Office of Study Abroad

Majors: International and Global Studies, Minor in French & Francophone Studies

Study Abroad Program: University of Minnesota Study Abroad in Montpellier, France

Current Job/Graduate School/etc.: I’m a Research Coordinator for the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.

Why did you originally choose to study abroad in Montpellier? I liked that Montpellier was a smaller town in the south of France, as there were so many towns in the area that I wanted to explore. I knew that Montpellier was a student town, which made the experience very fun. It was extremely easy to get around the city because of the size, and I felt like I became part of the community very fast. 

What have you been up to since graduation? Working, taking classes at the Harvard Extension School, and enjoying more leisure time without always having to study!

What lessons or skills did you learn from studying abroad that you still think about today or still impact you today on your current path? I was frequently taking leaps out of my comfort zone. From trying foods that I didn’t even understand the name of, to constantly being corrected when I spoke French, I was humbled and vulnerable, while learning how much life has to offer when I push myself to be slightly uncomfortable. The time with my host family was invaluable, and I learned to trust the process and learned that if I’m genuine, flexible and patient, I can find myself in an entirely new home with lifelong friends, a second family, and memories and experiences that will last me a lifetime.

One memory from abroad that still feels like it happened yesterday: My host brother, Luca and I saying the word for yogurt in French, “yaourt”, back and forth maybe 100 times while he rolls on the floor laughing because I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how to pronounce those three vowels in a row in French.

Your message to students thinking about studying abroad: Take the big step! It can be scary to temporarily leave Brandeis, and especially scary to choose to study in a country that doesn’t have English as the native language, but it’s SO worth it! The time you have abroad will fly by so quickly! Do the weekend trips with the program, try speaking the native language, try new foods, and be open and vulnerable to all study abroad has to offer! I wouldn’t trade my semester abroad for anything else, and I wish I had done one more.