semester, and that it’s okay to just sit and absorb what my home city has to offer. I was constantly travelling every weekend that I don’t feel like I truly got to experience London and all that it has to offer.

Any other advice to current Spartans about maximizing the study abroad experience? 
As I mentioned before, I’d highly encourage students to take time to really take in your home city/country. There’s so much your city has to offer and your program will be over before you know it, so really take it in. I think there’s a lot of pressure people put on folks (at least travelling to Europe) to explore as much as you can, but I really wish someone told me this before I planned all of these trips. This was my first time to Europe and I wish I had taken the time to get to know the folks and areas around me.

Abigail Alcain

Abigail Alcain

NAME: Abigail Alcain
MAJOR: Biological Sciences
TERM: Spring 2022
PROGRAM: SJSU Exchange University of Roehampton, UK
EMAIL: alcainabigail@gmail.com

Why did you want to study abroad? 
Studying abroad looked like a great opportunity for me to experience new places and traveling as well as meeting new people from different backgrounds. I also wanted to use this opportunity to advance my career by connecting with the professors and programs that I’m able to participate in.

What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?
A surprising experience that I have noticed is that I live on one of the four campuses here, and I live on the campus that’s far away from the main campus. I was surprised that this college was separated from all the others and distinctly far from the main one. But all my classes and labs are in my current college anyways so I don’t have to go to the main campus unless it’s for a social event or for the library. Another challenging experience is the transportation, all transportation is taken by bus or train, and I am not used to public transportation as much as I am now because that is how I get everywhere, and especially most places near me take about 30 minutes to an hour to get somewhere.

Any advice to potential study abroad students?
For potential study abroad students, would probably be to study what norms take place at that specific country beforehand. And definitely make sure all the financials are taking care of (such as if you need a new phone number/SIM card, a bank, transportation card). Also make sure you know where the nearest hospital is just in case.

How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic?
I have managed to keep my academics controlled bye renting all the textbooks and materials required for my classes. I also depend on the online moodle (CANVAS) for notifications from professors as well as accessing the lectures and videos required.

What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community ?
I have definitely met many people within the community of my area, and they have helped me explore around London and we try new foods and visit in new places and overall had fun!

What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic?
Make sure to have your insurance on hand at all times, especially on your phone in case you have any major injuries. As well make sure you tell someone where you are at and never go alone.

Bridgette Chang

Bridgette Chang

Bridgette ChangBridgette Chang
Country Location: England
Program / University Abroad: SJSU Exchange/Nottingham Trent Univ
Term Abroad: Spring 2022 Semester
Major: Business Administration
Year: 3rd

1. Why did you want to study abroad? 

Studying abroad has been my goal since the start of university career; since I was young, I’ve felt that I’ve missed out on childhood/teenage experiences as I was extremely busy with academics, sports, responsibilities, and extracurricular activities, and once I’ve started my time at SJSU, I thought that would be my chance to make up for the lost experience of freedom to do anything I wanted. However, my small taste of this independent journey was taken away immediately once the pandemic hit; I realized that this time I had living at home and having more time to work, allowed me to save up and research my way to study abroad. Though I’ve traveled quite a bit, this opportunity was important to me as this is my time to explore my independence as well as combine the college experience with cultural exploration..

2. What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?

The positive about studying abroad in the UK is that though there are many similarities that keep me comfortable, there are many aspects of cultural differences that keep my experience interesting and eye opening. Aside from the accents and the cold weather, I’ve found differences in social interactions, academic preparations, food choices, and even clothing style.

3. Any advice to potential study abroad students? 

My advice to potential study abroad students is to not be intimidated by any doubts or difficulties you may think lie ahead. Many students around the world are participating in study abroad programs which shows that you won’t be the only one who’s new to the area. There have been many doubts in my mind when deciding to study abroad, but I found that all of those worries work out with all of the resources provided, and the experience you gain at the end of it is much more worth it.

