The Impact of Saying Hello

Hi there!

I am Taylor Howard, an incoming senior in the Walton College of Business studying Marketing with a minor in Supply Chain Management. This past summer, I spent a month in Rome, Italy and cannot wait to share my experiences through these blog posts. I was fortunate enough to attend the Marketing in Rome summer session taught by Molly Jensen and Heather Sprandel. 

I can confidently say that spending my summer studying abroad was the best decision I have made in college. That might sound a little extreme, but I truly believe I grew so much from my experience. Prior to my trip, I had never been anywhere in Europe. Or really out of the country at all. I prepared myself for the language-barriers I would face, cultural changes, and overall unfamiliarity of it all. Although I knew these things could be challenging, I was very excited to get an authentic taste of Italian culture.

Before beginning my official study abroad trip, my friend Gracie and I flew into Paris for a few days. Gracie at one point in college had a minor in French, which allowed her to have basic conversations wherever we went. For me, this was really my first time ever hearing French. Although Gracie taught me some basic words to help me get through conversation, I felt an odd insecurity about saying them. In my brain, it felt more polite to ask for things in English with a big smile than to embarrass myself by attempting French. I cannot begin to describe how wrong I was. When Gracie would order her food in French (even if she struggled to say it) the locals would beam at her. Meanwhile, I was not getting the same treatment AT ALL. Confused, I admitted to Gracie that I felt like the French people were being rude to me. That is when she explained the impact of the word “bonjour.” Although this might seem obvious to most, as a first time cross-border traveler, I did not think of the importance of at least saying hello in the language of the country you are in. Although I was aiming to be kind, respectful, and courteous everywhere I went - I was really coming across arrogant. I was there to appreciate their culture and yet was neglecting a huge part of it, their language.

After this enlightenment, I went on to my study abroad trip in Italy with a whole new attitude. Although almost every person I encountered in Rome spoke fluent English, I would always prompt conversation with a “ciao” and end it with a “grazie.” I opened my eyes and ears to their culture and practiced Italian anytime I could. This allowed me to create relationships with the locals while I was there. Servers, baristas, and taxi drivers were gracious and open to conversation. My biggest takeaway and advice for anyone planning to study abroad is to not be afraid of what feels uncomfortable. Speaking a new language that you know you are mispronouncing can seem very intimidating, but it is so greatly appreciated. You do not have to be fluent in a language to study abroad, rather be open to the basics. Learn what you can pick up and never neglect a chance to utilize their language.

The Do's and Don'ts of Packing for a Study Abroad Trip #HogsAbroad in Florence

Hey! My name is Katie Fowler. I am a Walton College Honors Student who is studying Marketing. I participated in the AIFS StudyAbroad Program in Florence, Italy during the Spring 2022 semester.

The anticipation leading up to a study abroad program is almost unbearable. One of the things I did to pass the time was creating an extensive packing list. I wanted to be prepared for whatever weather or event I may face during my program. In the weeks leading up to my departure I researched the average weather in Italy so I could accurately pack the clothing that I would need. I also took that time to expand my wardrobe so that I could better “fit in” with the fashion trends in Florence and not immediately be pegged as a tourist. Over the weeks I slowly took inventory of the items I wanted to bring with me. I tried to keep my packing list as minimal as possible so I would have extra space in my bags for souvenirs. Now that I am back home after the most incredible three months of my life, I can definitively say what was helpful and what was hurtful while packing.

My first piece of advice is to keep things simple. I was only brought one checked bag, one carry on, and one personal item with me to Italy. I wanted to make things easier on myself because I knew I would have to carry all my luggage up four flights of stairs. It was also helpful only having a small amount of luggage while getting around the airport. My main goal was bringing the things I needed while still being self-sufficient.

