Amelia Keng, Special to The Denisonian –
Left: Drue Thielking ’26 in the medical clinic in Costa Rica. Right: Valentina Mendoza-Cruz visiting Dartmoor during her time in England.
Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allows you to immerse yourself in another culture.
As a student-athlete on the women’s swimming and diving team, junior Drue Thielking knew that she wouldn’t have time to study abroad during the school year, so she decided to go abroad for three weeks during the summer to Costa Rica.
“The three-week opportunity was the perfect amount of time for me to get the experience, but also be able to go home and do the things I needed to do,” Thielking said.
Thielking participated in an abroad program that was specifically targeted towards student athletes who didn’t have time to travel during the school year. The program specifically focused on teaching students about what it was like to work in a clinic or hospital in a different country. Thielking was interested in seeing how different the healthcare profession was in Costa Rica compared to the U.S.
“I worked in a clinic, so I learned a lot about the best ways to interact with patients, both from a nurse’s side, receptionist and physician,” Thielking said.
One of the Thielking’s most memorable moments about studying abroad was being able to sightsee and visit different landmarks on the weekends. She liked seeing the beach from a different perspective because it was like a jungle that led right to the ocean.
“We went to a volcano, which was very cool to see, because you can’t see volcanoes too often in the United States,” Thielking said. “Also, we went ziplining through the rainforest, which was really cool.”
Thielking believes that studying abroad is a great opportunity to learn about other cultures because you are constantly meeting new people and exploring whats around you.
“You’re experiencing new culture, meeting new people, and just like, trying to be present and take it in,” Thielking said.
Sophomore, Valentina Mendoza Cruz chose to study abroad in England at the University of Exeter for a month during July. She decided to pick a program that focused on her interest in STEM and how to support sustainability efforts.
During the program, Mendoza Cruz learned a lot about climate migration and was able to meet a lot of different professors who shared their expertise with her.
“There was also day trips throughout the program,” Mendoza Cruz said. “It was really fun going to Dartmoor National Park and to see like the wild ponies and the Highland cows.”
Mendoza Cruz’s overall abroad trip allowed her to experience what it was like to be in a different culture. She also got to meet lots of other students from different countries because the University of Exeter had a program for international students.
“The University of Exeter actually has an international summer school that they do, and so I was surrounded by all different types of people and different programs, and also from all over the world,” Mendoza Cruz said. “I met people from Spain, Colombia, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.”
Mendoza Cruz enjoyed the month-long experience because she had never traveled to the UK before. The program was run by Fulbright, so all of the expenses were paid for, including food and travel costs.
“It was really fun to meet with a group of people and experience being abroad together because we were all going to England for the first time,” Mendoza Cruz said.
On weekends, Mendoza Cruz would sightsee around London and try local food. She was surprised by how different the food tasted compared to home.
“When I was in London, I went to a restaurant and I asked for the spiciest thing they had and it tasted sweet to me,” Mendoza Cruz said.