Alumni Profiles
Hopefully, studying abroad has helped you to discover and appreciate another country in a way no tourist ever can. You have come away wide-eyed and with broadened horizons.
AUIP regularly highlights an outstanding alumnus or alumna to be featured on the website and all social media and receive a prize. Just complete the application here at any time and email it to sara@auip.com to be considered.
Enjoy reading the following alumni profiles to see what several of our alumni have taken away from studying abroad!
Hannah Rogers
Hometown: Tampa, FL
University: University of Florida
AUIP program(s) completed: North Queensland and Fiji 2009
Where are you currently working/studying/traveling? I
am currently studying to get my Masters in Urban & Regional planning with a
concentration on Landscape Preservation at the University of Florida. Presently
I am based in Paris, France, studying Landscape Architecture and Urban Studies.
I am doing an internship with the Historic Preservation department of
Gainesville and was a student assistant for the 2011 ESRI International User
Conference in San Diego, CA (a leading GIS software company).
What impact did study abroad have on you? My
study abroad experience with AUIP solidified every interest that I had to be
academically and professionally involved within our environment. It has guided
my studies into preservation of unique landscapes, in addition to planning our
current and future cities to be as sustainable as possible. I not only
established a professional passion but I grew as an individual as well.
Studying abroad and the experiences you have in a foreign country not only
gives you life long memories but you gain so many new perspectives on life and
learn to establish yourself as a person. I not only learned invaluable things,
I also learned who I wanted to be. This is one of the most important things
that a young person can achieve and studying abroad is one of the best ways
that I can think of in facilitating this.
What are your future life and career goals? How do you think study abroad has helped or will help you towards these goals? My
future goals are to work both in the States and internationally to preserve our
historic and environmentally unique landscapes. I want to be able to assist in
planning for our future in ways that have the least environmental impact as
possible. Studying abroad in North Queensland and Fiji opened my eyes to new
and wonderful landscapes that need to be advocated for. This in turn guided me
into my academic profession and studies of landscapes and planning worldwide. I
gained experience in a foreign country that has helped in diversifying myself
and has lead me to study abroad again in my graduate studies.
Joe Phillips
Hometown: Falling Waters, WV
University: Virginia Tech
AUIP program(s) completed: North Queensland 2006
Where are you currently working/studying/traveling? I am temporarily positioned in Panama acting as the
Americas Regional Human Resource Manager for ChildFund International. My
regular position is Global Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
Specialist, and I have also been stationed in The Gambia to act as the Africa
Regional Human Resource Manager. I collaborate with my International colleagues
on a daily basis to get input on how to best manage global Human Resource
initiatives and tailor them to local culture. I also provide on-the-ground
training in the developing countries in which the organization works.
What impact did study abroad have on you? Studying
abroad with AUIP showed me how traveling could, and should be. I saw how having
a basic understanding of one’s surroundings as well as having a hunger to learn
more could really enhance and give more
depth to a new experience. Since
traveling abroad, I have focused my efforts on continuing my international
experiences. I am grateful for the opportunities that have taken me to over 30
new countries on 6 continents since traveling with AUIP. AUIP taught me to immerse myself in the local
culture, which allows me to build bonds no typical tourist or business traveler
could.
I
have an environmental awareness and appreciation that I did not previously
possess. Whether at home, traveling domestically, or exploring internationally,
I think about how my decisions impact the environment, and act more
responsibly. I have a much different view of “pests.” Recently while traveling
in West Africa, I opened my toothpaste to find cockroaches. Instead of being
angry or grossed out, I was truly impressed with the tenacity of the species
and its ability to adapt.
What are your future life and career goals? How do you think study abroad has helped or will help you towards these goals? The
study abroad program I experienced with AUIP helped confirm my desire to be a
global citizen. My life goals are to continue to learn and to forever be a
student of international culture, to share my experiences with others, and to
encourage everyone to expand their boundaries. I do not have a desired
occupation or location in 5 years, but I hope to truly appreciate the wonders
of my natural & cultural environment, to be acting as a positive steward
for my home country, to be living environmentally consciously, and celebrating
the overwhelmingly large percentage of aspects that unite the World as a global
culture.
