Personal Growth Stories
Freshman Year, Italian Style
By Stacey Valentin (UC Los Angeles) Editor's Note: Did you know you can study abroad before your very first quarter or semester on a UC campus? Stacey participated in a special UCEAP pre-freshman Global Start program in Italy, during the fall before starting her...
How Study Abroad Taught Me to Slow Down and Dream Bigger
By Terra Alvarez (UC Santa Cruz) Growing up in East Los Angeles, traveling beyond Mexico was considered a dream. For most people around me, Mexico was the furthest place our families’ stories reached. Anything beyond that felt distant, expensive, and unrealistic. Our...
What Study Abroad Taught Me About Friendship and Travel
Clark Boyce (UC Berkeley) went to Singapore with a close friend from home, expecting to explore Southeast Asia together. But after their first trip to Thailand revealed completely different travel styles, Clark made a surprising discovery: branching out on his own didn’t weaken their friendship—it strengthened it. From summiting an active volcano in Indonesia to diving solo in Bali, Clark learned that different friendships serve different purposes abroad, and that’s not just okay—it’s essential for personal growth.
Fifteen Years in the Making: A Letter to my Past Selves
Fifteen years ago, a trip to LEGOLand sparked a dream for Jordan Shellow (UCB): seeing the Sydney Opera House in real life. From conquering a fear of heights in Queenstown to finding a ‘travel family’ in a 60-person group chat, Jordan shares a letter to their past selves proving that the wait was beyond worth it.
Grappling with Studying Abroad in Asia as a Chinese American
By Emily Hsi (UC Los Angeles) studied abroad at the National University of Singapore. When I first decided to study abroad, all I knew was that I wanted to be in Asia. As a Chinese American born and raised in California, I had my fair share of identity crises. I was...
How I Showed Up as a Black American Student in Japan
By Denmark Harris (UC Berkeley) studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan I was excited to study abroad in Japan—but I was also afraid. As a person of color, I knew I was heading to a country where the vast majority of people wouldn’t look like me. My biggest goal was to build...
All the Ways Study Abroad Tests and Strengthens Your Identity
Three UC students discover how study abroad transforms identity in unexpected ways. Their stories reveal that studying abroad doesn’t require choosing between who you are and who you might become—instead, it creates space for both authentic identity and personal growth.
5 Steps to Break the Comfort Zone Trap and Adopt a Study Abroad Mindset
Before studying abroad in Rome, Monique Evdokiou (UC Berkeley) felt fully prepared, but quickly found herself stuck in a limiting routine. By resetting her expectations, exploring on her own, and embracing curiosity, she broke out of my comfort zone and immersed in the culture. The mindset shift made her semester unforgettable, teaching her resilience, independence, and the joy of living intentionally.
How Embracing Uncertainty Led to My Greatest Adventure
A first-generation student discovers how embracing uncertainty led to an unexpected adventure in Dublin. What started as a semester abroad transformed into lasting friendships for Valerie Cruz (UC Irvine), turned into surfing the Atlantic Ocean, exploring new academic life, and a future she never imagined – returning to University College Dublin for graduate school.
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