Read about this month’s International Studies Student Spotlight. Students were asked to share an influential experience they had that connected to their International Studies major or minor.
April 2020
Elena Bartlett
BA International Studies (Political Economy and Development); BA Economics ‘20
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, California
Affiliations: Delta Gamma sorority, Out of the Darkness at the University of Michigan, MUSIC Matters, Sigma Iota Rho - International Studies Honor Society, 4x University Honors
“This past spring, I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the reason I declared an I.S. major is because of my passion for travel and exploring new, different cultures. I have always dreamed of studying abroad in Europe and tried to maximize my semester abroad in Denmark. I went on many weekend travels to different countries (some I had been to before and some that were new to me) as well as spent much of my free time biking or wandering by foot throughout Copenhagen's various neighborhoods. Whilst abroad, I chose an academic plan that allowed me to travel for a week with my class to western Denmark, Germany, and Russia. Also with this class, I had the opportunity to meet with various executives and industry leaders in the business/economics field. I am so grateful that I was able to balance academics and travel/exploration during my time abroad. I learned to be independent and navigate a foreign environment, which I think will be very helpful when I move to a new city and begin a new job following graduation.”
Future plans: “Following graduation, I plan to start working right away. I will be recruiting for a few post-grad positions in the coming fall. I am hoping to work in business--maybe consulting, marketing, or management. I am also looking at a job that is flexible; by this, I mean somewhere where I have the ability to continue pursuing my passion for traveling, relocate/move around, or work abroad.”
