Tag Archives: summer

Summer 2012 Cohort

There will be 6 students GeoBlogging during the Summer 2012 semester. Below is a list of their names with links to their individual GeoBlog and the Education Abroad program in which they are enrolled.

Caribbean

Student GeoBlog Education Abroad Program
Ryan Brown Jamaica: Island Sustainability

Europe

Student GeoBlog Education Abroad Program
Nadine Gaynor Florence: The World of Business and Italian Culture
Abigail Hudak Marburg: Philipps University
Raquel Phillips HDFS: Rome
Anastasiya Shpakova Pforzheim University

North America

Student GeoBlog Education Abroad Program
Reva Baylets CIC: Quebec, Laval University

Location: State College, PA

Getting Started

Hey everyone,

I’m sitting here on my couch watching The King’s Speech (pretty good so far), and I figured I should write my introductory entry for the GeoBlog – I’ve been putting it off long enough.  I guess I’ll start off with a little bit about myself.  I’m going into my fourth year at Penn State – majoring in Engineering Science and minoring in Engineering Leadership and Spanish.  I say fourth year and not senior year, because I added a fifth year (or victory lap, if you will) to make the most of my undergraduate experience.  Most of all, I did it so I could study abroad. 

This fall I’ll be studying in Alicante, Spain, in CIEE’s Spanish Liberal Arts Program.
AlicanteMap.png

It’s an advanced Spanish program focused on total immersion – I figure the only real way to learn a language is to live it, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.  Am I nervous?  More than I care to admit…I often wonder if all the Spanish classes I’ve taken so far have adequately prepared me to live in a Spanish-speaking country. They say you have to step outside of your comfort zone to grow as a person – what about a giant leap?  I guess we’ll find out…but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. 

The movie just ended, and man it was really good – definitely check out The King’s Speech if you haven’t yet.  Well, I’m outta here for now.


Location: King of Prussia, PA