Jessica Tran

NAME: Jessica Tran
MAJOR: ‘Business Admin/International Business
PROGRAM: South Korea, SJSU Exchange – Kyungpook National University
EMAIL: jessica.t.tran01@sjsu.edu

 

GOALS: What were your goals for studying abroad?
Reflect on the personal, academic, and professional goals that you had set out to achieve on your study abroad experience?

My goals when studying abroad was learning and experiencing how life is like in another country, as it would be much different than the US. I also wanted to become independent and learn how to care for myself.

PERSONAL GROWTH: What was the biggest impact that your study abroad experience had on you?

I think the biggest impact that my study abroad experience had on me was the independence of taking care of myself. As I was born and raised here, I never was away from my family, and I would have never been able to experience it until most likely after graduation. Going to South Korea all by myself, with no friends or family members with me, was the best thing I decided to do. Being able to navigate my way around a country I have never been to, and the fact that I hardly know the language I find is amazing. Also I believe that since I was there alone, I was able to find myself and take the time to care for myself, which I do not always have the time and opportunity for myself here.

ACADEMICS: How would you describe your academic experience abroad?
Share what courses you chose to take abroad and the strategies you used to ensure your academic success. How has the experience impacted your academics now that you have returned to SJSU?
I took 2 business courses and 2 GE courses, in order to pass you need to do assignments and study for exams. However, you must not be absent over 8 classes or you will fail the course.
CAREER: What skills did you learn/sharpen during your study abroad experience?
Reflect on how your study abroad experience and the skills, knowledge, or networking has enhanced or contributed to your life back on campus or home.

Since every country is different, figuring out how to have the ability to adapt and adjust accordingly would be a great skill to learn. Also since most other countries do not have their main language as English, learning and going through the obstacles of interacting and communicating with the people there in their native language. Also since I knew no one and had no friends, I had to get out of my shell and befriend natives and other foreigners. I never really made friends in my classes in SJSU, but after coming back, I have seen myself interacting and networking with more people. It also made me realize how lucky we are to be attending a university in the US. Foreign students have to take English exams to see if they qualify to study abroad in the US. While for us, we can apply much easier as the schools abroad offer courses taught in English and there is no need to be proficient at their main language.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: How has your immersion impacted your perspectives on the world?
Reflect on the opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture and/or at your host university. How did your immersion in a new culture change your perspective on the world or your future?
I think it really gets you out there, since I basically threw myself into a country where English is not the main language. It allows you to learn how adapt and take care of yourself.
FUTURE: How has study abroad prepared you for your future?

Studying abroad allowed me to become more prepared for my future. I am now confident in being able to live by myself, putting myself out there and ask people for help, my communicating and networking skills have strengthened, and most importantly taking care of my wellbeing. Also learned how to budgeting my spendings, which I would say was the hardest one handle while abroad.

TIPS: What advice would you give to a future Global Spartan?

Advice I would give a future Global Spartan is to not bring as much luggage. It was mentioned multiple times in the orientation and the meeting, but when packing I felt like I needed to bring a lot of things. In reality, I brought many things I did not need. Knowing a little of the language before hand would come in handy, although a good amount of people would probably be able to help you even if you do not know the language. Also know which apps to download before arriving to your study abroad location, as you will be using those apps on a daily basis.

Courtney Wan

NAME: Courtney Wan
MAJOR: Chemistry
PROGRAM: South Korea, SJSU Exchange – Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
EMAIL: courtney.wan@sjsu.edu

 

BIO: Please tell us about you and why you chose to study abroad.

My name is Courtney Wan. My pronouns are she/her. I am a Chemistry major with a Biochemistry concentration and Bioinformatics minor. I recently graduated from SJSU during the spring 2023 semester but have plans on continuing my education at SJSU as an open university student to fulfill class prerequisites to apply for the SJSU Clinical Laboratory Scientist Training Program in the spring 2024 semester.

To talk about volunteer, or job experiences, I volunteered as a math mentor at my high school to help and prepare incoming freshmen for the pace of high school level classes. I was also a teaching assistant at a Buddhist summer program (Theravada Buddhist Society Of America) where I helped with lesson plans and led group student activities. I was recently a student assistant for CHEM 131A at SJSU where I helped answer questions on laboratory procedures and prepped laboratory materials for the lab.

