Hi all! My name is Maya Gritzner and I am a senior studying Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Organismal Biology with a minor in International Development Studies. For my Out of Classroom Experience I chose to take a Field Ecology class at Flathead Lake Biological Station, which is located about an hour and a half north of Missoula on the shores of Flathead Lake. I spent four weeks living and studying at the bio station where I met many amazing and inspirational people, spent my time in some truly spectacular landscapes, and learned a great deal about ecological principles, components, and research methods.

During my time in the GLI, I’ve chosen to focus on the Global Theme of Resources and Sustainability. I have always been very passionate about the well-being of the natural world. Through my exploration of this theme, I’ve come to understand just how entangled and reliant society is on nature and the resources it provides. Healthy ecosystems have intrinsic value outside of what they provide to people, but it is undeniable that the state of our planet dictates the state of humanity. My experience at the Flathead Biological Station reinforced this perspective and gave me a greater understanding of what can be done to counter the degradation and dysfunction afflicting most of our world’s ecosystems due to human influence.

Another incredible part of this course was getting to participate in a Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). My team of three students conceptualized, planned, implemented, and completed a research project in just four weeks. Our experiment sought to investigate the impacts of wildfire ash on phytoplankton biomass. This experience provided me with an opportunity to learn more about the research process and practice leadership skills. My team was well-balanced and we were able to collaborate and communicate well once we learned to recognize each other’s strengths. As with all good science, our results left us with more questions than answers, but the station plans to continue our research next season and I’m very excited to see what the next team discovers.

I am incredibly grateful for this experience, and I only wish it had been longer. I would love to learn more about restoration ecology as, now that I have a strong foundational understanding of the current issues facing many ecosystems, I want to know what must be done to restore them and how I can be an active participant in those efforts to better our world on a global scale.

Hi all! My name is Hattie Ransom, and I am a Wildlife Biology major with the GLI theme of Resources and Sustainability. I spent this past summer interning under Fauna Forever, an organization that collects important ecological data about the wildlife in the Peruvian Amazon to support the conservation of its resources, landscapes, and plant and animal populations. 

Tucked away in the rainforest of the Madre de Dios region of Peru, getting to the Secret Forest Ranger Station was no easy feat. My 48 hour travel day consisted of a layover in LA, a night spent in Lima, a plane to Puerto Maldonado, a tuk tuk to a hostel, an hour long bus ride, and a 30 minute boat ride. Upon my arrival at the station, I was pretty exhausted to say the least. This exhaustion was quickly forgotten as I took in my surroundings. Located just off of the Madre de Dios River, the Secret Forest Station is a biodiversity hotspot with trees towering overhead and birds darting across the canopy. My crew’s arrival was welcomed by the call of oropendolas and the chatter of Tamarin monkeys. 

After dropping luggage off and settling in a bit, we met for a two hour safety briefing. The presentation warned of us wandering spiders, bullet ants, coral snakes, dengue, tree falls, electric eels, and other dangers we may face while living in the rainforest. After this briefing, I found myself contemplating my life decisions. But after living in the Amazon for 3 months, I can safely say that, despite the many challenges I faced, it was all worth it. 

My primary focus during my stay was to help conduct bird research in the form of bird banding. With almost 2,000 species recorded in the country, Peru is one of the most biodiverse places in the world when it comes to birds. In the areas surrounding our field sites alone, upwards of 600 species could be observed. It was incredible and honestly, a bit overwhelming. Between trying to learn names, calls, and life strategies, I sometimes felt like my brain might overheat and shut off. 

“The early bird catches the worm” and the early biologist catches the bird. On an average day, I was up at 4:30 am, eating breakfast at 5:00, and ready to go out into the rainforest by 5:30. Birds forage and are most active in the cooler morning hours and therefore, this is the best time to study them. Each morning, we set up 6-10 mist nets, checking them every 40 minutes to ensure that no bird had been left in the net for too long. After carefully extracting these birds, they were taken back to our banding station where they were given a unique band number in the form of a small, aluminum bracelet (used to track the bird in the event of a recapture). The birds were aged, sexed, weighed, and measured in a timely manner. They were then safely released with a little bit of ankle bling. This whole process was quite technical, and I spent much of my summer learning how to properly take measurements, and id and age each bird correctly. Because I had worked with birds prior to this experience, I had a lot of opportunities to lead and teach other interns which helped me to refine my own techniques and feel more confident in my abilities.

Not only did I learn an incredible amount about wildlife research, but I also feel like I learned a lot about the world. My research team members were from all over the globe, and I had a lot of interactions in which I learned about their cultural values and wildlife management approaches. I was also taught a lot by the Peruvians as they educated me about many of the challenges to conservation that are faced on a local level and shared some of the work that they are doing to protect the rainforests of the Amazon.

