What is your hometown?
Newport Beach, California
What is your major(s)/minor(s)?
Business major with entrepreneurship concentration and Mass communication minor
At this point in your life, what is important/meaningful to you?
At this point in my life the most meaningful thing to me is having some sort of adventure in my life whether that is exploring new places or trying new things in the places that have already gone but continuing to have new experiences and doing so with the people that I care about.
What most intrigues and excites you about the Aotearoa/New Zealand study abroad?
I’m excited to see the beautiful scenery in New Zealand as well as have an opportunity to continue exploring my passion in photography and videography that has been placed on the back burner in recent years but not only be able to bring it back but be forced to so I have no excuses not to put my 100% into it.
What is the most meaningful idea you’ve discovered or learned about Aotearoa/New Zealand so far?
Something that caught my attention is how only roughly 180,000 people speak Māori and even less are active in the community, yet they still have such a strong and vibrant culture. I’m excited to learn how with a population half the size of Saint Louis they can thrive and continue growing as a community.
For me, the Aotearoa/New Zealand abroad is an opportunity to … develop a deeper appreciation for other cultures where I can get an overview then actually choose what part of their culture I want to dive deeper into as well as an opportunity for me to share my love and passion of videography with others in hopes that they gain that same appreciation for the art that I have.