My 1 Year Study in the Netherlands

Ever since I was little, I dreamed of studying in the Netherlands. I grew up with a mom from NL and a dad from USA. We travelled back to my mom's homeland to visit family when we could. I love spending time over there with my family, visiting famous sights, and practicing my Dutch. As I grew up, I really started to imagine a life in the Netherlands, especially in Holland. I dreamed of living and studying in Amsterdam like my mom did when she was in her twenties. I am a theatre major at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and contacted my study abroad office to see if there were any exchange programs. There weren't any that worked for me so I decided to do my own research. I found a program that focuses on exactly what I want to study at the University of Leiden, in South Holland. It's a one year Dutch Studies program about Dutch language and culture. I plan on attending this program starting Fall 2018. This experience is important for my personal education that doesn't necessarily directly correlate to my desired career path of theatre arts, but I am passionate about it in order to be able to have the possibility to live and work in the Netherlands with improved language skills and knowledge of Dutch history and contemporary topics. While I am a NL citizen and speak the language, I am not as confident in my fluency in Dutch as I'd like to be and I want to learn more about my mom's culture. My mom passed away in 2013 from liver disease

and this study is also a way I can honor her and learn more about her from my Oma and close family because they will be only a train ride away rather than an ocean away.

This money will go towards the University of Leiden tuition and some expenses while living with my aunt in Leiden. I will graduate from UNC Greensboro in May 2018 and have set the time aside to study in Leiden beginning in August 2018.

I am appreciative of any donations that you may desire to give!

Thank you/Dank u wel,


Isabella