Growing up in an average town in Massachusetts my whole life, I lived in a pretty small bubble. I am still close with the kids I met in elementary school and everyone pretty much knows everyone. We all lived pretty homogeneous lives and I never knew any different.

As I went off to college I knew I wanted to meet new people and learn about the different perspectives they had on life. This is a majority of the reason behind which I decided to attend such a large university. I wanted to be in an environment where I was not only learning in the classroom but in every interaction, I had while there.

Choosing to join the largest club on my university’s campus, the Ski and Board Club, truly molded me into the young woman I am today. Each person has their own unique background, interests, major, and the brightest future I could ever imagine for them. The single common denominator we all share is that we enjoy being up in the mountains.

Being able to learn about these people’s lives has inspired me deeply to continue learning every day from those around me. This desire has prompted me to travel to learn more about the people around this beautiful world. Everyone across the globe has a new story to tell and a new lesson to teach.

In the Fall of 2017, I studied abroad in Amsterdam where I was fortunate to be able to study both in the classroom and as I traveled. It was definitely a challenge not knowing the language and not knowing anyone but I embraced it wholeheartedly and have no regrets at all.