Mia Pique, Dual Geology and Spanish Majors (Interdisciplinary Global Programs), Gold Axe and President’s Award Winner. Spent one year in Tucumán, Argentina, and Quito, Ecuador
My year abroad transcended far beyond the traditional sense of an academic experience, with studying abroad in Tucumán, Argentina and then interning in Quito, Ecuador. Every person I met has taught me a new world view and because of them, I am a wiser world citizen and a more confident me. It is true what people say, the places you see are amazing, but it is the people that you meet that make the true difference. From living in The Andes, backpacking Patagonia for a couple of weeks, boating to Uruguay, standing on the Equator, studying an active volcano in the Amazon jungle and hiking it, seeing rainbow mountains, Machu Picchu, and even crossing into Brasil through bus on a whim… I would have never imagined all that I have learned through these crazy adventures, but more importantly through the people I have met.
I have learned how to make mistakes successfully. I have learned how to be more brave in asking questions when I have no idea what is going on, yet I have become confident in trying my best to figure challenges out first. I would say I have become a more confident, wiser, and more-willing-to-mess-up-in-order-to-learn-scientist. My gratitude could never truly be expressed by words.