PACIE-ISA Scholarship Winners
Caitlyn Handlin
Caitlyn is a senior at West Chester University studying visual Anthropology and Spanish. This spring she is returning to Peru, participating the ISA Cusco Program: Language, Literature & Culture.
“With a double concentration in visual Anthropology and Spanish, I chose Cusco because it is a place where ancient Incan civilization meets modern Peruvian society…From January to May I will go back to Cusco, take one class with ISA, and intern with Xapiri, a shop and cultural space that aims to support and preserve the art and culture of 10 indigenous Amazonian groups. Additionally, I will be writing my senior thesis for Anthropology on the gallery and its operations discussing anthropological approaches to art. This upcoming experience will give me hands-on experience with an art gallery whose mission directly ties into my major.”
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Hannah Lemen
Hannah is a sophomore at Messiah College studying Elementary Education and Spanish. This Spring, Hannah is traveling to Granada, Spain with ISA.
“This study abroad experience will allow me to use my classroom knowledge and acquire the language in a way I could not in the classroom. I am excited to learn more about phrases, food, music and dances all specific to the Spanish culture. Being in Spain, I will get to experience what some of my future English Learners will experience. I am excited to have an opportunity to be "in their shoes" to be able to assist them in ways I couldn't if I hadn't studied in a different country.”
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Kacey Lopes
Kacey is a Sophomore at University of Pittsburgh studying Psychology. This Summer, Kacey will be traveling to Valencia, Spain for her ISA study abroad program, Hispanic Studies.
Kacey plans to utilize the Spanish she learns during her program to advance her professional goals: "I want to study abroad to improve my Spanish speaking and writing. My mother is Colombian, and I have been speaking Spanish my entire life, but I do not speak as fluently as a native speaker. With the study abroad opportunity that I have, I will be speaking Spanish much more, getting closer to speaking like a native speaker. I would like to become a psychologist/neuroscientist researcher, and it is possible that I will be working in a lab that studies people who are bilingual."
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Emma Scalese
Emma is a Sophomore at Millersville University studying Psychology. This Summer, Emma will be traveling to Seoul, South Korea for her ISA study abroad program, Korean Language & Electives in English.
Emma sees her study abroad program as a way to immerse herself in another culture: "There are so many things that I cannot learn from a book and that need to be taught from living in and experiencing that culture. I had a class in high school called Global Studies in which we discussed non-Western cultures and the topics in that class inspired me to learn more about places, such as South Korea. I do not feel as though I had a lot of education on non-Western cultures and once I started discovering them, I never wanted to stop learning and I still do not. I also think that it will be interesting to see the interactions between people in a collectivistic culture, such as in South Korea, so that I can gain a more well-rounded perspective on others since I have lived my whole in life in a very individualistic culture."
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Aagmya Singh
Aagmya is a Sophomore at University of Pittsburgh University studying Economics. This Summer, Aagmya will be traveling to Barcelona, Spain for his ISA study abroad program, International Studies, Business & Culture.
Aagmya will draw from his past experiences visiting his family in India to guide his adjustment to a new culture this Summer: "We had visited my father's ancestral village, and it was like most other villages. There was no electricity, water came from a well, no plumbing (so no functioning toilets), and none of the creature comforts I enjoyed back in the United States or even in other parts of India. It was difficult for the first day or so, but the relationship I built with my family on this trip made it worthwhile. When I study abroad, although to a much lesser extreme, there will be a painful adjustment period. Things won't come entirely easy. I might have to stumble through some conversations, I might have trouble finding my way, and I might even feel lonely. However, akin to my experience in a small village in India, fostering a strong relationship with Spanish culture and the rest of the world, will make this all worthwhile."
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Emma Messett
Emma is a Junior at Westminster College studying Business Management and Social Policy. This Summer, Emma will be participating in an ISA Service-Learning program in Cape Town, South Africa.
Emma is excited to bring her experience at her Service-Learning placement back to her community in Pennsylvania:
"Upon returning home from serving at a nonprofit organization that promotes civic responsibility and social justice, my true achievement will be measured by the insight and understanding I gain for a country thousands of miles away from my home. I am confident that with my motivated, rational demeanor and optimism to learn that I will be able to form lasting connections with the members of my host community and organization, and I will carry these lessons and memories at the forefront of my mind as I pursue a career in nonprofit management here in Pennsylvania.
