Ann Nelson

How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

I was able to learn about different healthcare systems between socialist countries such as Denmark and Finland and compare them to the United State's healthcare system. I learned about this Comparative Approach: Healthcare Systems; it was a great core course for DIS while also completing a requirement for my major.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

I was quite the foodie and allocated most of my budget towards seeking out the best food scenes in Copenhagen. I also traveled a lot on the weekends, including festivals such as Oktoberfest, which allowed me to experience other cultures besides those I experienced on a day-to-day basis in Copenhagen.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I would HIGHLY recommend DIS because they strive for all their students to have the most immersive abroad experience. DIS paid for my class to study in western Denmark, took our class to Helsinki and Tallinn to study healthcare systems, and provided high-quality student services and events to everyone in the program. I also had the opportunity to live with locals, who are still my friends to this day. On top of this, Copenhagen is one of the safest cities to study abroad, allowing myself to do things I wanted to do by myself without fear of danger.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

Consider the aspects you want to get the most out of your abroad experience. That could be fashion, food, travel, or various other experiences. For me, I wanted to seek out the amazing food culture in Copenhagen. I got to experience multiple kinds of cuisine, including going to NOMA. Once you consider your higher priorities to experience, allocate a bigger budget around it. While a semester sounds long, my abroad experience happened in the blink of an eye. I look back at all the resources I used and the money I spent and don't regret a thing because I wanted to explore the culture around food in Copenhagen.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

I don't believe that my identity impacted my abroad experience, but I do have to give the warning that to others, it might. Two of my roommates were women of color who, unfortunately, had to experience racism in Denmark. Denmark is a very white country, and while it seems to be progressive, there is deeply rooted racism that is unavoidable through immersing yourself in the culture. If someone who is a person of color is considering studying abroad in Denmark, I would want to enlighten them with the experiences my roommates had to give perspective and inform them before their decision.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

My roommate, Chanda, is a woman of color living in Denmark. She was adopted by a white Danish couple when she was 1 and left India to spend the rest of her life living in Denmark. I had the honor of interviewing her for my final project for my Urban Photography course, which featured photos of her in our apartment coupled with captions of her own thoughts and reflections on growing up in Denmark. She has a lot to say, and I felt as though I was able to connect with a local who shed a different light on the country that they still continue to show pride in. I miss her a lot, she was my dear friend, and I shared a lot of my abroad experience with her.