This experience was life-changing, and it would not have been possible without the Franke GLI Fellowship scholarship. I cannot thank the GLI program enough for guiding me through this experience and helping fulfill a childhood dream of mine.

Hello! My name is Nate Adams and I am a Computer Science – Mathematical Sciences major and my theme is Technology in Society. During the summer I was able to experience so many things technology related while working with UM Information Technology. Working around the Help Desk and working on various campus projects I got to see many implementations of technology that is used to run campus, and see the many professors and staff that use different programs and other applications of computers. I have been able to use these experiences to learn more about how and where people use technology, whether with research or accessing internet.

Being able to work on various projects means I was also able to experience the backbone of campus cyberinfrastructure, I have been able to learn from so many people across the wide range of IT. Hearing from these people about current and past experience made me realize that this is something I wish to continue to do, I want to be able to help out others with issues and allow many people to have access to computing technology. Although I stayed within the state, I was able to hear from many others that have taken their campus work to research and explore abroad and I saw how beneficial these resources were. I think that more people should be able to have access and understanding of technology, and eventually I want to see people have secure and reliable access to technology. I think being able to work with others in the field of IT and learn from them has helped me be able to lead others not just with technology. Like all things, you need to be able to lead others, as well as yourself, and I was able to see that very clearly this summer by working with others that lead their areas of IT. Having to manage projects that can only happen during the summer, and being able to be a part of classroom updates, computer inventory, and other projects that go on taught me time management as well as effective communication and effective work balance.

I was also able to participate in the RMACC conference hosted by UM this year, a meetup of System Administrators from all over the United States that work in High Power Computing. They came from many different Universities and companies to talk about what they do and enjoy, as well as chat with students in IT like me to get passions fired up in college. Having conversation with people that work with researchers closely to help them do computational research is so cool, it is something I will never forget.

I find myself still asking questions, What other areas of Information Technology can I continue to work in? How does IT work in other places, and can I learn more if I speak to even more people in the field? How else can I explore this topic and get others to use technology in their lives? These next 2 years before I graduate and throughout my GLI Capstone I am going to work on answering these questions. I am also going to pursue conversation with those around me to see what I can accomplish with technology and having people from all over accomplish so many things with it.

Hi everyone! My name is Katy McCumber and I am a Journalism major in the Culture and Politics theme of GLI. Although I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, my father’s job in journalism offered many diverse cultural experiences as my family moved to different states across the country. My childhood was filled with museum trips and bustling city streets, but that all drastically changed when we moved to Butte, Montana when I was 12. Initially, I was fearful of such a drastically different cultural atmosphere, but my experience in moving from place to place helped me adapt quickly. Although I fell in love with the sprawling mountains and quiet calmness of Montana, I always dreamed of returning to a metropolis filled with artistic influence and historical impact. That’s why when the time to pursue my beyond-the-classroom experience arrived, I made plans to stay in Florence, Italy for twelve weeks working for an arts and culture magazine named Romeing. 

The name “Romeing” is exactly what you think it is. Headquartered in Rome, this online magazine caters to English-speaking tourists who wish to dive deep into the events and lifestyle of Italy’s iconic capital, so when they arrive they can “roam” around like a local! In the past year the site has expanded to cover not only Rome, but Florence as well, to offer updates on its renowned museums, musical events, and best restaurants. Home to Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and the reign of the Medici family, Florence is an essential city to immerse yourself in la dolce vita. 

Beyond the aesthetic beauty of Florence and the insurmountable amount of creative inspiration available at every corner of the city (seriously, even the narrow alleys feature stunning renaissance-era murals and statues), working here as a journalist expanded my skills in communication, time management, and understanding of different perspectives, three attributes that I believe are vital to being an effective leader.

Each week, my editor and I would meet over Zoom (as he was in Rome). We would review my articles from the previous week, with topics ranging from museum exhibits to community conservation efforts that showed how Florence is not just a tourist destination, but an ancient town with generations of Italian heritage and tradition. Upon reviewing the completed assignments, we would brainstorm on different ideas for the next pieces. These meetings were incredibly helpful in my reporting process, as I wouldn’t have been able to even scratch the surface on the lesser known happenings without my Italian boss’s native knowledge.Of course I wasn’t a local, but I felt respected in the local community for caring about Florence as a place that people live in, not just a place foreigners fly into. 

