Global Programs

In December 2023, I attended Maeve Pinheiro’s talk on study abroad. Maeve Pinheiro was a former Notre Dame student who came back from Thailand to share her experience with study abroad programs. She shared that it was always her goal to expand her education beyond her high school and college campuses, highlighting that the immersion of learning happens in everyday life out in the world. This focus had an impact on me and made me realize that I wanted to do the same and apply my knowledge to other experiences off a school campus, where I could learn even more than I may be able to on campus. She also highlighted the different methods of studying abroad, whether it was with your college or a separate program; she emphasized that studying abroad is possible for everyone. I also loved that she encouraged people to study abroad in any topic that interested them and that you can personalize your college experience to your specific interests, for example, she studied art, agriculture, and veterinary medicine each on different occasions of her study abroad journey. She talked about how the people she met and the experiences she had will impact her life forever. Her reflection on studying abroad helped me to confirm that this is something I want to do in the future, maybe even several times. Her appreciation and praise of her experiences abroad have inspired me to take advantage of these unique and fulfilling opportunities to learn more about cultures, people, and myself in different places around the world.