Gabriela Bolivar

Home Town: Riverside, CA  |  Major: Psychology

Study Abroad: Campus Adventiste du Salève in Collonges-sous-Salève, France, 2010-11

My time abroad can be summarized by two words: life-changing. I not only learned French, but also was able to get to know some of the greatest people I’ve ever met. Apart from school, I would spend time in Geneva (in Switzerland, only 20 minutes from campus), playing soccer with the locals, or hiking.

THREE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Forming life-long bonds. The friends, teachers, and deans I met became like family to me, and I still stay in touch with them.
  • Traveling to places like London for the New Year. Also, the south of France, Madrid, Austria, and Switzerland.
  • The mountains of Le Salève—being able to go running there.

HOW MY YEAR CHANGED ME

I’m glad I went abroad my first year of college at 17. Having to live on my own and become completely independent helped me mature and become focused on my goals. I figured out that I wanted to be a psychology major, and I became self-reliant, dedicated, and determined.

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