Italy, unlike the United States, offers accessible public transportation that can take you all across the country in a matter of hours. Being able to hop onto trains and flights from place to place, including Rome, Venice, Milan, and even Paris, France, (That’s me pictured above in the Louvre!) allowed me to delve into different cultures totally unique to that area. For example, I took Italian lessons for the first two weeks of my internship so I could gain a simple understanding of how to get around and communicate. This instruction was based on Florentine Italian, or the dialect that most of the country speaks. But, when I traveled to different regions and tiny towns within them, I was surprised to learn new accents, words, and even ways of moving your tongue and lips that were customary to each background. This experience strengthened my cultural knowledge, as it not only improved my small foundation of the Italian language, but showed appreciation and respect for each Italian that I met when I spoke with dedication to their mother tongue. As a journalist, communicating with sources and understanding their unique life stories is essential to productive reporting, something you can’t do if there is a restrictive language barrier. 

Overall, my internship in Italy was a once in a lifetime experience that I didn’t know would ever be possible, but with the help of the Franke Family and the Global Leadership Initiative, my dreams have become reality and prepared me for the news industry not just in the U.S., but internationally as well. 

Hello friends! My name is Cana Odegaard and I am a Sociology student with a concentration in Inequality and Social Justice in addition to an Arabic Studies minor. As a born-and-raised Missoulian, I have always been exposed to the incredible culture here. I grew up with the incredible privilege of traveling the world, and though I was hoping to continue these adventures through my beyond-the-classroom experience, health concerns kept me in Missoula. However, I learned to rework my narrative as my appreciation and love for this one-of-a-kind community abundantly grew by my summer internship with Missoula Food Bank & Community Center.

With a Global Theme of Inequality and Human Rights, I identified my Global Challenge as combatting resource insecurity and providing equitable access to necessary resources for all. When recognizing this passion within myself, I was discouraged by how daunting a task it would be to represent in my Beyond-the-Classroom experience. But then I was reminded of the nearly 2,000 nonprofit organizations in the greater Missoula area and how I didn’t need to go far in order to practice turning my goals into actions. After contacting a few of my favorite organizations, I heard that Missoula Food Bank & Community Center had three AmeriCorps positions open that two others and I would fill. And so began the summer!

In this fulltime position, every morning was spent leading a volunteer team in making between 500-900 sandwiches, and packing these into sack-lunches with local produce, snacks, and milk. These meals were then distributed all around Missoula to summer camps, other nonprofits, low-income apartment complexes, public schools, and several other local distribution sites. Through the summer, I managed the Kids Eat Free lunch distribution site at Missoula Public Library. This involved taking around 80 lunches and setting up a lunchroom in the second floor Imaginarium. I practiced following state guidelines by tallying the distributed meals for reimbursement which turned out to be a great way to learn the multi-faceted ways a non-profit is funded and managed. In this process, I was also able to befriend and interact with countless community members. I listened and learned from people experiencing resource insecurity and gained perspectives I wouldn’t have encountered without this face-to-face involvement.

I could go on for hours about how this internship opportunity impacted my worldview. As someone who has never had personal struggle with resource insecurity, I am inherently sheltered from that experience. When approaching the topic, I don’t want to approach it with pride and solutions that may not be helpful. I entered this opportunity knowing that, in this realm, I know nothing. Therefore, I need to observe, learn, and listen before acting. This was difficult as a solutions-oriented person, but I left this summer with more knowledge about resource insecurity than I could have imagined. I also learned the importance of respect, and what a trusting community feels like. I learned to share the joys and sorrows of life with those I was serving. I know it’s cliché, but this opportunity gave me more than I could ever give in return. It gave my passions direction and reignited my love for the humankind.

Kia Ora! My name is Alena Flocchini, and I am a senior at UM, majoring in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science & Practice. For my Beyond the Classroom Experience, I studied abroad last spring semester in New Zealand, at the Victoria University of Wellington. During my time there, I took classes that supported my major and global theme, including learning about the how global climate change is impacting various biological habitats and how other countries are tackling sustainability issues. I also learned about the colonization of New Zealand, gaining a new perspective on how indigenous Māori communities have been historically displaced and the social, human rights, and environmental implications of that, both past and present.

The friendships I made were truly valuable and close connections that I will cherish for a long time. Most of my friends, interestingly enough, were from all over the globe and only a few actually from New Zealand. Despite that, I still did learn some fun kiwi slang (“sweet as” and “keen” are common words heard in most New Zealander’s daily convos) and Māori phrases (such as “kia ora” which means hello, and “Aotearoa” which is the native word for New Zealand in Te Reo Māori language). Being a pretty “modern” Western society, I found the social culture was pretty easy to fit into for the most part, and my friends could relate over common trends, movies, music, internet memes and the like — although there were certainly less cowboys and bear stories going around than Montana! Wellington and the university I was at both have very global populations. It was fun getting to interact with people on a daily basis from various backgrounds, both New Zealanders and internationals, and the relationships I developed really helped to broaden my view on many topics and social issues that different societies are facing today. 

