Name: Eliza Kaye
What program are you doing?
I am currently participating on SIT’ International Honors Program on Climate Change: The Politics of Food, Water, and Energy. We had a two-week orientation period in San Francisco before traveling to Vietnam (4 weeks), Morocco (5 weeks), and finally Bolivia, which is where I am now.
How did you get to study abroad?
I always knew I wanted to study abroad but due to my involvement in organizations on campus, I was unable to until my senior year. I was very hesitant to be away from school for half of my senior year, yet after a conversation with Leslie Smedley, the director of Pitt-recognized study abroad programs, I was totally convinced. I knew I had found the perfect program.
What do you wish you knew before you left?
How much of a travel bug study abroad can leave you with. Before study abroad, I thought I definitely wanted to be in the United States after graduation but now I am leaning much farther towards being in a different country.
What is the most important lesson you learned?
Ah, such a tough question because I have learned SO much. One of the most important lessons has been taking everything a day at a time and not looking to the future. I think it is really easy for college students to keep looking forward to the next ‘thing’ but being abroad has really counteracted that for me and has allowed me to appreciate everything much more. Another very important lesson I learned is how vital it is to understand different cultures and languages without perpetuating your own. It is often assumed that every country one may travel to will automatically know English, but I believe it should be the other way around. Study abroad has instilled in me a greater passion for languages and knowledge about different cultures around the world.