Growing up in a small suburb outside of Detroit, Michigan, I would have never have thought that I would find myself

where I am today: living in Chicago, near the end of a masters program at the age of 23 and with a passion for working with international students. I did not travel by airplane until the age of 17 when I went on spring break with my friends to New York City. The next time I would fly would be as first-year student at Albion College to Wroclaw, Poland to complete a service-learning project. This trip was a life-changing experience as it, oddly enough, led me back to my passion for the Spanish language. Being surrounded by a new culture, new cuisine and a way of life that was different from anything I had ever experienced ignited a desire to discover more. My sophomore year as an undergraduate brought me a volunteer trip to Costa Rica and a biology research trip to Suriname. These trips were exciting in their own ways and both provided me with an appreciation of how other cultures live since I had the opportunity to live with families during both experiences. The culminating study abroad experience of my undergraduate career was my year spent abroad in Crdoba, Argentina. The difference of this time abroad when compared to my shortterm trips was that I was completely on my own. The previous immersions were with the safety net of 10-12 classmates from Albion and at least two professors; this time I did not know anyone in the country. My first month in Argentina was one of the most difficult times of my life because I was not enjoying the euphoric honeymoon period that many students typically experience at the beginning of their semester abroad. My personality did not blend well with my first host moms and I felt isolated in this new culture. After a month of trying out the relationship, I moved out of her home and into the home of the family I lived with for the remainder of my time in Crdoba. I am so grateful to have met this family who welcomed me as their daughter, taught me the warmth of Argentine culture and had eternal patience with my

novice level of Spanish. They supported me through this journey and I gained confidence in multiple aspects of my life which later inspired my move to Chicago, IL. The relationships that I built with my new family and local Argentine friends brought me moments that I will never forget and a certain fearlessness that I had not experienced previously. Returning home to Michigan in 2011 was the second most challenging time of my life. Reverse culture shock took its toll on me and I was constantly dreaming of Argentina. What got me through my re-entry process was my focus on my new career trajectory in higher education. Because my study abroad experience was so meaningful to me, I decided that I wanted to support other students through their own study abroad trips. After meeting with a professor later who became my mentor, I changed my psychology minor to communication studies, kept my Spanish major and began applying for graduate programs in higher education. Since I felt stifled on the Albion College campus of 1,500 students when comparing it to living in a city of three million for a year, I was excited about the opportunity to move to an urban environment in Chicago. Similar to my arrival in Crdoba, my first couple of months in Chicago brought their own challenges as I re-adjusted to graduate life and worked on building a network of friends in a new city. I quickly fell in love with Chicago and my higher education program as my classmates and I journeyed together through highs and lows of our assistantships, internships and professional development. I am truly happy with my career choices and look forward to the next chapter as a new professional.