I chose to study abroad because the opportunity to learn about another country’s culture while pursuing an education sounded amazing. Studying abroad allows me to immerse myself in a new culture, language, and lifestyle. This type of exposure while abroad allows me to appreciate and understand cultural diversity. I also saw this study abroad opportunity to help with personal growth. As living in a foreign country comes with challenges that bring me out of my comfort zone, I hoped to build up independence and problem solving skills as I work through unfamiliar situations. I also like the variety of electives as well as class selections for my major offered by exchange programs. Even though I was close to graduating and took most of the classes I needed, I thought it would be nice to experience a different teaching style and classroom environment from a different country. Lastly, I have always wanted to learn a new language, so I saw this as the perfect way to learn and quickly pick up a new language.

CAREER: What skills did you learn/sharpen during your study abroad experience?
Reflect on how your study abroad experience and the skills, knowledge, or networking has enhanced or contributed to your life back on campus or home.

Studying abroad in South Korea left a positive impact and was life changing. I would have never gotten to experience the things I experience in South Korea anywhere else. I have gained so much cultural knowledge being fully exposed to Korean trends. Making so many new friends and connections in Korea helped to advance my Korean language skills, as I was practicing the language constantly. My experience was full of impactful and wonderful memories that will be a huge part of who I am today. The way I think about myself, the people around me, and the world was significantly changed after studying abroad. I have opened myself to a much more global perspective. Another skill I have improved during my study abroad experience is public speaking. A lot of the classes I took in South Korea are discussion based and require a presentation/project before finals week. The frequent amount of public speaking activities helped me to talk more smoothly, connecting ideas and come up with topics to contribute to conversations.

GOALS: What were your goals for studying abroad?
Reflect on the personal, academic, and professional goals that you had set out to achieve on your study abroad experience?

A personal goal for myself was to put myself out there and try something new every week. Even though I’m a shy person, I tried meeting new people and doing new activities. Doing this helped me do things I’ve never done before while making great memories with the people I met. An academic goal I set was to pass all of my classes with an A. Strategies I used to achieve this goal was to preview materials before class as well as to review material after classes to help retain information. These retention strategies help me balance school life while having fun outside of school. A professional goal of mine is to work as a cosmetic chemist, so in South Korea I signed up for makeup formulation classes where I made my own foundation and lipstick shades. I learned about ingredients that go into these products as well as a bit color theory.

PERSONAL GROWTH: What was the biggest impact that your study abroad experience had on you?

Before my study abroad trip, I would describe my personality as shy and introverted, so the biggest impact that my study abroad experience had on me was becoming more extroverted. I learned that getting out of my comfort zone and attempting to do things either by myself or with new people opens up many hidden opportunities. I learned that just making connections by having a conversation with a stranger or a fellow student in class, helped me to get invited to events/activities or gain a helping hand when it came to exploring a new country.

ACADEMICS: How would you describe your academic experience abroad?
Share what courses you chose to take abroad and the strategies you used to ensure your academic success. How has the experience impacted your academics now that you have returned to SJSU?

The courses I took abroad were Basic Korean, Understanding Asian Culture, Comparative Thoughts East and West, and Popular Culture and Media. Strategies I used to ensure my academic success was to choose courses that would be of interest to me as well as help me learn more about the country I am studying abroad in, in that sense I would be engaged and motivated to succeed in these courses.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: How has your immersion impacted your perspectives on the world?

To immerse myself in the local culture and at my host university, I joined school clubs and participated actively in the buddy system organized by the school for exchange students. I joined the art club as well as the KITE (Koreans and International Students TalkIng in English) club. These clubs actively promoted group activities where we meet new people and learn cultural activities at the same time. Being immersed in a new culture changed my perspective on the world as being in a classroom with students from all over the world like from Europe, Asia, and other parts of America has taught me how to cooperate with a diverse group of people and understand perspectives on an international level.

FUTURE: How has study abroad prepared you for your future?

Studying abroad has prepared me for my future in aspects of communication and socialization skills. I am more open to conversing and connecting with people. At the end of these conversations, I share my experience as well as gain knowledge from them. In addition, after studying abroad my interest to try new things has increased. I look forward to taking on new opportunities or facing new challenges.

 

TIPS: What advice would you give to a future Global Spartan?

Before studying abroad, it is nice to do a bit of research beforehand or reach out to someone who has studied abroad before to help prepare you for a great study abroad experience. You can learn more about what to bring or not bring, culture etiquette wise what to do and not do, recommend places to go or activities to do, etc. Also learning a bit of the language would do wonders when trying to communicate with the locals and trying to get around.

