Study abroad has played a significant role in not only my career trajectory, but also in my growth as a teacher, scholar, and person. My first encounter with an international educational experience occurred when I was a sophomore in high school. For spring break, my Spanish teacher, who also taught French, organized a trip for students to Paris.
I remember thinking at the time: “Who would want to do that?”—a clear illustration of my lack of interest in this opportunity. But little did I know then how much my thinking would change in just a few years. As a first-year undergraduate at UCLA, I enrolled in an Italian language class thinking that it would be fun to learn Italian.