The key to packing is making your clothes as small as possible. One of the best ways to do this is to roll your clothes. You can find many tutorials online on how to do this, but simply it is slightly folding your clothes and then rolling them up as tight as you can. Then you can place all these items in your suitcase, and it takes up much less space than by folding your clothes. I was able to fit almost all my clothes in one half of my checked bag by using this packing method. In the other half of my checked bag, I put a few pairs of jeans, my shoes, toiletries, and miscellaneous items. I even had room to spare in my bag after I finished packing, and this was without the expandable portion in use.

Another thing I did to cut down on how much I packed was only bringing clothes I knew I would wear. I didn’t want to take up valuable space in my bags on clothing I would never wear. I also only brought four pairs of shoes with me to Italy. I packed two pairs of sandals for warmer climates, one pair of sneakers, and one pair of boots. Shoes take up the most space in your bag, so try to consolidate them and bring only what you need. The shoes I brought were versatile and comfortable, so I was able to wear them with many different outfits and circumstances. It’s also no surprise that you are going to want to purchase clothes while abroad. Take this into consideration when you are packing. Leave plenty of space if you know you are going to want to expand your wardrobe. Another piece of advice is to pack staple items that you can layer and re-wear to form different outfits. One item of clothing can become so many different outfits which saves space when packing. Something to keep in mind when packing is that many things will not need to be packed for your return trip. For instance, I used up the majority of my toiletries while I was abroad. I had a large box of menstrual products and a large box of face masks that I used which gave me more space to pack souvenirs.

By far the best decision I could have made was bringing a backpack. Both my carry on and my personal items were backpacks of different sizes. I was able to use my personal item as my school backpack while in Italy and my carry on was beneficial for travelling. Many airlines in Europe, such as Ryan Air, only allow you to bring one personal item on the plane. If you would like to bring a carry on you have to purchase it for an extra cost. For travelers wanting to save money its best to stick with the personal item. I was able to use my carry-on backpack as a personal item on every flight I went on. I used the rolling packing method to fit everything I would need for the trip in my bag and was able to shove my bag under my seat. This was incredibly helpful because not only did I save money, but it was so much easier getting around the places I was travelling with only a backpack. Walking is the main form of transportation in Europe, at least it was for me. It would have been miserable lugging a suitcase around on the bumpy cobblestone streets. With a backpack you have your hands free and can walk with little hassle.

Lastly, I just want to mention a few things I packed that came in handy on more than one occasion. The most important thing was a first aid kit. I bought a premade kit from Welly right before I left the states. It included bandages, triple antibiotic ointment, cortisone cream, and hand sanitizer. This was so useful for blisters, cuts, scrapes, and minor injuries for myself and many of my classmates while I was abroad. I also packed plenty of ibuprofen and allergy medicine which proved to be helpful. Another thing I would advise bringing is a rain jacket and an umbrella. You obviously don’t want to be caught out in the rain and get soaked in the process. Finally, my favorites items I brought were my cameras. I brought three different types just so I could get a variety of photos while I was abroad. Make sure you are capturing so much of your experience. This way you can look back and remember the exact moments, friends, meals, trips, and fun that you had. The easiest way to capture this is with your phone. I have so many photos and videos from my time abroad that I will cherish forever. I also took more professional type photos with my DSLR camera. I mainly used this when I was travelling or visiting a place for the first time. I just wanted to make sure I had good quality photos I could share and look at for years to come. The other cameras I brought were more for my own enjoyment. The first was a Fujifilm instant camera. These are fun because you’re able to have the photos immediately. The second was a disposable camera. The fun thing about these is that you have no idea what the photos are going to look like until you get them developed. I have yet to get mine back, so the anticipation is still killing me. My point is that you want to capture as much as you can of your time during your study abroad program. Don’t be ashamed to lug around three different types of cameras (plus your phone). I can assure you; you won’t be the only one. Plus, this is not only fun for you, but for the friends you will make along the way.

I hope these tips have helped and I encourage everyone to study abroad. It will truly be the best time of your life!