Matthew Heitmann

Matthew HeitmannNAME: Matthew Heitmann
MAJOR: History
PROGRAM: Germany – CSUIP – University of Tübingen
TERM: Fall 2022 & Spring 2023
EMAIL: matthew.heitmann@sjsu.edu
BIO: Please tell us about you and why you chose to study abroad.(REQUIRED)

My name is Matt, and I was born and raised in San José. My parents are both children of European immigrants from Italy & Germany. Growing up, I was raised around these influences and would consider myself culturally Italian-American with my Mom’s parents a major influence on me and their family as a whole – which exposed me to another world outside of English-speaking America from an early age. This ultimately led to my interests in history, culture and languages, choosing to pursue a major in History and minor in German linguistics -perhaps contrary to the culturally dominant Italian part of me. Nonetheless I chose to pursue my passion and do a study year in Germany after completing basic introductory German courses at West Valley and currently am in my second semester here at the University of Tuebingen having progressed tremendously with the German language since I first arrived last July. It is my passion and desire to dedicate my life to academics and become a Professor of History & Languages in the future. My dream is to be at least trilingual, mastering German and Italian in addition to my native English. I felt that I would never truly realize this ambition unless I undertook a study year in Europe which although has been difficult, stressful and at first quite lonely, has become a wonderful multi-cultural experience and the perfect opportunity to hone my second language.

CAREER: What skills did you learn/sharpen during your study abroad experience?(REQUIRED)
Reflect on how your study abroad experience and the skills, knowledge, or networking has enhanced or contributed to your life back on campus or home.

I haven’t returned back home yet, so it’s hard to say exactly how it will look back in California. But I think that I have learned how to work with so many different people, from all over the world and different walks of life. I have created an expansive network of people here in Europe who I know I will always have contact with no matter where I am.

GOALS: What were your goals for studying abroad?(REQUIRED)
Reflect on the personal, academic, and professional goals that you had set out to achieve on your study abroad experience?

My goals when choosing to study abroad were threefold:

1. First and foremost, German fluency: As aforementioned, a major goal of mine is to become trilingual, fluent in the languages of my familial culture to complement my English. I believe that becoming at least bilingual is a very important stepping stone in this world, as it unlocks another world in and of itself, gives you another cultural perspective on your world, and most importantly provides so many career opportunities that I would otherwise be limited to with just English.

2. Developing a base in Europe: With the political situation across America growing increasingly more concerning and polarizing for me as a gay man and the increasing unaffordability of my beloved California, I have for the last several years considered my options for living and working in Europe. Before I started my program in Germany, I received my German and European Union Citizenship and Passport. This was important for me, as Europe would now permanently be open to me no matter the path I choose nor what comes of our country. I have worked on meeting as many people here as possible, befriending many of them, as well as exploring institutions such as the German-American Institute(D.A.I.) to better establish myself for future contacts and work here, should I pursue it.

3. Most importantly in the short-term however, is of course my degree. I had already completed my History degree requirements save for 1 or 2 courses prior to departing for Germany. But what was challenging to complete at SJSU unfortunately was my German minor. Here in Germany, I have managed to take all of my academically-required courses for the German minor and extra. I have pushed myself over and over at every opportunity I get here to take as many German language classes as possible. Stressful? Yes! Worth it? Absolutely!

PERSONAL GROWTH: What was the biggest impact that your study abroad experience had on you?(REQUIRED)

Multiculturalism: This is a big one for me. The monolinguistic nature of the U.S. with such a dominant language like English as its mother tongue I feel really limits us in getting to know and understand other cultures, societies, and leaves us blind to many negative aspects of our own society. Growing up ethnic, that is to say, with parents or grandparents and aunts, uncles, cousins who were not born nor raised in the United States, is a tremendous advantage I believe in becoming multiculturally-aware and being able to establish and grow connections with non-Americans. From a young age, I often felt different compared to many of the other kids whose families were entirely born and raised American. I took great pride in my roots, and the struggle that my grandparents went through to make it in America. This would lead to my passion for culture, history, and languages. I have managed to make wonderful friends here from so many different backgrounds. Tuebingen is an extremely international campus, attracting people from all over the world. Getting to know so many wonderful cultures, their traditions, celebrations, holidays, and cuisine has been such an extraordinary opportunity to expand my horizons and learn so much more about our world. California is one of the unique places to grow up in America wherein you are already exposed to multiculturalism from a young age and therefore I think this is why I value it so greatly, seeing it as a given since preschool.

ACADEMICS: How would you describe your academic experience abroad?
Share what courses you chose to take abroad and the strategies you used to ensure your academic success. How has the experience impacted your academics now that you have returned to SJSU?

I took a heavy course load of German language, culture, communication and reading classes. In August, I had a special 6 week course program with German language school from 8am-3pm while living with a German host family. In the fall semester, I took 4 German language classes, 1 German reading class, 1 German culture class, 1 intercultural communications class, and now will be taking 5 German language and writing courses. All of which were to obtain my German minor.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: How has your immersion impacted your perspectives on the world?

