International Studies & Programs

Grateful for experience in many ways

These summer credits will allow me to graduate a semester early in preparation for medical school next summer, which I am extremely grateful for.

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Published: Thursday, 30 Jan 2025 Author: Chloe Lohman

Chloe wearing an oversized gray sweatshirt with arms open on top of a mountain in EuropeThis summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Rome, Italy, and receive six credits toward my human biology major. This opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in another culture for the first time while also furthering my academic pursuits in the hopes of one day attending medical school and becoming an osteopathic physician. These summer credits will allow me to graduate a semester early in preparation for medical school next summer, which I am extremely grateful for.

During my time abroad, I had incredible opportunities to meet new people and travel around Europe. This was my first time in Europe, and I was able to see many different places in Italy, as well as some of France, Croatia, Monaco, and Portugal. My favorite location that I visited was Maderia, Portugal, where we went on a 7-mile hike in the mountains, high above the clouds. Another favorite location of mine was in the heart of Rome, near my apartment where my friends and I learned how to make traditional Roman Chloe standing on top of a building in Europepasta dishes. I will forever be grateful and cherish the memories that I made while I was abroad, and I will hold them close to me for years to come. I am especially grateful that I got to experience this with 3 of my best friends, who have been my roommates since freshman year.

I learned a lot from this experience, learning to travel efficiently and understand the culture of the area that you are in before you travel there. I encountered many individuals who loved to hear about our studies and our plans for the future, and I was met with open arms by many of the locals. I am especially grateful for our amazing professors, who I could not thank enough for their kindness and guidance throughout the two classes that I took while in Rome.

I will forever recommend studying abroad to my peers and friends Chloe and friend standing in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome at nightbecause it is something that I will never forget. I hope that others around me will be inspired to take the plunge and study abroad somewhere in the world, whether that is in Europe or elsewhere. I have nothing bad to say about my program, even on 100-degree days with no air conditioning, I was still grateful that I was able to experience this program.

Overall, I am extremely grateful for the financial support that I received from the Forest Akers Trust scholarship and hope that one day I can support students in the same way as you. You have given me something that I could never thank you enough for and I hope you know how special this scholarship was to me. I come from a low-income family, and I never dreamed that I would have gotten the chance to live in Rome and travel the world like that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Name: Chloe Lohman
Status: Senior
Major: Human Biology
Hometown: Spring Lake, Michigan
Program: Human Biology Summer in Rome