Kristin's Study Abroad in France!
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Like every little girl, I was completely enamored with my fairy-tale books of kings, queens, and noble knights who lived in grand castles and lived lives of adventure. For me, Europe held more charm and rich history than anywhere else in the world. As I grew older, my fascination with medieval history developed into an intense desire to stop reading about it, to see it with my own eyes.
As I've pursued my International Studies degree at NC State, I've been made painfully aware of the hardships that currently batter our neighbors across the Atlantic. An issue that has struck very close to my heart is the refugee crisis that has arisen as a result of Middle-Eastern and African conflict. Pakistan, Jordan, and Iran are full to bursting with refugees who struggle to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert, refugees who are refused entry into the perceived "Promised Land" of Europe. Every day, we read of more refugees who set sail from Africa in search of freedom in Greece, only to have their ships capsize, lost to the sea.
This brings me to my point: I want to do something about it. I want to be able to enact a change that will return these displaced persons to some semblance of normality in their own homes. To do that, I need to learn exactly HOW I can enact such change. My major requires for me to seek out the world, to discover something bigger than myself, and I embrace this goal wholly.
The Institute that I've chosen for my Study Abroad is called L'Institut D'études Politiques de Rennes. This is a very specialized institute in the heart of Brittany on the Western border of France that concentrates solely on the EU, European policy, and European affairs. I am confident that the experiences I acquire there will be invaluable to me in my future pursuits.
The program, however, far exceeds my financial capabilities. I have received some financial aid, but that aid is only a drop in the bucket compared to what I must pay. I am not one to beg, so I tell you, standing tall on my own two feet, that if you should choose to help me, you are not merely footing the bill for a spunky college girl's escapade to Europe; rather, you are financing an aspiring young professional who has the determination and the will to do some real good in this world.
Will you help me?
As I've pursued my International Studies degree at NC State, I've been made painfully aware of the hardships that currently batter our neighbors across the Atlantic. An issue that has struck very close to my heart is the refugee crisis that has arisen as a result of Middle-Eastern and African conflict. Pakistan, Jordan, and Iran are full to bursting with refugees who struggle to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert, refugees who are refused entry into the perceived "Promised Land" of Europe. Every day, we read of more refugees who set sail from Africa in search of freedom in Greece, only to have their ships capsize, lost to the sea.
This brings me to my point: I want to do something about it. I want to be able to enact a change that will return these displaced persons to some semblance of normality in their own homes. To do that, I need to learn exactly HOW I can enact such change. My major requires for me to seek out the world, to discover something bigger than myself, and I embrace this goal wholly.
The Institute that I've chosen for my Study Abroad is called L'Institut D'études Politiques de Rennes. This is a very specialized institute in the heart of Brittany on the Western border of France that concentrates solely on the EU, European policy, and European affairs. I am confident that the experiences I acquire there will be invaluable to me in my future pursuits.
The program, however, far exceeds my financial capabilities. I have received some financial aid, but that aid is only a drop in the bucket compared to what I must pay. I am not one to beg, so I tell you, standing tall on my own two feet, that if you should choose to help me, you are not merely footing the bill for a spunky college girl's escapade to Europe; rather, you are financing an aspiring young professional who has the determination and the will to do some real good in this world.
Will you help me?
Organizer
Kristin Hommel
Organizer
Raleigh, NC
