Santa Clara University

Sarah DeVargas '13

International Ambassador

Why do you want to serve as an International Ambassador at Santa Clara University?

I loved being abroad and learning about another culture. I had such an amazing experience and I would love to share it with others. I would also like to learn about the experiences that other students had.

What were the deciding factors in choosing your study abroad program and/or location?

I wanted to go to Europe because it is such an amazing place and I studied Italian my freshman year so Rome seemed perfect.

Describe a defining moment in your abroad experiences.

It took a while to finally feel comfortable in my new space. After weeks abroad and getting to know myself in a different country, I finally had that moment. When I took a weekend trip to Paris and I walked through the busy streets, I finally realized where I was. Yes I am a college student but I was learning about so many new cultures, languages, history, everything you can imagine. Seeing all the people around me, I finally realized that this was a great experience that I want to do again in life. From there on, I went back to Rome and studied everything around me and took in everything possible. It took a while but I got to the point where I didn't want to go home anymore, I just wanted to learn.

What advice would you give to prospective study abroad students?

There are the obvious things like don't over pack and don't judge your surroundings, but also important things like be open to everything and actually put yourself out there. Make sure to take advantage of everything. Don't sit around or find excuses. There is too much to see and not enough time to see it.