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Marketing major Katie Fowler spent the Spring 2022 term in Florence with AIFS with support from the Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and Walton College.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Community and Connections #HogsAbroad in Spain

Hi everyone! My name is Allison Primm and I am a rising Junior. I am studying International Business Marketing and Political Science. This summer I am studying abroad in Madrid, Spain! I am studying through an external program called CEA at La Universidad Antonio de Nebrija. At Nebrija I am taking classes in both Spanish and English. During the June term I took both Panorama of Spanish Literature and International Management. This month in the July term I am taking Advanced Spanish and International Marketing. My experience at Nebrija has been amazing and I absolutely love my classes and my teachers. One thing that has been particularly encouraging to me has been the understanding attitudes of my teachers. Though I have only been here a relatively short time, I have been able to develop close personal relationships with each of my instructors. All of them have shown me immense kindness and genuinely want me to succeed. They focus on creating positive learning environments in the classroom and they encourage participation and campus community through their teaching styles. This approach has helped me become more confident in not only my Spanish abilities, but also my interpersonal skills among my peers.

Before I arrived in Spain, I took a 2-part placement exam to help me enroll in the right courses at Nebrija. I would say that this exam was one of the biggest stress factors for me leading up to my arrival, however looking back, it shouldn’t have been. The teachers and advisors at Nebrija are all so helpful and kind. I was nervous for my speaking interview, but I relaxed so much once it began, and I realized that there was no judgement, and they were only there to help me. One of the biggest things I would recommend doing to prepare for a language placement exam is to practice speaking the language with a friend beforehand to get more comfortable with responding to questions on the spot. I would also recommend listening to Spanish music or podcasts or watching Spanish movies and TV shows so that you can get used to hearing the language. When I got here, one big adjustment that I had not anticipated was just the extra effort my brain was using towards listening to and translating the conversations I heard on the street or the announcements on the metro. Giving yourself time to practice listening to Spanish in your daily life will definitely help your transition.

Life in Madrid is different from life in Fayetteville of course, but the adjustment to a more urban setting was very easy for me. One huge help is the metro system in Madrid. The metro runs all around the city and can take you anywhere you need to go. It is very simple, clean, and safe. Within the first two days of living in Spain, I was navigating the metro and the city like a local! I was shocked by how easily I settled in to daily life once I got here. This is in huge part to the incredible kindness of the Spanish people. An integral part of Spanish culture is the focus on friendship and community. There were times where I was lost or confused and a total stranger came up to me and offered their help. This was surprising to me, as in many cultures, people tend to keep to themselves, but in Spain, it has been the people that I know the least who have helped me through some confusing times.

Another thing that helped ease my adjustment period was that I was connected with people in my program from the beginning, and I have roommates in the apartment I live in. This was crucial to navigating the first few weeks as I had people who could easily relate to me and go with me through the uncertainties. If you are interested in participating in a study abroad experience, I would encourage you to try and meet as many new people as you can. It may surprise you how much you have in common with people you never knew before. I am very thankful for this time I have spent abroad, and I look forward to keeping in touch with my new friends when we all return home!

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International Business Marketing & Political Science major Allison Primm spent the Summer 2021 term at in Madrid, Spain with CEA with the help of the Honors College Study Abroad Grant & our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Getting to Know the City #HogsAbroad in Denmark #WanderlustWednesday

I have just moved into my cozy one person room in Denmark. I have been to Denmark before to visit my Danish family from my father's side. We have always visited for no more than 3 weeks at a time. I am now so excited to use my Danish citizenship to its full use in Denmark for the next 6 months.

When I first arrived I was welcomed by 14 other people living on my hall. We all have our own rooms, but share a kitchen and a bathroom. This is something very different that we do not experience much of in the states. As 15 total, we share 2 meals a week that one will prepare, and we all will take turns each week to lead in cleaning and various other chores. Something that was shocking to me is that all of the boys and girls share two toilets and two showers. Coming from a school that does girls and boys floors, this is different and unique.

Everyone on my floor is so kind and helpful. There is so much to learn and know about the systems in Denmark. I have found my self asking several times and each time all of my floor mates are so kind and patient with me. We join each other in the evenings for board games and movies.