6. How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic? 

Studying abroad during the pandemic was one of my biggest worries, however I’ve felt the pandemic hasn’t put any affect into my studies here so far; luckily the UK has had the pandemic under control for the most part and has nearly ended the need for masks. The school provides cleaning wipes and small seminar groups for classes that help reduce the spread of germs, as well as providing free test kits, which eases my worries and allows me to focus more on my studies knowing that the school is providing resources for us. However, I still use extra precautions wearing masks and using hand sanitizer/washing my hands often as there are still health risks.

7. What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community?

The city I’m studying in holds 2 big universities and several high schools, which makes the surrounding shops and establishments student friendly and interactive. Many clubs and establishments are affiliated/work with the university(s) to create safe and fun events for students to enjoy, which I’ve found to be well into the trends and entertaining.

8. What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic? Some tips for staying safe and healthy while studying abroad is:

  • *health* prepare for the weather (our bodies are used to the weather of home, so any drastic changes are going to make an impact on our health)
  • *health* bring medicines from home (there are possibilities that medicines are either expensive or inaccessible in the country you’re going to, so it’s best to just bring some from home if possible)
  • *safety* purchase a sim card or figure out a data plan (going to a foreign country you’ll need to find a way around/research something/contact someone, having access to data at all times can prevent hassles and mishaps *buy sim cards outside of the airport; it’s cheaper)
  • *safety* have an emergency contact buddy (whether it’s a friend or roommate, have someone’s contact number in case of an emergency; having someone from the area available to call is safer and efficient than calling someone from your home country during an unlikely event of an emergency.

Diego Lefebre

Diego Lefebre

Diego Lefebre

Diego Lefebre
Country Location: England
Program / University Abroad: SJSU Exchange/Liverpool John Moores University
Term Abroad: 2022 Calendar Year (Spring-Fall 2022)
Major: Business Administration
Year: 3rd

Why did you want to study abroad? 
The reason I wanted to study abroad was that I wanted to have a multicultural experience.

What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?
The most interesting aspect of my study abroad experience is the amount of Erasmus and international students  I have met that make the Study abroad experience more eye-opening as I get exposed to various languages and cultures..

Any advice to potential study abroad students? 
One piece of advice I would give to potential study abroad students is to do research on the university they are applying to and more importantly the city as some cities are more student-friendly making your experience more exciting and enjoyable.

How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic? 
While being abroad it can sometimes be hard to balance school and your personal life as going out with friends, meeting new people, and exploring new cities take time away from studying, something that has worked for me is keeping a small journal with projects and assignments deadlines and a daily to-do list to finish all of my work and have the weekend free to explore.

What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community?
The way I have been interacting and getting to know the local culture in Liverpool is by making friends with local students from my classes and going out with them to pubs and museums. Another way I have been getting to know locals and British culture is through football or soccer. In Liverpool, the passion and pride they have are emblematic of how important soccer is in British culture. I have also joined some clubs from my university and it has been a great way to get to know local students and demystify stereotypical ideologies about England by having a broader understanding of the people and their culture.

What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic? 
Traveling abroad during the pandemic was a challenge in itself as the entry requirements to enter some countries required a negative PCR test within 72hrs, a passenger locator form, and proof of vaccination. Although it may get overwhelming, having a list of the required documents and preparing in advance makes traveling much easier. One thing that helped me a lot while traveling was having a cellular data plan before going abroad because as soon as I landed in the UK I could use my phone to get around making me feel safer and have an overall better experience while traveling.

Ingrid Camberos Gallardo

Ingrid Camberos Gallardo
Location: Florence, Italy
Program: CSU Florence Center
Term: Spring 2022 Semester
Major: Political Science
Year: 3rd year

Why did you want to study abroad? 
In my high school there was a program called American Field Service (AFS) and we would exchange with different high schools across the US, as well as receiving year long exchange students from around the world. I’ve exchanged to Japan, Boston, and Chicago and due to that I have always wanted to study abroad for a year once I was in college.

What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?
The most positive experience studying abroad is the amount of travel once can get done. I’ve travelled to 18 different countries while being abroad and I still have a whole semester left!

