by Julia Gardner
The Office of Study Abroad is excited to introduce our Study Abroad Ambassadors for the 2024-2025 academic year!
Study Abroad Ambassadors are students who have recently returned from programs abroad and are now eager to share their experiences and help you navigate the study abroad process. Whether you’re wondering about specific aspects of the study abroad experience, trying to narrow down programs, or are ready to attend a First Steps meeting to kick off the application process, Study Abroad Ambassadors are here to help.
You can read introductions from each of our Ambassadors below. If you see a program or shared experience you’re interested in learning more about, feel free to reach out!
Mark Zheng:
Program: Taiwan Intensive Summer and Semester Language Program (TISLP)
Hi people 🙂 I traveled to Taiwan last summer, made a lot of wonderful memories, and now I hope I can help you guys experience the same excitement as I did abroad! I’m a sophomore who’s undecided but planning on majoring in philosophy and computer science. I love learning about floristry, playing the ukulele, and rock-skipping. I’m a bit bad at speaking (I get nervous), but I hope that I’ll be able to help and learn about you all!
Dixie Lissack:
Programs: Summer in Athens with CYA, Fall semester in Bologna through ECCO
Hey everyone! I’m a senior double majoring in Psychology and Italian studies. In the summer after my first year at Wes, I studied in Athens, Greece through a summer program at CYA. In the fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Bologna, Italy through Wesleyan’s ECCO program. Both experiences were truly incredible and I’m hoping to be able to move back to Italy post Wesleyan graduation! If you have any questions about language immersion, workload, social life, living situations or anything else abroad, please ask away! I also have a chronic illness and am totally comfortable sharing my experience advocating for accommodations and navigating foreign health care systems if you are curious!
Mika Zapf:
Programs: CLS in Korea, DIS in Copenhagen
Hi everyone! I’m a senior who is double majoring in psychology and education studies. I transferred to Wesleyan at the start of my sophomore year, and since then I’ve been exploring travel opportunities. I received the Critical Language Scholarship for Korea after my first year of Korean language classes at Wes. Through this scholarship, I had an amazing two months abroad in Busan over the summer in 2023, which convinced me to continue my Korean language studies. After that exciting summer, I then decided to study abroad in my junior spring, where I went to Copenhagen, Denmark. During my combined travels, I’ve been super lucky to also visit other cities within Korea and then across Europe. I absolutely love travel, and I hope I can help you find the right program fit!
Julia Gardner:
Program: Vassar-Wesleyan in Madrid
Hi everyone! I’m a senior majoring in English and minoring in Global Engagement. This past spring, I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain for a semester with the Vassar-Wesleyan program. I had an amazing time eating late-night tapas with new friends, wandering around in museums, and taking advantage of the amazing opportunity of exploring other cities all over Spain. I’m a huge language nerd, so I especially loved the experience of being in an immersion program where I was speaking Spanish all day, whether in my direct-enrollment classes or at dinner with my host family. I’m happy to answer questions about language immersion, the homestay experience, or anything else!
You can set up a meeting with any of our Study Abroad Ambassadors by making a First Steps or General Advising appointment through this link. If there’s a specific Ambassador you’d like to speak with, you can see their availability by clicking their name on the “Select Staff” menu. To get started on the application process, here’s the one-stop shop for all things study abroad!
We look forward to meeting you and helping you kick off your abroad adventures!