Hi everyone! My name is Jill Armington, and I am twenty years old and hail from Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, a town right outside of Philadelphia. I am currently a junior at Penn State University and am ridiculously passionate about my two majors, sociology and education public policy. I love being involved in all Penn State has to offer – I row on the crew team, intern as a campus recruiter for Teach For America, serve on the Scholar Advancement Team for the Schreyer Honors College, raise money for pediatric cancer through THON (the largest student-run philanthropy in the world), plan events for Homecoming, play intramural soccer …. But hey, no one ever says they wish they slept more in college, right?
This spring I’ll be leaving Penn State behind to study at Vesalius College in Brussels, Belgium. It took awhile for me to decide where I wanted to go for my semester abroad, and I finally selected the CIEE Brussels: Business, Culture, and Communications program. I’ve always wanted to spend time in Europe, and Belgium is centrally located – travel from one country to another will be easy. I also like that Belgium is a bit less conventional than other European countries; it remains rooted in Dutch and French tradition, but is also metropolitan and modern. The fact that it is the home to the EU headquarters is pretty awesome too: I think Brussels will be a very interesting city to live in, as it is a hub of current European activity. The program also came very highly recommended by a friend of mine who was in Belgium two years ago.
With under two months to go until my departure, I’m definitely starting to get a bit nervous, but my excitement is still at an all-time high. I’ve done a few short-term study abroad programs through Penn State: the summer after my freshman year I studied in Turkey for a month, and last winter break I went to London for a theater study tour. These experiences were absolutely unforgettable, but I’ve known ever since middle school that spending a semester abroad was going to be a vital component of my college career.
And now, here we are! I’ve bought my plane tickets, sent out my visa application, and have started perusing the course list at Vesalius College. I’m going to have to find my old French textbooks from high school to brush up on my francais skills, and will try to European-ize my wardrobe (which, like most Penn State students, consists mainly of Penn State-affiliated t-shirts and comfy sweats).
Until next time!
Jill
Location: State College, Pennsylvania
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