Hey everyone! My name is Katrina
Hodgkins and I’m a sophomore here at UConn and an Allied Health Science Major.
I could not be more overjoyed to be a part of this program for this coming
spring semester. When I chose UConn, a school only around thirty minutes from
my hometown, I dreamed from day one of studying abroad somewhere amazing.
Having never left the country before, I pictured myself traveling somewhere in
Europe, taking classes and experiencing a new culture. But when I attended the
symposium for Cape Town last Fall, I immediately fell in love.
There was something so different in
the experiences these students were describing. Every last one of them (and
there were a lot) had a sparkle in their eye, and were passionate about
something different, whether it be from the classes they took, their
internships, activist projects, excursions or just becoming such a close knit
family. They were each so clearly changed and empowered by their experiences, and
wanted everyone in the room to know it. As someone who’s very passionate about
the medical field, hearing about some of the crazy circumstances the students
were put in terrified but excited me. And that’s when I realized that while I
wanted my study abroad experience to be fun and crazy, I more importantly
wanted an experience that would put me out of my comfort zone enabling me to
really grow. I want to grow as a person, as a student in the medical field, and
more importantly as a global citizen. I know my eyes will be open to a whole
new world, and hopefully my experience will influence what I pursue as a
career.
After hearing their experiences, my
heart was set on Cape Town 2014. While my parents weren’t thrilled with the
idea at first, with roughly a year and a half of it being all I wanted to talk
about, they eventually warmed up to the idea. I can’t believe I’ve officially
been accepted into the program, and will be leaving within 3 months, and I am
SO excited to get to know my Cape Town family and prepare to leave. While this
coming journey abroad definitely scares me, and certainly puts me out of my
comfort zone, I am so excited to see what great things Cape Town has in store
for me.
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