What is/are your major(s)?

Accounting

What is/are your minor(s)?

Studio Art

What is the name of your study abroad program?

University of Otago

In what city & country is your study abroad program located?

Dunedin, New Zealand

What is something you would like the blog readers to know about you that they wouldn’t know by just looking at you?

I’m from Alaska, and I show horses competitively!

What is one thing that you are most anticipating about your study abroad experience?

One thing that I was most anticipating was getting to meet people from New Zealand and being immersed in classes with locals. I know there are a lot of programs that keep international students separate from students from their home country. But the program I’m in mixes everyone together, and I’ve made friends with people from New Zealand and the surrounding countries, such as Australia, and many of the Pacific Islands. Besides making friends, I was really excited to spend a lot of time outside. Back at home and in Colorado I love to hike, ski, bike, and just generally spend time outside. New Zealand is world-renowned for its outdoor culture and so far, I’ve been able to take advantage of it. In my first week of being in New Zealand, I was able to do the three big hikes that surround the campus. I’ve been skiing, camping, and currently planning on doing a multiday horseback riding camping trip as soon as the break is over!

Why did you decide to study abroad? or What inspired you to study abroad?

When I applied to DU, I knew that I was going to study abroad. The university is well known for it, and it was always built into my schedule, so I was never worried about how I would get credit. With my degree (accounting), it makes it a little harder to live abroad outside of school. The U.S. accounting standards (GAAP) differ from the rest of the world, which uses a standard called IFRS. This makes study abroad such an incredible opportunity for me because I get to see what it would be like to live outside of the United States. I was inspired to go to New Zealand by a family friend who had spent 6 months in Auckland and traveled extensively throughout the area. She has lived all over the world and declared that if she could live anywhere in the world, she would choose New Zealand every time. Then I went to the study abroad fair, and I talked with one of the ambassadors for UoO and the study abroad program. She talked to me for the next 30 minutes about how gorgeous New Zealand is. When she found out I was from Alaska, she told me how she got her PhD there and said Alaska was almost the most beautiful place in the world, second only to New Zealand. This sold me on New Zealand, and the next day I applied to the UoO and the rest is history!