Any advice to potential study abroad students?
My advice to potential study abroad students is to get a Eurail train pass. This train pass is how I managed to create an efficient travel itinerary that would allow me to go around Europe for a lower cost. (They have student discounts)

How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic? 
My classes have all been in person and that’s what has helped me a lot while being abroad.

What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community ?
Meeting local people and keeping communication while my time abroad has been such a fun way of saying in touch with the local community. As well as going to the same restaurants, because they now know my the names of my friends and I.

What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic?
My only tip would be to respect the guidelines of each country. Some countries don’t require mask, and some do. I tend to follow the rules of the country in which I am in.

Molizabeth Sieng

Molizabeth Sieng

Molizabeth Sieng
Location: France
Program: SJSU Exchange at Sciences Po Lille
Term: Spring 2022 Semester
Major: Political Science major and a Legal Studies minor.
Year: 3rd year

Why did you want to study abroad? 
There are a bunch of reasons I wanted to study abroad, for one, my brother actually studied abroad with SJSU in Australia and he loved it, so it was something that I always thought about doing before I even entered college. Also discovering that Science Po Lille was an option made me want to do it even more. As someone who is interested in attending law school after undergrad and pursuing a career in international law, studying abroad, especially at such a prestigious university in France, made sense to me. Aside from the educational and career benefits studying abroad has, I also felt like it’s important to immerse yourself in cultures different from your own. Even though as Americans, especially coming from San Jose, we are extremely lucky to be surrounded by such diversity, it truly isn’t the same when you don’t just see a different culture but you actually live in it. So I guess to sum it up, I wanted to study abroad because it sounded cool, would probably look cool on my resume and law school applications, and for personal growth.

What has been your most surprising, positive, or challenging experience abroad?
The most challenging experience would definitely have to be dealing with homesickness. Growing up with 9 older siblings and constantly being around family, it was extremely difficult to learn how and get used to being completely by myself. Not to mention being completely by yourself in a country where you don’t speak the native language! Although I definitely do have my days in which I feel like sleeping the entire day to pass time by, I just have to constantly remind myself that I may not get an opportunity to do something like this ever again and that it’s a temporary thing so I should try my hardest to get out, live, and enjoy everything while it lasts.

Any advice to potential study abroad students?
My advice would be, as cliche as it sounds, embrace the opportunity to be abroad. Don’t be afraid of getting out of your comfort zone, of running into obstacles, or failing. Another piece of advice is scholarships!! Take advantage of the scholarships offered by your major department, by the study abroad office, by the government, etc! It’ll be much more fun when you don’t have to focus and stress about finances and can just experience everything!

I received $4,000 from Gilman and $5,000 from the Department of Political Science from SJSU (John Gilbert Scholarship for International Studies). I also am a financial aid recipient which covered my tuition as well as gave me around $4,000 in grants. I created an excel sheet with all of my potential expenses and this was more than enough to cover everything, so I didn’t apply to many other scholarships. I didn’t really need to budget on anything coming to France. I was able to buy a Disneyland Paris annual pass, the Eurail global pass, and other leisure things while still being able to live comfortably.

How are you managing your academic success abroad during the pandemic? 
With some courses still being online and being in a different country, it certainly is hard to resist the urge to go out and explore new things instead of being on top of school work. But what really helps is creating a little schedule, planning which days will be dedicated to studying and which days will be dedicated to going out, as well as staying connected with classmates.

What are some ways that you are interacting with the local community?
I try to go out whenever I have down time. Whenever I don’t have class or just have readings to do I’ll take my laptop to cafes or bars and stay there. I also follow the university’s international student clubs. They often organize fun events that enable people to explore the community through a local’s perspective.

What are some tips for managing your health and safety while traveling during the pandemic? 
Listening to and following the rules and mandates they have in place is a big one. Aside from that, it is important to just stay cautious, aware, and respectful of your surroundings. Avoid things or situations that’ll put you at an unnecessary risk.