My Name is Lily Arvidson and I am a senior studying environmental science, policy and management. I am very passionate about environmental sustainability and plan to obtain a career in environmental planning. I love relaxing outdoors, sports, listening to music, and spending time with friends.
While in Thailand I am very interested in learning more about the Hill tribes and the challenges and conflicts that they are currently facing. I am also interested in learning about the water issues that Thailand is facing, to understand all of the drivers and the current management efforts.
My Name is Griffin Conway and I am a senior studying finance and accounting. I really love the outdoors and am an avid fisherman, but also enjoy a plethora of other activities including rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding. My main goal for this study abroad is to really get an understanding of what the Thai culture is like and to try and see it from as unbiased an opinion as possible. I have done some traveling outside the United States, but I feel this trip will be the one with the largest “culture shock”. I am excited to learn about the sustainability efforts that Thailand has been putting forward, as well as see the impact development has had on their wildlife.
Hello everyone! My name is Mason Schlief and I am in the Bachelor of Science Health Science program at the Rochester campus. I am a junior, but will be graduating this coming December! I grew up in a rural town called Lowry, Minnesota which has a population of less than 300 people. I have one younger brother who attends the University of North Dakota and a large mixture of plants and pets that I love.
Although I am nervous about leaving the country for the first time, I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to be a part of this program and experience Thailand and its culture. My goal for this experience is to expand my knowledge of the Thai culture and issues surrounding equity and health care in the country. I cannot wait to learn and grow in my understanding, experiences and within myself during this program.
Hi my name is Pooja Athalye, I’m a junior currently studying finance and pre-med. I like movies and experiencing everything and anything I possibly can. One learning goal I have is to understand third-world country healthcare and the differences between rural and city quality care.
Sawatdee ka! My name is Rosie Yang and I am studying Global Studies with a minor in Economics and Statistics. I am a senior and will be graduating in the fall of 2019. I’m super excited to be going on this trip as I’ve never been outside of North America so I am super excited to have a new experience and to take everything in. Some things about me are that I love to travel outdoors, and I’m always down to try new things.
What initially drew me to this program was the human trafficking organization which we will be learning about. As a Global Studies major, I am super passionate about human rights and was first introduced to the world of human rights by learning about human trafficking in South East Asia. I am especially passionate about empowering women who are vulnerable to these abuses and my learning goal for this study abroad seminar would be to learn about the ways which these organizations are fighting against human trafficking, as well as how they are empowering women to overcome these abuses while finding self-sufficiency.
Aside from that, I am looking forward to a bunch of other things such as shopping at the night markets, trying new street foods, as well as getting to know everyone 🙂
My name is Matthew Kee Her. As of now, I’m a senior who will be graduating by the end of spring semester 2019. I’m a double major in Asian Languages & Literature and Linguistics in addition with a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language. I’m the oldest of 4 in my family. I’ve studied abroad twice and have been to China, South Korea, and Japan (travel) – basically East Asia. I was a previous officer for the Hmong Minnesota Student Association and a previous mentor for the Asian Pacific American Resource Center. I held multiple leadership positions serving underrepresented communities such as refugees, youth, and adult learners.
My learning objective while on the Global Families Program in Thailand is to observe, immerse, and reflect the experience of Hill Tribe groups particularly the Hmong. My interest lies in learning about the Hmong Diaspora and since I’ve already went to China to learn about one piece, I’ve yet to gone to SE Asia to learn about another. Because we will be getting opportunities to observe how ethnic minorities are integrating themselves into Thai culture, I want to connect the experiences of Hmong Thai to my experiences as a Hmong American. When we go to the Hmong villages, I intend to be involved in any activity if possible instead of just being on the observing side. I want to make my experience fulfilling as much as possible. My parents were refugees when escaping to Thailand, so I want to return as someone who has come back home. In other words, I want to trace the roots of my ancestral history or the Hmong Diaspora.
Hi there! My name is Madison Brandt and I am a sophomore at UMN studying strategic communications, which is like advertising/PR in the journalism school. For interesting facts, I am a vegetarian and I have been since I was 5 years old or so. I also have a podcast and a blog of my own!
A learning goal for me is to learn the mindsets of Buddhism. I love the idea of being so present and in the moment and learning to observe rather than judge or evaluate. I really want to throw myself into this experience and just be and learn to find peace with whatever comes my way.
I have no idea why this image isn’t showing up as a straight image, but anyways, I am so excited for this trip!