Noah K. Strycker
Hometown: Creswell, OR
University: Oregon State University
AUIP program(s) completed: Australia and Fiji 2007
Where are you currently working/studying/traveling? I
am living an adventurous life of birds. I serve as Associate Editor for the
American Birding Association’s Birding magazine, authored the new positively
reviewed book Among Penguins: A Bird Man in Antarctica (Oregon State University
Press, 2011), formerly wrote a column for WildBird magazine, and am a frequent
contributor to other bird-related publications. My photographs and articles
have appeared in National Wildlife, Birder’s World, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Living
Bird, Birds and Blooms, and Popular Birding, as well as several books and other
print media. See my website (noahstrycker.com) for more details, and check out
my Washington Post interview about work with Adélie Penguins in Antarctica: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121200951.html.
On
Sept. 18, 2011, I completed hiking (and birding) the 2,665-mile Pacific Crest
Trail from Mexico to Canada during one of the most brutal snowpack seasons on
record, finishing the trail in 123 days and averaging more than 21 miles per
day. My epic hike was featured in newspapers and television (watch the KVAL-TV
news clip: http://www.kval.com/outdoors/active/130313038.html). My
upcoming projects are to work on a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service funded
migratory bird banding project on Metinic Island off the coast of Maine (September
- October 2011) and to monitor Wedge-billed Woodcreepers and mixed bird species
at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Amazonian Ecuador (January - March
2012). I
most recently spent field seasons conducting bird research in Costa Rica,
Antarctica, the Australian Outback, and the Farallon Islands. I have also
studied birds in Ecuador, Panama, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, and Oregon; helped
Taiwan design an ecotourism program; and searched for Ivory-billed Woodpeckers
in Florida, in between birding trips. My
“life list” is approaching 2,000 birds observed on six continents – one-fifth
of the entire world’s species.
I
graduated magna cum laude from Oregon State University in 2008 with a degree in
Fisheries & Wildlife Science, minoring in Art, on full academic scholarship
with additional national Udall and Goldwater Scholarships. I was named the
American Birding Association’s “Young Birder of the Year” in 2004.
What impact did study abroad have on you? The
AUIP study abroad program to Australia and Fiji, as well as a study abroad
program I completed the previous year in Ecuador, impacted me in every way.
Academically, I learned far more, and in a far more meaningful way, than in a
classroom. I was in the places I was studying about, seeing the people and, important
for me, birdlife and habitats, for myself. As a study abroad student engaged in
purposeful travel, rather than a tourist, I was able to stay in places long
enough to become a part of them, to understand their environments, cultures,
and rhythms. Personally, study abroad opened up for me a whole world of
possibilities! I learned to be comfortable traveling to faraway places and
among strangers. I came to feel deeply that our planet is a very small place,
with each place and each person connected to all the others. I could readily
see that human societies are struggling everywhere with the problem of
sustaining themselves while conserving the natural environment. Professionally,
study abroad galvanized my career plan to live large in the pursuit of birds
while experiencing some of the world's most interesting places. My study abroad
experiences were among the best times of my life.
What are your future life and career goals? How do you think study abroad has helped or will help you toward these goals? Birds and birding are my passion. I plan to continue my
career as a bird-related field researcher, author, and photographer. I see a
role for myself in understanding and conveying to the general public the
knowledge and excitement being generated in worldwide avian research, field
ornithology, bird preservation and conservation efforts, and habitat/resource
management. This is an unusual and challenging scientific career path. Study
abroad provided me with well-designed opportunities to go out there, and to see
and learn about different places. Study-abroad programs helped me envision a
lifetime of going out there, seeing, and learning.
Lauren Seagraves
Hometown: Richmond, VA
University: Virginia Tech
AUIP program(s) completed: New Zealand Wintermester 2009/10
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Where are you currently working/studying/traveling? I am currently working as a volunteer teacher in American Samoa for a year through a program called WorldTeach. I teach high school science (Earth & Space and Marine Science) to eleventh graders. I spend the weekdays heavily planning for school, teaching, and attending meetings; however, on the weekends, I get to explore the beautiful surroundings of American Samoa. I enjoy spending my free time traveling around the island doing outdoor activities like snorkeling, hiking and swimming.
What impact did study abroad have on you?
