Hello! My name is Ally Rock and I am a senior majoring in Special Education in the College of Education and Human Development. I have participated as a member of the mellophone section in the University of Minnesota Marching Band as well as participating as an active member in the Outdoors Club. When I have free time, I enjoy volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House near campus or spending time outside.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to study abroad in Thailand! One learning goal I have for myself is to learn more about the educational system in place in Thailand, specifically special education. I am curious to know more about how special education looks in Thailand and comparing that to my understanding of special education in the United States. From my understanding, special education looks different in each country. I am very curious to learn about the referral, assessment, and placement of students in special education if such systems exist in Thailand.  I am also curious to learn about the different aspects of accessibility in Thailand. I would like to learn more about what laws are or are not in place to help people in Thailand of varying ability levels live. Examples that I am looking for could include curb cuts, sidewalk accessibility, closed captioning options, brail/auditory systems,  ramps or elevators.

One of my personal goals from this experience is to become more aware of myself and how my experiences have shaped my world views and perspectives of those around me. I hope to strengthen my understanding of my personal views of the world in hopes to better myself as a future educator.

I am currently experiencing the very nervous/anxious/excited feeling that comes with traveling and can’t wait to arrive!