Most engineering students’ schedules consist of a mixture of lectures, labs, and study time that range from the early morning into the night. These students perform balancing acts, juggling extracurricular activities, social time, and finding internships. Deborah Moreno, a third-year industrial engineering student, has added one more objective to her busy schedule: studying abroad in Singapore and Germany sequentially.
Moreno grew up in Venezuela and moved to Wisconsin six years ago. Although she grew up speaking Spanish, her mother encouraged her to learn more languages. Deborah started learning German at age 11 and took German classes in high school once she moved to the United States. Through her early love of language, she knew she wanted to study abroad.
“I wanted to live somewhere far away, somewhere different from where I knew, and somewhere where I needed to learn the language,” said Moreno.
She found her drive to continue her language learning through the Wisconsin International Scholars (WISc) program, which fosters a community of students interested in exploring global experiences during their undergraduate years.
During her sophomore year, Moreno applied to the UW Global Gateway program in Singapore. The program introduces first- and second-year students to Singapore’s strategies for land use, sustainable living, and climate change resilience through classroom learning and excursions. Moreno also continued to take German courses at UW, then applied for the CIEE Berlin Open Campus program, which she participated in during the fall semester.
“It was life changing to go somewhere where I’m so detached from my family, culture, and lifestyle. I was able to be immersed in a country that mixes many different cultures and makes it their own,” said Moreno.
Before embarking on her first study abroad trip to Singapore with Global Gateway, Moreno had one goal for herself: take it all in.
“That’s one of my motivations for studying abroad is that there are so many things you don’t get to know about people, culture, and a country if you don’t see it and live it,” said Moreno.
During the three weeks Moreno was in Singapore, she was able to participate in many new activities, thanks to her professors’ vast networks. Some highlights of her trip to Singapore included visiting Ubin Island, where her cohort witnessed a traditional Buddhist ceremony with a close-knit community of 90 people.
The group also had the opportunity to volunteer with the Lithuanian opera performance, Sun and Sea, at the Singapore International Festival of the Arts. The opera is set on a faux beach, where performers in the opera enact common beach activities while singing about the harmful effects of climate change.
The following fall, Moreno began a new study abroad program in Berlin. She had a new personal goal: integrate German into her daily life. She challenged herself to order food, ask for directions, and spark up conversations with people on the street to practice her German. In addition, Moreno took a German class that helped her learn more about the language and culture. In this class, she was able to learn about the cultural differences between pre-Cold War and post-Cold War Berlin.
“When we went on this tour, you were able to still see some of the destruction that was left from the war. You could see bullet holes in the columns by one of the museums. When you think about Germany, you think a lot about history and war. There are still some elements of that today,” said Moreno.
After setting out on two exciting study abroad trips and yearning for more, Moreno believes that her study abroad experience has helped her gain a new perspective in her industry.
“There are just so many ways in which you can go abroad in which you can make an impact on your life,” said Moreno. “It can change the way you see the world and how you see yourself.”
Story by Amara Alexander