Study Abroad Student Spotlights | Study Abroad | Yale University
Study Abroad Summer Session COMPASS

Study Abroad Student Spotlights

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Connect with Yalies Who've Already Studied Abroad 

Studying abroad can be a truly rewarding experience, but don't just take it from us - ask fellow Yalies who have studied abroad before you. All of the students listed below are eager to share their experiences with you, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Alex O'Sullivan (he/him)

Yo! My name is Alex, and I studied abroad at St. Anne's College at the University of Oxford in England. I loved my time there. Best six months of my life. I found amazing community at St. Anne's College amongst my fellow visiting students from around the globe and the matriculated students who go there full time. I got to take advantage of the unique tutorial system Oxford offers. And most importantly, I found Jesus and converted to Christianity. The Church community in Oxford is truly one of a kind! Happy to answer questions about literally anything."

Ava Wilson (she/her)

Hi! My name is Ava and I’ve studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark with DIS and at University of Oxford with the Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA-Butler). Copenhagen has become my favorite city in the world, and studying at Oxford is truly an experience like no other. I would love to chat about life in Copenhagen and England, the Oxford system (tutorials are crazy!), doing a full year program, or anything else study abroad."

Norma Mejia (she/her)

Hi, I'm Norma! I studied abroad in Spain through the IES Barcelona: Arts & Culture program in Spring 2024 and the Pembroke Cambridge program in the UK in Summer 2024. Both of these programs helped solidify my interest in experimental film/photography and TV writing. Truly grateful for the endless creative inspiration, enhanced production skills, and cultural enrichment both of these experiences provided me with. I am happy to talk about IES, the University of Cambridge, studying abroad as a film student, or anything else regarding study abroad! "

Diego Paz (he/him)

Hello! My name is Diego Paz and I did a summer abroad in Barcelona, Spain, for advanced Spanish language and culture through IES Abroad: Barcelona! I spent 7 weeks living and studying at the center of the Spanish city (my apartment was one block away from la Sagrada Família). I took two courses, one on Spanish Language in Context and another on Great 20th Century Spanish Artists. I will be studying abroad at the University of Oxford in Spring 2026 for Politics. I'm happy to talk about these experiences and answer any questions that you may have!"

Evan Bowman (she/her)

Hello! My name is Evan and I am a junior in Timothy Dwight College from Los Angeles, California. I'm a pre-medical student majoring in History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. I studied abroad through the SIT IHP Health & Community program in New Delhi, India, Cape Town, South Africa, and Buenos Aires, Argentina in Spring 2024. I'm happy to talk about this experience and answer any questions that you may have!"

John Owen Weber (he/him)

Hi! I'm John and I studied abroad in the Czech Republic with CIEE. This program was so immersive in Czech and central European cultures, and gave me a large number of opportunities to explore both the Czech Republic and Europe as a whole. Ever since leaving Prague, I have been hoping for the opportunity to return. Studying abroad has been one of the most enriching experiences I have had at Yale, and hope that anyone with the opportunity to studies abroad. I would be more than happy to talk about CIEE, the Czech Republic or anything study abroad-related to anyone considering applying!"

Chloe Abbruzzese (she/her)

Hi, I’m Chloe! I studied abroad in Vienna in Spring 2025, where I interned at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), took classes in Austrian history, global affairs, and advanced German, and got to travel around Europe on the weekends. I would love to connect, tell you more about my experience, and answer any questions that you have!"

Alyssa Erthum (she/her)

Hi! My name is Alyssa, and I studied abroad on a travel-intensive program to Greece, Denmark, and Sweden with College Year in Athens and DIS Scandinavia. For four-weeks, I traveled across northern and southern Europe, comparing effects of addiction and drinking culture as impacted by cultural norms, all analyzed through a biopsychosocial model. My favorite part of the program was hearing from the experiences of people who formerly had addictions and how they overcame them. I'm happy to answer any questions about this program, travel-intensive programs generally, studying abroad as a student from a rural background, or anything else!"

Owen Haywood (he/him)

Hi all! My name is Owen and I did a semester abroad in China with Middlebury in Beijing on a Yale Light Fellowship. I had an incredible experience exploring Beijing and China more broadly -- there is so much to see there! I went abroad primarily to develop my Mandarin language skills, which I was able to do thanks to Middlebury in Beijing's quality language education and its emphasis on language immersion. I'd love to chat about Middlebury in Beijing, studying abroad as an American in China, the Light Fellowship, returning to Yale after a semester abroad, or studying abroad in general."

Lilly Chai (she/her)

Hi, I’m Lilly! I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark in spring 2025 through DIS Copenhagen. My core course, Globalization & European Economies, took us on study trips to Sweden and Ireland—on top of plenty of weekend trips around Europe on my own. My semester abroad was one of my absolute favorites, filled with so many new experiences and people. Copenhagen quickly became my favorite European city (I’m a bit biased), but it really is such a lovely place—from the bike culture to cozy cafés to the occasional cold plunge. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat about DIS, Denmark, or studying abroad in general!"

Linden Skalak (she/her)

Hi! I’m Linden and I did the Spring 2024 term abroad with the CET at FAMU program. I studied filmmaking on 16mm and 35mm, and I am so grateful for the experience. I learned a lot about filmmaking, but also about being open to new experiences, making friends, and about Czech culture. My favorite part of the program was the exceptional mentorship from filmmakers actively working in the industry and the chance to connect with students at other colleges who are also young filmmakers. I am very passionate about creative work and analog film, and I would love to connect with anyone interested in learning about these things! "

Janae-Rose Fageyinbo

Hi! My name is Janae-Rose, and I spent my junior spring studying in São Paulo Brazil. I direct enrolled at University of São Paulo and took courses in the school of Humanities and Social Sciences. My classes related to my studies in Comparative Literature and Education Studies at Yale, to learn about similar topics from a new perspective. I loved being the only student from the U.S. in my cohort and diving into daily life in São Paulo. Feel free to reach out with questions about study abroad in Brazil, especially São Paulo."

Brooklyn Brauner (she/her)

Hey! My name is Brooklyn Brauner, and I studied abroad through the School for International Training (SIT) Honors Program! A cohort of twenty-two other students and I spent a month each in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and Cape Town, learning about the complex political and social histories of each city. The program is driven by local actors, and although traveling faculty accompany you in each country, the majority of your learning comes from local NGOs, political leaders, activists, and families. I greatly enjoyed working with my friends to prepare a comparative capstone project at the end of our semester abroad, synthesizing all we’d learned across the three beautiful places. However, my favorite part of the program was exploring so many different cultures, foods, traditions, and sights. SIT IHP is truly an incredible program. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!"

Josh Chang (he/him)

Hello, my name is Josh and I did a semester abroad in New Zealand! I participated in a geology program called Frontiers Abroad, which is based at the University of Canterbury in the city of Christchurch on the South Island. The first month is a field camp where you stay at various stations on the coast and in the mountains. The field work was challenging but highly rewarding, and I got to be outside all day! It was the perfect way to make friends right from the start. After the field camp, you complete a normal semester at UC, which was pretty chill and afforded many opportunities for travel around beautiful New Zealand. I highly recommend (especially if you like the outdoors), and I am happy to answer any questions!"