Beyond my academic studies, I also had the opportunity to travel around New Zealand and explore for myself many of the diverse ecosystems and amazing landmarks the country has to offer. During my last two weeks there, I took a road trip around both the North and South islands of New Zealand, trying to squeeze every ounce of adventure that I could out of my remaining time. This was probably my favorite experience, as I got to check off a few long-time bucket-list items (like going to Hobbiton, swimming with dolphins, and seeing a real live Kiwi bird!) and travel around with a few friends. I even got to hike the famous Fox Glacier — enduring a very nerve-wracking and windy helicopter ride. The blustery wind (Wellington is known as “Windy Welly” for a reason), the extremely twisty-turny narrow roads (and driving on the opposite side of the road!), the long travel times were all made worth it by the truly amazing views and experiences. I mean, some places are just jaw-droopingly gorgeous and I had to pinch myself to believe that I was actually standing on Earth and not in some fantasy world. There’s a reason Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and so many more movies have been filmed in New Zealand!

To be honest, it was a bit of a struggle for me at the end, leaving New Zealand and all the great friends that I made. Although I was only there 4 1/2 months, the people and places I met were all so wonderful that I did not want to leave. Friends who had been strangers only months before became like family, and it was certainly a teary goodbye with which I departed on my long plane ride back to the states. Certainly, there were some rough moments for me personally, such as stressing about final exams and moments of feeling scared to be so far from my family and everything I am familiar with, but I feel that this experience has helped me gain so much more confidence in myself and prove to myself that I can be okay anywhere in the world; that there are kind people all over the world who will help you out in times of need; that sometimes you need to go beyond your comfort zone to grow; that people are just people, no matter what country or culture; and that the world is truly less foreign and scary than I thought. And I can’t wait for my next adventure!

Hi there! My name is Annie McLaverty and I am from Missoula and study elementary education at UM. I studied abroad in Cork, Ireland for spring semester of my sophomore year. I took a variety of classes as this was my chance to expand my horizons and knowledge. Those classes included topics such as the Great Famine, Modern Ireland, Women in European history after 1800, Pedagogical foundations, and Irish Folklore. I would have to say the most interesting class was folklore as I learned many stories in which the Irish use to believe and how silly they seem now. One of these stories said if no one said “God bless you” after you sneezed three times, then the fairies would come and bring you into their world. The class that related back to my GLI theme of culture and politics was the Great Famine. This time period in Ireland showed a rise of community, media, and different economic classes succeeding or being targeted. When mentioning media the biggest source was newspapers. Hundreds and thousands of newspaper companies rose in the height of the famine, but the problem was the poor were the subjects but could not read or afford these papers.

From my time in Cork, I learned about myself as well as a new culture. I have never been more independent in my life than these five months abroad. Managing my way around an airport alone was the scariest, but other experiences were having my parents nowhere in sight, knowing nothing or no one around, overcoming a little language barrier, walking as my main form of transportation, managing money as there was no income coming back in, and managing fun and schoolwork. Going to college in my hometown meant that I never left, but this was my time away from home, family, and friends. It was a whole new world for me. Thankfully, the Irish speak English as their primary, but their accent makes it feel like a whole new language. West Cork, where I was, has the thickest accent of all of Ireland and I can attest to that. Instead of “three” they say “tree”. Hearing my professors speak at a fast pace was hard the first couple weeks as I truly scraped by with context clues. Along with growing my sense of independence this experience also grew my leadership skills. Having to navigate through many unfamiliar places I took a role in directions after the group was getting lost. Instead of being a follower I took out my tools and information to get us home. If I would have kept following the scenario would have been very different. Instead, I used my voice and what I had on hand to lead us back on the path.

Growing up in Montana there is a lack of diversity and rain in comparison to Ireland. I traveled over to Ireland two years previous of my study abroad to visit my brother who was doing the same exact thing. That first time was eye opening as not just Irish people lived in Ireland. I am used to seeing a majority race of white and two minority. That was not the case in Ireland. Different cultures and ethnicities are intertwined into Ireland making it even more unique. This corelates back to my theme of culture and politics. I experienced many different cultures within a city block. On the other side of this theme is politics. I went over at a very peaceful time in Ireland. Northern and main Ireland are not at war, but still see differently. The parties are using words and laws rather than bombs and guns to express their political opinion.