Spending a month in New Zealand helped me grow as a person, both academically and personally. I became more oriented with the flora and fauna of New Zealand, Maori culture, and geological formations. This trip in particular, helped me realize how passionate I am about hiking, traveling, and exploring the unknown. I came back to the United States with a bigger sense of adventure and passion for traveling internationally.
What are your future life and career goals? How do you think study abroad has helped or will help you toward these goals?
I would like to work for an international non-profit organization that helps people in developing countries. I recognize the immediate and devastating needs around the globe. Traveling has helped me be a first-hand witness.This study abroad program has encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone in order to fully expand my sense-of-self. |
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Brandon Trelstad
Antarctica
Email: trelstab@onid.orst.edu |
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In December 2009, rather than spending the holiday break
with family and friends, or sticking around to see a rare snow event in the
Willamette Valley, 15 Oregon State University students experienced a little
snowfall in the extremes of Antarctica. The two-and-a-half week trip was
preceded by a full term of online lectures in which students learned about
early Antarctic exploration, policy, flora and fauna, glaciology and geology,
and many other aspects.
After two days in Ushuaia, Argentina, the group sailed for
the Antarctic aboard the M/V Lyubov Orlova, an ice-strengthened Russian vessel.
Most students seemed to have a great time aboard the comfortable ship,
according to Trelstad. "The Orlova seemed to be a perfect fit for this
program, with enough room in the staterooms and common spaces, but not so many
other passengers on board to make activities cumbersome." Crossing the Drake
Passage, known to harbor the roughest seas in the world, went smoothly on the
way to Antarctica. While near the continent and surrounding islands, the Quark
staff ran landings via Zodiac boat for all passengers. Landings consisted of
wildlife viewing, typically penguins and seal species and were the highlight for passengers and students alike. "The
landings were great because they were so varied, and offered such a different
experience each time. Some landings were packed with penguins, some had lichen
and moss 'forests', while others offered great views and even hikes up to
viewpoints." Whales were also seen, mostly from aboard the ship.
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Jillian Loti
Australia
Email: jll89@ufl.edu |
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I have always been somewhat knowledgeable on environmental
protection and sustainability, but learning in a classroom and experiencing in
the field give you an entirely different point of view. This study abroad experience has changed me
in a way where I feel not only do I need to take care of my own carbon
footprint but look out for others when I can.
I am now more aware of others around me, and take the extra effort to
"pick up after" others to help the cause.
The main way this program has changed me is through
knowledge. I now possess much more
knowledge about not only a different country and culture, but also the entire
world, which we all share. This
knowledge has helped me to live my life more "green" and also spread awareness
with friends and family. Snorkeling in
the Great Barrier Reef was an experience that many people will never get to
have. Thanks to my time spent there, I
now feel I have an obligation in protecting it so other people can share that
same experience. I now have more of an
interest in construction that takes place in or around the area of the reef,
and question the legalities behind it.
I am so fortunate to have had this experience to
learn in such a beautiful place with so many brilliant faculty. Studying abroad in Australia was an amazing
experience that I would encourage to anyone who is open-minded and open to
adventure. " |
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Abinnett Ainalem
Australia |
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"This adventure has been very eventful and improved my
ability to adapt to novel and challenging environments. On the whole, I believe I have grown greatly
and better realized my own strength. My
trip started out in North Queensland, Australia with Dr. Haynes of SUNY-Brockport (State Universities of New York). There I toured the varying climates of coast and inlands. The focus of the course with Dr. Haynes was
sustainability, and I learned about efforts to preserve the Great Barrier Reef
(GBR) and environments within Australia.
In addition, I was able to reflect on Rural Indigenous Health within
Australia. Along with background papers,
I was able to interview indigenous persons and healthcare personnel that worked
with Aboriginal and Torres Islander populations.
In Sydney, I worked with Northcott, a community centre
in a housing development. In the afternoons, I had epidemiology class with
Dr. Williams where I worked on our research project on migraine prevalence and
Body Mass Index among reproductive aged women. At Northcott, I was working with
pensioners and disabled populations. Through my interactions with the community members I was able to learn
about safety within the housing complex. In the process, I discovered many of the tenants' life stories and even
how to make a wire butterfly in art class. Working with this population was so rewarding because the people were
very welcoming and active in their community. " |
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