My abroad experience finished about a week ago and I cannot believe that it is already over. I had an amazing time exploring both Copenhagen and Iceland throughout the three weeks that I was abroad. I met so many new people from various states across the U.S. and formed many new friendships. In addition, I got to immerse myself in Danish culture while gaining knowledge valuable to my major and future career.

I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone on this trip by interacting with so many new people. This was a personal growth for me. I am a bit introverted, and being put with a group of completely new people was nerve racking at first but ended up being the best thing possible. I made so many new friendships and memories that I will value for the rest of my life.

In addition to growing personally, I gained valuable skills and knowledge useful for my academic and professional career. Getting to see glaciers and glacial landscapes firsthand made me certain that environmental science is the right path for me. I loved learning about the methods used to extract ice cores and how glaciers are constantly evolving. We then got to participate in a group project focusing on an aspect of climate change and glaciers. My group performed research on glacial mass balance and then presented our poster to the class in a small conference. This helped with my research and public presenting skills in a new environment.

Study abroad is an amazing experience that offers so many opportunities. I formed multiple new connections and learned much about glaciers and there many features. I would love to bring my new perspectives back to pitt and use the knowledge I have gained on climate change to my future career as an environmental scientist.

Thank you so much for helping me participate in this life changing experience!!