“Being abroad has shown me a lot about myself and it has helped me to grow to be more independent. Simple things like navigating an airport in a country I'd never been to have increased my confidence and my sense of independence,” reflected Devon Garutti, a finance major who is currently abroad on the Fisher College of Business Undergraduate Exchange - Audencia Business School program.
Garutti is living and studying in Nantes, France where she’s taking business classes with students from Europe and around the world.
“This experience has helped me open my eyes to other cultures because I have traveled to various countries and been surrounded by people from many countries within my classes. I want to work in the world of professional baseball and in doing so I will come into contact with players and people from many other countries, so this experience has helped me build communication and people skills I hope to use throughout my career when I come into contact with people who have different backgrounds than I do,” said Garutti.
Studying abroad fulfills a dream of Garutti, who also gets to practice her French skills after taking classes in middle and high school along with immerse herself in a culture she’s spent years learning about.
“I had always dreamed of going abroad growing up, so I knew it was something I had to make a part of my college experience. I love traveling and had never been to Europe before, so studying in Europe allows me to travel while getting my education, which is the best of both worlds,” she shared.
Along with enjoying the local sites and architecture of Nantes, Garutti has been taking advantage of easy travel to other countries, something that she notes has been her favorite part of her experience thus far.
“My excursions to Budapest, Hungary and Barcelona, Spain have been my favorite parts of my program so far. Budapest has such a rich history that I had no idea about and it was so amazing to get to see and experience the history that is present throughout the history. Barcelona was about a lot of the history in the city, but it was also nice to get warm weather and out of the rain that Nantes faces during this time of year.”