Since Denmark is on full lockdown there is not many restaurants to go to, but there is still a lot of site seeing to do. I have been running around the city and finding cozy areas that seem to only be native to Denmark’s culture. 

For example, I was running through the city block after block of normal urban buildings and out of nowhere there is a sign that says Gamel By, with my limited Danish, I knew meant “old town”. I walked through two brick pillars and was greeted by cobble stoned streets and colorful cottages that varied between red, yellow, and white. As I walked through the town, I felt as if I had been transferred into a story book setting. There were so many streets and buildings that all had different purposes in the old days.

I am starting to realize that because of COVID, there is a different experience of studying abroad, but it is still an opportunity to really see a city and marvel at the charms of the culture.

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Marketing major Annika Nielsen is spending the Spring 2021 term at Aarhus University in Denmark with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

A Life Changing Experience: Getting an Internship in Virtual Spain #MondayMotivation

Objective 1
At the beginning of the semester I gave myself three learning objectives and created a plan that I would implement in order to meet these objectives. My first objective was to be able to apply business concepts and theories to real-world decision-making. My action plan included the use of different tasks and assignments to better and amplify my business concepts and keeping a journal, as I acquired new business concepts and theories, so that I can use them later on in my professional life. I think that being part of this virtual internship really exposed me to new ways to make important decisions regarding a real company, and it will serve for me as a learning and hands-on experience to be able to apply it to upcoming life events. I was able to acquire a plethora of marketing terminology and business terms by engaging with my supervisors and utilizing these terms frequently to refer to my tasks and assignments. My supervisors urged me to use the correct terminology when presenting my ideas and projects to them, and I realize that this allowed me to become familiar and comfortable with using business concepts in a real-world. After constantly utilizing these business concepts around my supervisors I can confidently say that I can use this terminology when needed in my professional and any real-world decision-making setting.

Objective 2
My second objective was to be able to give a full presentation or create a project fully in Spanish. My action plan included keeping a document with all the new Spanish words that I learned throughout my internship and then applying that vocabulary to my projects and presentation. Although, it was a bit difficult to get used to at first this experience was so great because I was able to engage in not only conversation but utilize professional terminology in Spanish as well. I truly believe that being able to receive feedback in Spanish helped me better my overall use of the language, and it also introduced me to a setting where my native language was used professionally. The experience of being able to express myself in both languages was so wonderful and being able to incorporate my first language in the business world is something that I have always looked forward to. Expressing my ideas and presenting them in Spanish was like a dream come true, and it is something

 

Objective 3
My third objective was to acquire more cultural knowledge about Spain and its traditions. It was so incredible to have been able to experience a whole country virtually. It was certainly a different experience, but I also feel like this was a great way to get a grasp about Spain and its people and traditions. The opportunity of being part of the weekly cultural debrief sessions was such a great experience, and I believe that this gave me a closer look about Spain and its culture by talking to Spaniards and asking them questions pertaining to their culture, custom and beliefs, Being able to listen to their cultural experiences an learning about their background opened my eyes to what culture in Spain is really like. I believe that working closely with Buddy Service, which is located in Spain permitted me to learn about its culture and customs through the people that interacted with virtually. I firmly believe that learning about different cultures is super important, and I am so grateful that I got to do this from the commodity of my home.

A Life Changing Experience
I think that we often times oversee that hardships that people with disabilities experience while traveling. Traveling is something that is already so stressful, and through this assignment I learned that people with disabilities don’t receive enough attention or help when traveling. I believe that this assignment is what truly made me fall in love with Buddy Service and what it stands for. I realize that writing reports doesn’t exactly have to do with digital marketing at all but at the same time this is the of the message that I was assigned to get across. After reading various articles about how inaccessible traveling is for disabled people, I decided to always try my best in all of my assignments to help make a difference. I became super passionate and involved in making infographics and creating the best social media posts in an effort to create awareness for disabled travelers. I think that this is an important topic that should be highlighted everywhere. I realized that I wanted more than getting an internship experience, I wanted to help Buddy Service promote their services, so that travelers with disabilities can receive the attention and care that they deserve. This experience made me realize that the goal behind Fabian’s vision was so beautiful, and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to help make it a reality.

