As a freshman, I attended a ton of study abroad information sessions, not even sure I would go abroad. A specific session led by IPSA's who went on the UF in London program convinced me that I had to go. Many of my friends, family, and peers were doubtful of me going abroad during my freshmen summer, worried that I was too young and had plenty of time to do a study abroad program down the road.

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Looking back, I am happy I let go of the doubts and fears casted on me because timing is everything and I would not change one thing about the people, experiences, or program. UF in London proved to be unique because I not only took international courses, but I held an internship in London. Since I was a freshman, I knew I wasn't going to get a major finance internship, so instead I looked towards my passions and interned at a nonprofit in the youth sector of the UK.

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This internship immersed me into British life, fully experiencing the differences in the working world of the UK and the United States. Nonprofit work has always been close to my heart, so working for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) was the most meaningful part of studying abroad. I'll never forget traveling to Yorkshire, England to put on a cycling event that I helped plan and seeing the impact our team made right before my eyes.

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Studying and interning abroad left me with invaluable skills that I could not have attained anywhere else. Leaving my comfort zone, America, to work for a British organization proved to be a challenging, yet one of a kind experience. Work life in the UK is completely different than the corporate world I have interned in at home. My key takeaway was holding myself accountable and being willing to put myself out there and ask any questions I have in order to gain more knowledge and success. While interning at the NSPCC, I believed I was headed for a finance career. I asked my supervisor to set up a meeting with the finance department to get a look at finance in the nonprofit sector. As a freshman, this boosted my confidence to step outside the norm and take my curiosity and questions a step further.

 

Interning in the UK opened my eyes to another culture and heightened my desire to work in a diverse setting. My coworkers came from all different religions and areas of the UK, always willing to share their wisdom and history with me. Working in another country made me more globally aware than any news site could have. I got to be immersed in the political and economic climate. The biggest headline in the paper while I was living in London was "The Scottish Independence Referendum." It was so interesting to learn about this in my global course at FIE and then go to work and listen to real citizens' feelings on the matter of Scotland gaining independence from the United Kingdom . The skills I have taken away from the NSPCC and living as a temporary Brit have grown me both personally and professionally in ways I could not have imagined before. 

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Being so young and trying to find my purpose at UF and in life, UF in London could not have been a bigger blessing. The 90 days I spent in London influenced my goals, gave me an amazing group of friends, and created my love for traveling and gaining new perspectives in the least likely places. You begin to realize that study abroad is not a trip or a vacation. It is a second life. When people ask me what the best part of my college experience has been, I never hesitate to go on and on about study abroad and my time in London. After all, I am an honorary Brit now. 

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