Absolutely. This is a natural byproduct of any study abroad program. You are exposed to a different view of the world, which may also include many similarities. You are also subjected to a whole new way of viewing America. Before I came to Europe, even though I considered myself already a very multi-cultural and global person, I definitely had some red, white and blue sunglasses on. That is to say, I had certain judgments and reservations about countries, their political systems, their economics, societies as a whole that were quite wrong. This is something I feel is very important to be self-aware of, and reflect on throughout any study abroad experience, even if you feel like you’re well educated on the country you’re living in. In my case, I have always been a big fan of Germany and seen them as a beacon of European democracy and stability. Yet despite this, I still judged many aspects of German society incorrectly.

 FUTURE: How has study abroad prepared you for your future?(REQUIRED)

I truly believe that when I return to America this summer, that I will have an extremely different view on our society and the structure of our university, for both better and for worse. For instance, I believe I will naturally gravitate towards and connect with international students, and professors who have gone through a similar experience as me – such as Professor Katsev of my History department, who I have developed a strong relationship with as she also studied in Europe during her youth. I think that should I decide to pursue grad school in Europe, or do another study semester that I will be even more prepared the second time around and much more comfortable with myself. This is the kind of experience that is imprinted upon a person for a lifetime. I will always draw upon my international experience in my future education, career and personal life.

TIPS: What advice would you give to a future Global Spartan?(REQUIRED)

I think the foremost matter of importance is just pushing yourself to apply for it and commit. I remember the incredible anxiety and worry I had when I was even just considering applying for studying abroad back in January of 2022. Dreams will always stay dreams unless you pursue them, which is why I think this is important advice to always have in the back of your mind.

Once you’ve begun your program, this is some advice which I have received or reflected on and think can be tremendously beneficial to a successful experience:
1. Say yes to every opportunity: Even if it doesn’t work out, even if you don’t end up enjoying it, you still did it. You still took the step, and you learned more about yourself.

2. Put yourself out there: Try to join as many social groups as you possibly can at the beginning. When I first moved into my university’s dorms I joined facebook, instagram, and whatsapp groups to meet as many people as possible. I attended pub crawls, dinner nights, hang outs, in order to meet as many people as I could. Did I end up befriending most of them? No. But I found my people who I clicked best with, I found my friends, and I built my social circle and friend groups with them. They were in the same boat as me just trying to meet other people and so there really isn’t much pressure on you. It’s all in your head!

​​​​​​​3. Take a break when you need to, it’s normal: I have found myself extremely burnt out from too much social activity, and the activities that go with it such as clubbing and drinking. These are a core part of the social experience at any university, which is why I think it’s important to address it in spite of our traditional anti-Alcohol view at American universities. It’s going to be there. You’re going to drink it. That’s just the reality of it. In my first semester I went to a lot of parties and I did a lot of clubbing and drinking with friends. By January, I was completely sick of it and burnt out.

Jeremy Gaviola Quero

Jeremy Quero

Name: Jeremy Quero
Email: jeremy.quero@sjsu.edu
Major: Engineering Technology
Program: Business and Society – Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences – Rotterdam Netherlands
Email: jeremy.quero@sjsu.edu

My name is Jeremy Quero, I am an Engineering Technology focus on Manufacturing Systems and my minor is Business. I’m just another student from SJSU that likes to play video games, listen to music of any genre that is catchy, watch movies and shows specifically anime, and go on adventures. I studied at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (RUAS) for the spring 2023 semester. Going on the program was definitely an experience that any student should do. I did something out of my comfort zone, I got to understand the culture of the dutch and the many other cultures that were present, and most importantly I got to travel across Europe with the friends I made in Rotterdam. To any student who reads this, Shoot your shot and take a risk because this is something that is bigger than you are and helps you evolve individually as a person.