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Lizbeth Martinez, a senior International Business major participated in CISAbroad's virtual internship program in Barcelona in Fall 2020. Read more from Liz at https://lizinvirtualspain.wordpress.com/

Interested in pursuing a virtual international internship? This innovative program allows students to put accessibility and mobility concerns aside to develop meaningful professional connections with international companies, NGOs, health and education organizations, and so on. Although it’s not a substitute for a traditional on-site experience, these programs provide a project-based pathway for students to connect with international organizations. Learn more about options to internationalize your degree plan by adding a virtual international internship to your semester.

A Passion for Digital Marketing: Getting an Internship in Virtual Spain

#GirlBoss

I take immense pride in being a Latina woman pursuing a career in the business world. I aspire to inspire those around me, specifically young first-generation Latinas that are setting their sight on pursuing a higher education. I firmly believe that if I acquire the privilege of succeeding in the business world as a minority, I will be able to help those around me achieve their goals and dreams. I am truly passionate about bettering myself in all aspects, so that I can help those in need in the near future. I am excited to embark in my life journey and inspire other young girls that might feel lost or afraid because I was once just like them. Serving as an inspiration, life mentor and friend is something that I care about with all of my heart and soul, and I believe that my supervisors inspired me to make this a priority. I am learning to better and become the best version of myself each day so that I can make a positive and everlasting impact on those around me. Being part of the Buddy Service team touched my heart and it made me think in a more profound way. This overall experience made me realize that it is important to help others and that being passionate in your goals is important in order to be able and assist others in the future.

What is Buddy Service?

Buddy Service is a travel cycle management for travelers who experience disabilities. The concept is based on four principles that create a pertinent service for specific needs. The four concepts are: enable, encourage, engage, and ensure. Buddy Service offers three types of on-site services: individual care, technical care and activity care. What made me fall in love with this company was the passion that everyone expresses for advocating and spreading awareness of making traveling accessible for people with disabilities. These concepts, on-site services and passion for making the world more diverse and inclusive are what make Buddy Service stand out from other traveling cycle management providers.

Passion for Digital Marketing

I had such an amazing experience working for Buddy Service under the supervision, guidance and help of both Fabian and Añiol. I truly feel like I learned and acquired so much knowledge pertaining to my career goals through the duration of this eight-week long internship. I believe that this experience will allow me to reach my career goals because of the experience and knowledge that I acquired through the various assignments that I completed. I realized that digital marketing is something that I genuinely enjoy doing, and I definitely want to make this my career path. I have only great things to say about Buddy Service and the genuine people behind it. I feel so thankful for the opportunity of working alongside the genuine and resourceful people who created this service for people with disabilities, a group often times overseen by diversity and inclusion enforcers. Being able to work alongside the Buddy Service team was an experience that changed my life forever.

A closer look into my day as an intern for Buddy Service

My role with Buddy Service was “Digital Marketing Manager.” I was under the supervision of Fabian Kraemer, the CEO of Buddy Service and also Añiol Carreras, the digital product expert. My internship consisted of me trying to expose Buddy Service through social media and showcase their services and what they stand for. I was assigned many tasks and assignments that pertained to digital marketing and even entrepreneurship. One of my biggest, and perhaps most important assignment was to create a new Instagram page for Buddy Service. My goal was to create meaningful brand awareness through social media engagement by creating meaningful posts and infographics, I found myself working at least thirty hours a week on creating infographics, making Instagram posts, generating the perfect captions, reading and doing research about accessible tourism, and finding the perfect hashtags to help promote Buddy Service.

