Rose Yeh (Santiago Summer 2017 | University of Texas at Austin) is a Biochemistry, Spanish, and Business major, as well as an Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) Scholar!
With her dream of becoming a physician, the IES Abroad Santiago Summer- Health Studies Program was the perfect opportunity for Rose to practice her Spanish and immerse herself in health studies. Rose tells us how she made studying abroad a reality, and why she can’t get enough of Santiago.
IES Abroad: You were one of 50 students to receive the FEA scholarship. How did you apply, and what do you think made your application stand out?
Rose Yeh (RY): I first heard about the FEA scholarship through the study abroad office at my University. I read through the requirements to make sure I qualified, and decided that it would be amazing to be able to receive a scholarship to help pay for my study abroad. I applied through the FEA website, and needed to complete two essay prompts in addition to a letter of recommendation. The top things that I thought made my application stand out:
I demonstrated in my essay that I had the motivation to learn the language of the country I am studying abroad in
I made it very clear how this study abroad opportunity would help me in my future goals
I gave clear details of my experiences, and what I learned from those experiences
IES Abroad: Why did you want to study abroad? Did you always know you wanted to study abroad?
RY: I wanted to study abroad to not only improve my cultural awareness, but also to challenge myself to adapt to a different way of life in a foreign country. I honestly did not know I wanted to study abroad until last year. However, I knew I wanted to travel to a Spanish-speaking country to learn more about the culture and improve my Spanish fluency.
IES Abroad: Why did you choose Santiago?
RY: My University does not offer a lot of study abroad programs for students majoring in the sciences, but I found this opportunity to study abroad in Santiago just by chance while looking through what study abroad programs were offered. It was the only program that combined the two subjects that I want to continue to pursue in my future career: Spanish and medicine.
IES Abroad: So far, what has been your favorite part of your summer abroad in Santiago?
RY: So far, my favorite part of my summer here in Santiago has been interacting with local Chileans. They are honestly some of the sweetest people I have ever met. While they do, at times, get too personal, they are so willing to help you when you have questions.
IES Abroad: Has anything surprised you about studying abroad?
RY: I knew fútbol (soccer in the United States) was big around the world, but I did not realize how big it actually was. Chileans have such a national pride for it. They take days off from work and school to watch the soccer games. When the Chilean football team wins, there are parties on the streets and in bars, cars honk the Chilean chant “CHI! CHI! CHI! LE! LE! LE! VIVA CHILE!” and people are screaming the chant out car windows while waving the Chilean flag.
IES Abroad: What is your advice for someone who is thinking about studying abroad?
RY: Study abroad if you can. It will be one of the best experiences of your life. (I actually can’t attest this for everyone’s experiences, but this has really been my own experience so far.If financial reasons are the only thing stopping you from studying abroad, don’t let that stop you. There are plenty of study abroad scholarships you can apply to, you just have to do your research and put in an effort to write the essays.
IES Abroad: What are your future plans? What will you be doing when you get back from studying abroad in Chile?
RY: In the near future, I hope to attend medical school and pursue my goal of becoming a physician. I hope to integrate Spanish along with my studies so I will be able to serve the Spanish-speaking population.
Want to study abroad in Chile? Check out all of our available semester, summer, and January Term programs in Chile.