1) GOALS: What were your goals for studying abroad?
To understand how the culture of Netherlands operate and how to succeed in another country. I wanted to challenge myself by living somewhere whereas I have no prior experience living. To live and to survive on my own. Professionally on taking on the challenges that the Host University gave me and taking it head on and succeeding.
2) PERSONAL GROWTH: What was the biggest impact that your study abroad experience had on you?
I would say the biggest impact it had on my was rediscovering my own culture of not just being an American citizen, but remembering my roots of my people of being a Filipino man. Also living alone and adjusting to the environment to overcome and to succeed. Having an overall different view of how other students from different countries work and apply the positives to my own ethics.
3) ACADEMICS: How would you describe your academic experience abroad?
research and presentations, To ensure success I would take initiative and take action by making the first move and going out in the field to make observations. applying this will give me confidence.
4) CAREER: What skills did you learn/sharpen during your study abroad experience?
The skills I learned and sharpen would be focusness, resiliency, and perseverence. Focusness: since being out here with independency, I would like to have fun and do fun activities with the friends I made out in Rotterdam. That being said when you want to have fun , you have to put in the work. I would make sure I finish every assignment before heading out. Reseliency: with a new environment, theres new school culture and sometime you have to make gold to what’s given to you. There would be times during the program where the students would often feel confused as the professors would not communicate with each other and tend to give us information on the assignments that wouldn’t align. I would ask questions and try to give out the best execution of assignment as I possibly can. Perseverence: With being alone and starting over again in a new society. This made me have to step out my confort zone. I made new friends and it made me take more initiative in and outside of the school. I was able to connect to students all over the world from coming from countries like Germany all the way to Indonesia. This allowed me to explore more cultures other than Dutch culture.
5) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: How has your immersion impacted your perspectives on the world?
People and universities from different cultures work way different. There is no one way of learning things as different countries have their own way of teaching and living.
6) FUTURE: How has study abroad prepared you for your future?
This prepared me not just in school but in life. How I see things now is different than how I saw things 6 months earlier. Going foward into the future, this tought me to be more independent and gave me more confidence in my school methods. Meeting new people helped me understand that everyone works differently have their own journeys. I personally will challenge myself by taking more risks to become more successful.
7) TIPS: What advice would you give to a future Global Spartan?
Advice I would give to future global spartans would be take initiative and challenge yourself to be not just a better student but a better person overall in their journey of wherever country they go. Don’t be scared of taking risks and to always stay committed to the things they do. These type of opportunities come and go so make the best out of it and have fun!

Gilman Award: Rahel Adebabay

Rahel Adebabay

Congratulations to Rahel Adebabay, a Junior majoring in Global Studies and minoring in African American Studies, Legal Studies, and Philosophy who was one of two SJSU recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in the spring 2023 semester. Rahel will be studying at University College Dublin in the spring. Rahel is a Peer Mentor at Peer Connections and a Research Assistant at the African American Studies department. In her personal statement (see below), Rahel, who is proudly of Ethiopian heritage, wrote that she is “eager to embark on a new academic journey and determined to excel while utilizing my leadership abilities to contribute to the campus culture.”

Rahel’s Statement of Purpose

Participating in a study abroad program would profoundly benefit my experience as a Global Studies major. My interest in foreign relations stems from the desire to serve underrepresented groups, travel, and engage with different cultures. I want to utilize my degree to work towards my vision of building a prosperous, united Africa with access to basic needs, economic sustainability, and solid educational infrastructure. As I pursue such domains, the University College Dublin would be the perfect environment to develop the skills necessary to thrive in International Affairs. Not only will I engage in a curriculum directly related to my field, but like-minded individuals will also surround me. San Jose State University is traditionally a STEM-based school, and the student population majoring in International Affairs is slim. Seeing as though the University College Dublin is highly selective and recognized for its programs, I expect my experience to challenge me, academically and personally, as I know this will ultimately make me a well-rounded student and person. Through this program, I hope to gain a new perspective in which to view the world.

Although I consider myself open-minded, I believe traveling to Dublin, Ireland, and experiencing a non-American curriculum will allow me to decenter from an American political perspective. This is especially important as a scholar in the field of International relations because this will challenge my political beliefs, worldviews, and personal values. International Affairs cannot be seen from only one perspective, and acquiring added perspective will make me more analytical and critical in nature. Such attributes will make me an attractive candidate for my future educational pursuits and professional life. Through this experience, I desire to garner skills to become an effective communicator as I am cognizant of the number of people I will meet from various backgrounds with possible language and cultural barriers. Through this experience, I want to learn how to navigate those barriers in communication. This is especially important to me as I hope to work in the peace and war conflict sector, and through this experience, I can drastically improve my communication abilities.

 I believe studying abroad is more than just about academics. It includes studying rich cultures and engaging in diverse communities. I plan to use this cultural understanding to best inform me beyond this academic semester and my day-to-day life. I believe that I am a creative, open-minded student with excellent collaboration skills and a deep-rooted commitment to improving my community. At the University College Dublin, I am eager to embark on a new academic journey and determined to excel while utilizing my leadership abilities to contribute to the campus culture. These qualities prove I would be a great candidate for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship program.

Apply For the Gilman Scholarship Now