Combatting Sex Trafficking in Spain & Morocco With Kirsten Queoff

“Learning how to understand and be comfortable in uncomfortable situations helped me, and I learned from them” — Kirsten Queoff

In this interview we hear about Kirsten’s “GLOBAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING IN SPAIN AND MOROCCO TO COMBAT SEX-TRAFFICKING” faculty led program.

The interview is different from any other interview I’ve conducted on The Study Abroadcast because of the subject matter. Kirsten does a great job of explaining her time, and what the program consisted of while she was moving between the two countries. 

SHOW NOTES 

  • Experience out of the country [1:31]
  • Choosing a program in sync with her interests [2:54]
    • Combatting women in sex trafficking
  • Receiving a scholarship [7:09]
    • A trip full of Badgers
  • Traveling to Africa [10:21]
    • Safety first
  • Living situation on a short, faculty led program [12:25]
    • Classwork on a short, faculty led program
    • A little time for exploration
  • A coincidence on the trip [15:54]
  • On to the food [18:07]
  • The timeline of Kirsten’s study abroad journey [20:05]
  • Changing Kirsten’s perception of the world [21:40]
    • Seeing sex trafficking differently 
  • Future plans for Kirsten [25:16]
    • A public health nurse that works with vulnerable populations
  • Why Kirsten chose to attend UW-Madison [26:37]
    • Living in Madison, WI
  • Recommendations
  • Advice  [32:05]
    • “It’s never too early to start thinking about study abroad”

Interview With 2018 IES Film Competition Winner, Philip Baites

Philip Baites and I at the IES film contestWe’re all on a journey and it’s not the places or sights you see that have a lasting impact on us, it’s the people” — Philip Baites

Philip Baites of UT Knoxville was the 2018 IES Abroad Study Abroad Film Festival winner. Not only was Philip the winner of the competition, he was also the first student we’ve had on the podcast to study abroad for an entire academic year.

Philip did a great job here, and for me it felt more like I was listening to a story than I was conducting an interview. His slight southern accent and calming voice make it clear why his music video took home the grand prize.

As with every interview, we touch on different topics surrounding Philip’s trip, but unlike every interview, he did some things not many others do, like receiving multiple scholarships and learning both Arabic and French.

Quote Philip would like to leave you with:

“The more life you live and the more experiences you have the more life you pour into your music” — Philip’s friend 

GPS Without The Tickets

SHOW NOTES 

  • Deciding on Morocco…for a year [01:55]
  • Learning Arabic [3:50]
  • The Boren and CLS Scholarships [6:07]
  • Studying Abroad with IES Abroad [9:28]
  • Coming home during winter break [10:40]
  • Juggling his passion [11:40]
  • A day in the life in Morocco (he got to surf) [14:50]
  • “Uncertainty is normal” [19:34]
  • Living arrangements [21:16]
  • The cheapest flight I’ve ever heard of [22:40]
  • Adventures [23:30]
  • Food in Morocco [26:31]
  • WordReference [29:30]
  • The Film Contest [30:52]
  • The production [37:21]

Popular Moroccan Food Video

Tangier to Casablanca – The Winner

If You Want The International Experience, But Can’t Find The Time, Listen to This Interview With David Carlton

David Carlton Ohio State University

“I challenge you to think of a way that in 10 years you will look back and think studying abroad was a bad decision.” David Carlton

David Carlton got three credits in one month. How did he do that? He studied abroad and took advantage of the plethora of options available to students at Ohio State. I’m sure your school has similar options to this, just talk with your advisor and I’m sure you can figure something out.

This turned out to be perfect for David because he wanted to do an internship in the summer and didn’t know if he was ready to study abroad for an entire semester (more on this later).

He ended up having a great time and, like everyone who comes on the podcast, he recommends studying abroad to any and every college student as evidenced in his quote above.

David liked his trip so much that he is planning a second trip to Spain for an entire semester. I haven’t talked about this very much on the website, but it seems to be an obvious benefit of going early on in your college career. 

 

 

SHOW NOTES

  • France and Morocco pre departure and timing (it’s everything) [1:35]
  • Applying for scholarships [3:14]
  • Fear of not being able to speak the language [3:57]
  • Trip costs and wrapping received credit into a one month period [4:53]
  • Living arrangements on the road with the Buckeyes [6:26]
  • David’s favorite part of the trip [8:18]
  • What David’s coursework looked like during this month [8:52]
  • Planning a second study abroad trip [10:05]
  • David’s advice if you’re thinking about studying abroad [11:18]

The Carltons and The Eiffel Tower [Infographic]

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