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Lizbeth Martinez, a senior International Business major participated in CISAbroad's virtual internship program in Barcelona in Fall 2020. Read more from Liz at https://lizinvirtualspain.wordpress.com/

Interested in pursuing a virtual international internship? This innovative program allows students to put accessibility and mobility concerns aside to develop meaningful professional connections with international companies, NGOs, health and education organizations, and so on. Although it’s not a substitute for a traditional on-site experience, these programs provide a project-based pathway for students to connect with international organizations. Learn more about options to internationalize your degree plan by adding a virtual international internship to your semester.

Best Decision of my Life #HogsAbroad in Spain

Coming to Spain to study abroad has been the best decision in my life. And I mean the BEST.

I didn't know what to expect but I came so eager to find out what living abroad means. The first two weeks weren't as easy as I thought it would be. I had many connections flights and I lost ALL of them due to weather conditions. Finally, after 32 hours of sleep deprivation, I found out ALL my luggage was lost!! Can you really believe that? So I had no clothes to wear, nor laptop to connect with, and no shampoo or basic toiletries. Certainly I didn't have a good start BUT it turned out to be one of the best experiences in my life.

I got to know new people from ALL over the world. I made friends from Italy, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Mexico, Bolivia, Spain, Colombia, Morocco, Brazil, and France!! I'm really glad I met them because they have broadened my knowledge and perspective about cultures and the world itself. Do you want to know what's the coolest thing about them? All of them they speak at LEAST three languages!!!! I thought I was cultured because I'm bilingual (English and Spanish) but I'm guessing I have to learn another language. So I had no problems at all on communicating with these folks.

I truly enjoyed this study abroad experience. Besides meeting new people, I tried new food which some of them were good, others not so. I listened to different types of music, I laughed, I walked at least 10 miles a day. I saw hundreds of museums, I went to the theater, famous stadiums, I ran, climbed and many other adventurous things! I'm so happy that words cannot explain how much I learned and enjoyed being in Spain. Here's a short video compiling some short trips I did when I was in Spain. I had the chance to visit Portugal, Morocco, Italy, France, and Spain!

Not everything is just trips and parties. I study Marketing and being at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is quite different from home. I have lots of group projects every week and classes are quite different. I don't love their system nor do I hate it. It's just different. Having lots of group projects, I have sharpened my skills on time management and being more cooperative. I definitely loved every single part of study abroad.

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Marketing major Stacy Dheming is spending the fall 2018 semester in Spain with our U of A Exchange Program at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Adventure Therapy #HogsAbroad in New Zealand

Kia Ora! My name is Lauren and I am a College of Education and Health Professions student, studying Recreation and Sports Management and working on getting a Marketing minor. This past summer, I got the chance to participate in the U of A Faculty-Led: Adventure Therapy and Leadership program in New Zealand. 

When we arrived to Dunedin, I felt right at home. We were assigned a host family to stay with for the week. My host family welcomed me with open arms and cooked for me every night. They had a daughter of their own as well as another exchange student from Germany.

We moved around a lot when we were over there and got to explore many different parts of New Zealand. When we went to Adventure Development, we got to stay in a lodge with our group, which was a blast. On our last stop, in Queenstown, we stayed in another lodge with other tourists.

If you are traveling to New Zealand keep in mind that they drive on the other side of the road, everything seems more expensive because the price you see is the price you pay (tax is already included) and to make sure you know what season it is before you go. Since New Zealand is in the opposite hemisphere as the United States, it is always in the opposite season as us. Another thing you should remember is that New Zealanders are known for being very adventurous. While I was abroad, I was able to climb the world’s steepest hill, go bungee jumping off the Kawarau Bridge, and paraglide off a mountain. There are so many unique thrilling experiences/adventures to go on when you are in New Zealand. Make sure you budget and just go on as many excursions as you can.

