More than 3,000 San Diego State University students will study abroad during the 2019-20 school year, traveling to six continents and having experience that will help develop the next generation of global citizens.
As the spring semester kicks off today, hundreds of students will begin their study abroad experience. We introduce you to nine students who will chronicle those experiences as the newest faces on the Be International Blog.
As always, we let them tell you about themselves — in their own words!
STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS
Ryhan Arnett
Costa Rica
Hi! My name is Ryhan Arnett, I am a junior at SDSU studying International Business with a focus in Spanish and Latin America. I am originally from Fresno, CA.
I will be studying abroad in Cartago, Costa Rica for 5 months! Cartago is located at the base of the Irazu volcano and surrounded by lush views which I can’t wait to explore. I will be studying at Tecnológico de Costa Rica and taking classes focused in management and Costa Rican culture.
The reason I am studying abroad is not because my major requires it, but because I have a passion for the Latin American culture and I LOVE to travel. While I am abroad, I plan to travel and expand my cultural competencies, try new food, and gain a deeper understanding of the Latin American world in business and in general.
I hope my blog will encourage you all to go out of your comfort zone and explore the world while you can. It is one of the most important things to me and I can’t wait to share my passion and experiences! ¡Pura Vida!
Reed Courtney
Barcelona, Spain
My name is Reed Courtney and I am a third-year finance major at San Diego State. On January 6th I will be packed up and heading out of my hometown of Denver, Colorado, to spend next semester in Spain, studying at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona!
For roughly four months I will be based in the heart of Las Ramblas Barcelona, while traveling all around Europe and even down to Africa.
The first time I heard about traveling abroad in college was when I was in 7th grade. One of our dear family friends, Lily, spent the semester of her junior year in Barcelona as well. I remember her saying that she felt that her parents and the school had literally given her “the world.” She explained the experience not as a trip or describing places she visited, but rather, she said that it was a culmination of moments that she will never forget.
From then on, I knew that I had to seize the study abroad opportunity and was thrilled that SDSU had programs that allow students to completely embrace and engulf themselves in a foreign culture. I can’t explain how excited I am to learn not only about the culture and places where I will visit, but also to learn about myself along the way. I look forward to the opportunity to share it all with you! Cheers, Reed!
Vanessa Delgado
Maastricht, The Netherlands
Vanessa, who is from Chula Vista, is a third-year psychology major who will be attending Maastricht University in The Netherlands for the spring semester. On track to graduate a semester early, Vanessa is using her study abroad experience to take electives and explore Europe and will graduate in Spring 2021 rather than Fall 2020. We are very excited to hear about her experiences in The Netherlands!
Heaven Heatherly
Rome, Italy
Hey! My name is Heaven Heatherly and I’m originally from Williamsburg, Virginia. I am a third-year student majoring in interdisciplinary studies with emphasis in interior architecture, public relations, and event planning. This spring semester I will be studying at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. I’ll be taking classes in art history and global media.
I’ve never been out of the country before so I’m very excited to travel around Rome and learn more about the culture. I’ve always been fascinated by the art and architecture of Ancient Rome. Last semester I took a beginner Italian class and really enjoyed it. And because I’ve already taken some Spanish language classes I was able to catch on very easily. My goal is to try to improve my speaking skills by communicating in the local language.
By being apart of the Be International Blog I hope to inspire other first-generation college students or students who have never traveled outside of the country to take the leap and study abroad.
Karina Jimenez
Puebla, Mexico
My name is Karina Jimenez, I’m from San Diego and I’m a business management major emphasis on entrepreneurship. I’ll be studying abroad at Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico through SDSUs Exchange program. I will be at UDLAP for a whole semester and I will be coming back in May just in time to walk for graduation at SDSU.
As someone that has a passion for travel, learning about new cultures and meeting people from all over the world, study abroad was the perfect choice for me. This will be my second time studying abroad, and I can’t wait to write about all my adventures that Mexico will bring!
Lucas Ramirez
Berlin, Germany
Hi there, my name is Lucas Ramirez and I am a third year marketing major from Agoura Hills, California studying at the Berlin School of Economics and Law in Berlin, Germany. I am excited to travel extensively throughout Germany and Europe, making connections in various countries, while simultaneously learning about different cultures over the semester.
My goal is to travel to some countries off the traditionally path, such as Ukraine and Romania, and I look forward to writing about these adventures and sharing my experiences with alI of you. I also can’t forget to mention how amped I am to catch some soccer games during the big European tournament hosted every four years, the next being this summer.
Ana Rios
Paris, Francis
Hello! My name is Ana Rios, I’m from Whittier, CA and I’m a senior studying political science. I also have a French minor, so you might be able to guess where I’m studying this semester… Paris, France!
I started my exchange program last semester and have one to go. I am doing an SDSU Exchange at Sciences Po and wanted to study abroad because I wanted to be immersed in a different culture and have the chance to explore new places. I also wanted to study at my school in Paris because it is a political science school and has a big international student body with people from every corner of the world.
Arianna Ryder
South Korea
I’m Arianna Ryder and I’m from Riverside, CA (go Poly!). I’m a senior at SDSU and majoring in international security and conflict resolution. I’ll be going to Yonsei Mirae university in South Korea for Spring 2020, in a program called Global Village.
I have wanted to go to the global village since I was a junior in high school because of the globalized focus, the fully paid tuition, housing and stipend. The Mirae campus is gorgeous and Yonsei is a renowned university. It feels surreal. I love South Korea. I’ve already been there twice and I can’t wait to go to Seoul for the first time and explore the countryside a little more.
Nicolas Sharp
Beppu, Ōita, Japan
My name is Nicolas Sharp, and I’m a half Japanese transfer student from Southwestern College and a general business major in the Fowler College of Business. My GI Bill is expiring soon, so I’m looking to power through SDSU before that happens.
I chose the SDSU Exchange at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University program for a semester. The program starts at the end of March and goes till the beginning of August. If you were to go to this school for the full year, you would also stay for the summer vacation which is the full month of August.
I chose this program because I really wanted to go to Japan.The Ritsumeikan APU program was available for any major being attained through the Fowler College of Business.
I applied to write a blog about my experience because I have already faced some issues trying to get through the preparation stages and am likely to face some more while in country. Hopefully my experiences will help anyone get past these issues and enjoy their times overseas like I plan on doing.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 
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