Another note to be made about being outside Montana is how different Ireland’s pace of life is. It is okay when they take vacation time or as they say “holiday”. It is okay to take a year off when having a baby. It is okay to not rush your day away. It is encouraged you take the day to complete a task to its best potential and then move onto the next. I am used to go go go.

One of the coolest experiences I had while over in Ireland was meeting some of my family on my mom’s side. Both sides of my family come from West Cork near the Beara Peninsula, but my mom still has some family living right outside of Cork city. This would be my fourth cousin, but we spent a day together at his house with wife and two dogs. I heard stories about my grandpa, the history of how my family ended up in Butte, MT and stories about them living in Ireland, especially when the country was not in political or cultural unison.

I now have the travel bug and cannot wait for my next adventure.

I’m Buddy Wilson, and I had the opportunity to spend the Spring semester studying at the University of Botswana in the capital city of Gaborone. Living in Gabs, I experienced local culture, food, and perspectives that I likely would not have considered otherwise. Things moved more slowly there and, to me, felt more simple. Definitely in a good way. That was one of the biggest differences coming from the US. I once went to meet with a professor and tried to start asking academic questions after just a few short pleasantries. She interrupted: “Stop, relax, let’s chat. You Americans are always so quick to get to business.” I found that refreshing.

As an Environmental Science student, I took classes focusing on issues of sustainable development and natural resources locally and globally. My classmates and professors were nearly all from Southern Africa, but the topics were mostly the same as what I’m used to. However, the discussions and perspectives were not. It was awesome to learn about similar issues in such a different way.

Outside of my studies, I got to know a candidate for Botswana’s parliament, and I attended several campaign events and social functions around her village. She taught me a lot about the country’s culture and politics, and I’m rooting for her as the October election approaches. My GLI theme is Culture and Politics, so I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. My understanding of local and global challenges was much improved, and I have a greater appreciation for the nuance of Botswana’s political and environmental issues.

I also got to travel to a few other places in southern Africa, including Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and Cape Town, South Africa. The wildlife and landscapes are unforgettable, and I encourage everyone to travel to the region at some point. Speaking of things I’d encourage people to do, join the Global Leadership Initiative and spend a semester abroad!

My name is Alyssa Mendez and I am a student majoring in Social Work here at the University of Montana (U of M). Every summer, I return back to Helena, MT to help out at my family’s restaurant, El Vaquero Taqueria. It is only my parents working and running the place from 4 a.m. till 4 p.m. with opening hours beginning from 11 a.m. till 2 p.m.. After receiving news that I had to choose my Beyond the Classroom (BTC) Experience to take in the 2024 summer semester for the Global Leadership Initiative (GLI), I got to work finding an internship or experience that is flexible with my work hours while in the same area as Helena.

I have chosen “Culture and Politics” as my theme for GLI because I found it to be a great way to improve my skills in the Social Work major when the profession aims to work with people of all lifestyles, backgrounds, identities, social challenges, and public health. For my BTC Experience, I took an online learning/internship course through the UM Global Career Accelerator. This online program aims to provide students opportunities to choose one out of four tracks, Digital Marketing, Coding of Web, Data Analytics, and Coding for Data, they want to study in and engage in real-life experiences such as projects for companies (Uber, Netflix, airbnb, Zillow, DoorDash, Shopify, etc.) while taking the online learning courses of their chosen track to improve their skills in the digital world. 

Ever since the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, the cost of necessities have gone up to the point communities struggle with maintaining lifestyles in not only Missoula, but across the state of Montana. Housing costs are rising, quantities of food are going down in supermarkets as prices go up, Montanans fear losing access to water due to pricing debates over the source, and there have been more unhoused residents than ever before. To address these challenges, GLI requires their students to come up with a Global Challenge that connects to their theme. So, I chose to address financial barriers within politics as my Global Challenge and studied ways of breaking these barriers through the Digital Marketing track in order to improve accessibility to basic needs as it correlates to one’s quality life. 

The Global Career Accelerator was truly a life saver and very flexible! All you need is a laptop with a camera and internet. The program was very helpful in getting students situated in the course with assistance from coaches, video meetings scheduled only twice a week, and learning modules that are required to be completed online. For the Digital Marketing course, the experience is broken in two parts; the first part is teaching students the basics of digital marketing, such as understanding customer personas, discounts, how to set up a website, and following brandbooks while the second part focuses on social media, creating campaigns, reading sales statistics, and budgeting.

I am grateful for this overall experience for providing me not only the time and flexibility to manage work and help my family out, but for the in-depth teachings of Digital Marketing I can apply towards Social Work. I would highly recommend anyone to take this online experience if they are searching for flexibility for their work and school.