by Julia Gardner

Wondering what your fellow Wes students are up to all around the world? Curious about what a day in the life studying abroad looks like?

Our Fall 2024 Global Correspondents are here to take us along for the ride! Global Correspondents are students who are abroad this semester and will be sharing snippets of their experiences on four different continents. Stay tuned for takeovers of the study abroad Instagram and an article published by each student in the Wes and the World newsletter throughout the semester.

You can find introductions written by each Global Correspondent below. Read on to learn more about where they are and what they’re up to!

Baron Fisher:

Hi everyone! I’m Baron, class of 2026. I’m originally from South Florida and am majoring in English and East Asian Studies. This fall, I am studying at Tsinghua University’s Chinese Language Program in Beijing, China. Studying in China has many challenging moments, such as navigating the extremely long lines and crowds everywhere, and even accessing Gmail. However, the uniqueness of this experience is very rewarding. Studying China’s rise as a global power, observing the rapid development of its modern infrastructure, building my language proficiency, and visiting ancient attractions are some of my highlights. One of the coolest parts is visiting mega-cities with populations of over 10 million people, such as Chongqing and Hangzhou, which many people in the US have never heard of! 

Helen Gies:

Hi everyone! My name is Helen Gies, and I am a Biology major with a Chemistry minor.

I am currently in Kimana, Kenya studying the conservation of endangered species through the School for Field Studies (SFS) program. So far, we have gotten to see a ton of wildlife! On Monday we went to the Amboseli National Park, where we were able to see elephants and a cheetah and her five cubs. Later, I even got to witness a goat slaughter! I am super excited to explore the rest of the wildlife here in Kimana this semester (except for maybe the hyena that has been allegedly roaming around campus).

Ollie Hoffman-Paul:

Hi! My name is Ollie and I am a Junior at Wesleyan. I am a Human Rights and Global Engagement Minor and currently studying abroad in Ecuador. My program began in Valencia, Ecuador which is about an hour outside of Quito in a region called the Sierras. We then move to the upper regions of the Amazon rainforest to live with an Indigenous community working towards reforestation. During our final five weeks of the semester we are able to complete our own project and choose which community we would like to reside in during this time. I hope to return to the Amazon to work on documenting the restoration work of the community as well as indigenous permaculture practices. 

Rose Chen:

Hi everyone! My name is Rose (she/they) and I’m an English (Creative Writing) and French Studies double major pursuing a certificate in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory. I’m abroad this semester with the Vassar-Wesleyan Paris Program, concentrating on learning more about the translation of literature and poetry between French and English. In Paris, I’m enjoying visiting museums, attending art exhibitions, and eating my body mass in pains aux chocolat.

Follow along with us to see how their adventures unfold over the semester!