I’m Ash (any pronouns), a junior majoring in Architecture and Environmental Studies. I love cooking (and eating), dancing (especially learning folkloric dances from new places), watching horror movies and travelling!

I am super excited to hear everyone else’s thoughts and experiences during their semester abroad. These kind of opportunities are invaluable to grow and learn from, so I really want to see how different our responses to the prompts are (and also how we engage with environmental problems within our host communities).

 

Hi all! My name is Adela (she/they), I’m a junior majoring in biology and minoring in environmental studies, and at Wellesley I work for the Botanic Gardens and the Griffith invasive species research lab. I’m currently studying polar biology in Copenhagen, and have been enjoying biking around, exploring the live music scene, and spending time in the many green spaces across the city.

I am excited, through the Paulson Initiative, to engage with urban agriculture and learn about food systems in a new place and cultural context. I love the way this program highlights creativity and community, two aspects I hope to incorporate into my reflection on sustainability and belonging abroad. I hope to walk away from this experience with a deeper understanding of the way environment is intertwined with Danish culture as a touch stone for my future explorations of regenerative agriculture and community building.

 

Anika (she/her) is a junior Political Science major. She is studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland this semester, where she enjoys taking walks and navigating public transportation.

I am looking forward to taking the time to intentionally connect with nature. By developing this connection, I hope to explore Switzerland on a deeper level. I am also excited to delve into the intersection between local sustainability efforts and global environmental policy progress in Geneva, a hub for international organizations.

 

 

Erin (she/her) is a junior at Wellesley College studying Political Science and Physics. This Fall 2025, she is participating in the Spelman College domestic exchange.

The most exciting thing about being a Paulson International Study Fellow is that it’s about studying abroad and designing your own way of engaging with a place. You’re asked to step beyond classes and routine travel and actually build connections: through journaling, through local projects, and ultimately through a final piece of work that reflects your own perspective.

 

Oii, I’m Larissa (she/her), an international student from Brazil and now an international-student-squared studying abroad in London! I love taking pictures of birds, butterflies, small insects and colorful plants.

I am very excited to engage and talk on informal conversations around campus on how people experience their surroundings, how would they describe and feel it. I know that this channel can let me empower other people with my own voice and teach me a lot about unconscious ignorance through the other fellows’ experiences.

 

 

 

Coucou tout le monde! I’m Ria (she/her) from Michigan, where my favorite thing to do is jump in the lake and hug the trees. I study anthropology and women’s and gender studies at Wellesley and I am especially interested in the intersections of culture and medicine as they relate to pregnancy and childbirth. This academic year, I can be found at Wellesley-in-Aix, a Wellesley-founded immersive study abroad program in Aix-en-Provence, France. Writing my blog in English is a bit bizarre for me, as I am completely French-ified for the time being! When I’m not studying or learning French, I can be found reading, journaling, or knitting in various spots in nature (sand dunes, tree branches, field of wildflowers, or for right now, a park bench). At Wellesley, I am a part of the Sexual Health Educators (SHEs) and I work at the local bookstore, Wellesley Books.

It’s easy to forget the importance of being grounded in your surroundings. I’m so excited to connect with Aix-en-Provence on a deeper level through being a Paulson International Study Fellow, becoming more aware of the place where I am studying and living. Although the nature here is completely different from what I’ve grown up with in Michigan, it has been really beautiful to find similarities between these two locales while also embracing the differences.

 

Hello! I’m Talulah (they/them), a junior linguistics and education major, and I’m studying in Dublin, Ireland this semester! When not enjoying nature through hikes, camping, picnics, or farming, I can usually be found trying to convince people to play cards with me, working on a new instrument, roller skating, crocheting, or frantically continuing my Duolingo streak. I’m so excited to be a Paulson International Study Fellow for the second semester, this time in such a different climate!

Being a Paulson Fellow last semester really encouraged me to be intentional about my engagement with the environment, which took me from just enjoying walking around to really considering how my actions while not in nature affect the natural world, often more so than my actions when actually in nature. My location last semester was environmentally very similar to where I grew up, so I’m thrilled to get to do this again in a completely new place, especially since I’m in a major city this time! It really enhances my experience of an urban area to also get to engage with the plants and creatures that have found ways of surviving and thriving. I’m also glad that I’ll have my blogs to look back at as moments from my study abroad that I might not have written down otherwise! The land is a very important part of Irish culture and folklore, so I can’t wait to have the natural perspective as I learn about and hopefully integrate with Irish life.

 

My name is Ilishaa (she/her), and I am a junior at Wellesley College, studying abroad at St.Anne’s College, Oxford. I love to run, trek, play badminton, and read.

The fact that I will be able to integrate with the natural environment in my study abroad destination in meaningful and legitimized ways. I love the structure that this Paulson initiative provides us with, as we can make connections with environmental organisations and the environment steadily and deeply.

 

Hii, my name is Alicja (she/her)! I’m an international student from Poland currently starting my Junior year at Wellesley. This term I’ll be spending in Sydney, Australia.

I would say it is the active way of building connections with the environment around you – defined both as the natural surrounding and your community. The reflective theme of this program really allows you to create that strong bond with the new place you find yourself in.