Overall, this study abroad experience was an adventure of a lifetime. The country of New Zealand is stunning, the hospitality is great and I found so much joy in experiencing their culture. I cannot wait to go back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lauren spent the summer 2018 term in New Zealand with our U of A Faculty-Led: Adventure Therapy and Leadership program, with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Historic Roma #HogsAbroad in Italy

I recently studied abroad in Rome, Italy for 5 weeks this summer. I have to say the first place I visited took my breath away more times than I could count, historic Rome. Whether it was the gorgeous churches, the amazing landmarks I had heard and read about for years, or the contagious rich culture swirling around me, it was all amazing! Some of the places we visited were the Pantheon, the Spanish steps, Palazzo Terranova, the Trevi Fountain, Castel San T’Angelo, and St. Peter’s square. 

Thanks to the wonderful and intelligent Francesca, the PhD Architect and one of our professors while in Rome, we were able to not only learn about the history of these architectural marvels but we were also able to learn how to truly appreciate the rich history we were walking through during our time in Rome. Personally, my favorite building is the Pantheon, it was has been since I first saw a picture of it in history class when I was younger, so witnessing this piece of architecture in person was a dream come true. I actually went back to visit the building on multiple occasions during different times of days to see how the light affected it as well as how the feeling of the building and the square surrounding it changed throughout the day. Below I have pictures of many of the places, buildings, tracks, and ancient towers aged to the time of Jesus Christ.

SAMMIE FAITH

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Management major Samantha Arroyos spent the summer 2018 term at our U of A Rome Center with our faculty-led program, Marketing in Rome with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Meet One of Our Study Abroad Peer Advisors: Mallory Winburn

Hey! My name is Mallory Winburn and I’m a junior Marketing major, minoring in Economics. I am from McKinney, Texas and loved moving to Fayetteville! I enjoy hiking, yoga and reading. I have a comfort zone that I was not very good at stepping out of until I found studying abroad. I took a huge leap out of that comfort zone in the Summer of 2018 when I went to Mozambique and as you can imagine, I was met with a huge dose of culture shock. In that culture shock I met tons of amazing people, learned a lot about myself and so much about a part of the world that isn’t talked about much.

I met this sweet little girl and boy in the middle of the bush. They speak the native language of the area, Makhuwa. The coolest part of this entire trip was meeting them and even though we did not speak the same language there was so much love to give and things to learn. They were so happy to see us, and we were so happy to see them. Everyone in this area taught me so much about what it means to be thankful for what you have. I learned this from a toddler and a girl that wasn’t much older than 6. This trip was so impactful on how I carry myself to this day and it changed the way I think of every day things.

Not only did we work and meet amazing people, we got to see amazing views such as this one. This was at Ilia de Mozambique, an island off the coast where we spent a weekend. Places like this is where we spent our weekends. We went with our faculty leaders that took us and the families that were hosting us in country. We got to explore the island, meet the locals and shop around!

Overall, my experience in Mozambique is something that I will never forget. This trip has and will continue to affect the way I think about everyday life. It has ignited a fire in me that I hope never burns out. I will continue to pursue my love for traveling to developing countries in the (hopefully) near future!

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Come meet Mallory and the other peer advisors for a HogsAbroad 101 drop-in session at the Study Abroad House! Come to the office weekdays from 3-5 pm to get all the study abroad basics. Peer advisors are available to help you review your options for study abroad and start searching for a program.

Gallery #HogsAbroad in Belize

Some of my favorite moments:

Digging at Dereks

Hand chopping our coconuts with a machete just to drink the refreshing water

Saying goodbye to the beloved Amy Farmer. Could not have survived the trip without her.

Waterfall climbing is my new favorite thing.

The one, the only, SouthWater Caye.

Walking through the MOST refreshing water I have ever stepped foot in. Billy Barquedier national park.

Being comfortable in my own skin was as refreshing as this coconut water.

Tyler’s photography skills blow my mind.

Mayan ruins.

The beautiful rivers of Dangriga. I love the reflection of the sky in the stream.

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Marketing major Dotty Fries spent the Summer 2018 term in Belize.

Read more from Dotty at https://dottyindangriga.wordpress.com/

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/