Spring 2020

SIT Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples: Kathmandu, Nepal

Maddie Finn is a Culture and Politics major in the School of Foreign Service. She works for The Hoya as a deputy editor and is an Outdoor Education guide, as well as a member of the climbing team. When she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found drinking coffee, going on a long walk, or reading a book (or any combination of the three). This Spring she will be going to Kathmandu, Nepal with the SIT program, Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples. Although she speaks neither Nepali nor Tibetan, she is excited/nervous to learn. This past semester she was in Valparaíso, Chile and is thrilled to continue her year abroad on the other side of the world. She’s ready to soak in the culture and to be near the Himalayas, because she thinks mountains are really great.

King's College London: London, England

A native of Redondo Beach, California, Brandi is a junior in the SFS majoring in International Politics with a concentration in Security Studies and a minor in Spanish. In her three years on the Hilltop thus far, Brandi has been found preparing lesson plans as an English-language tutor with DC Schools, working with the Office of Campus Ministry, or meeting with SAC groups as a Commissioner. Frequently breaking the Georgetown bubble you will also find Brandi at an immigration law firm as an intern during the week and at various schools as an SAT tutor on the weekends. Brandi plans to take advantage of King’s College renowned War Studies Program. She found that the in depth analysis and attention to detail to specific areas of study within the different departments at King’s College encouraged the level of critical thinking and fostered an inquisitive nature that fit her learning style. She hopes to delve deep into the War Studies department, fashioning her own way of thinking about security, while also examining the intersections between security, law, and justice. This will be Brandi’s third and final study abroad having studied at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador the Summer of 2018 and The Australian National University the Fall of 2019. However, as this will be Brandi’s first time in Europe, she is more than ready to learn from a new perspective and believes London will be the perfect place to round out her collegiate learning experience that will have spanned four continents by the time she graduates in Spring 2021. As an avid journaler, Brandi is extremely excited to share her experiences and insights with you all.

ESADE Business School: Barcelona, Spain

Amber(Huaan) Liao comes from Xi’an, the foodie capital of China. As a junior in the SFS majoring in Global Business, she speaks Mandarin, English, Spanish, learned Latin for four years and would like to master more languages whenever possible. At Georgetown, she is part of Innovo Consulting and has written and edited for campus newspapers. Amber grew up in Xi’an then moved to Rhode Island for high school when she was 13 years old, but the journey abroad does not end in the US. She is beyond excited to experience Barcelona this spring, clash with and embrace this wholly different culture, improve her Spanish and if fortunate, pick up a bit of Catalan. She had always read about the wonders of Europe growing up, and now she will experience it in person. She is looking forward to trying out new things and sharing them with all the readers!

University of New South Wales: Sydney, Australia

Zev is a junior studying mathematics and economics who is hoping to deepen his understanding of economics and international commerce at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. At Georgetown, Zev can be found working out with the club tennis team, hanging out with friends in AEPI or Jewish life, and serving as an economics teaching assistant. He grew up in Woodbridge, Connecticut, a short distance from Long Island Sound, where he spent his childhood exploring the fisheries and local tidal pools. He is looking forward to exploring the beaches of Sydney and visiting the Great Barrier Reef. He loves crime television and books, most recently The Sopranos, which he will probably mention in his blogs.

Brown in Bologna, Italy (Brown University): Bologna, Italy

Kathryn Blanco is a junior in the College at Georgetown University, majoring in English with double minors in Government and Italian, although she is also interested in Environmental Studies. She hopes to combine these interests in her travel writing by learning about the environmental policies of Bologna, Italy, where she will be studying this semester. Kathryn chose this direct enrollment program at the University of Bologna for the immersive, direct enrollment experience it offers. She is looking forward to meeting Italian peers and learning all the little ways daily life is different for students in Italy. In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys reading, baking, listening to music and podcasts, spending time outdoors, and exploring new places.