My name is Aine Fannon and I studied in at University College Cork during the spring semester. Leaving the white winter of my home in Vermont I was greeted with the green grass and mild temperatures of Ireland. Immediately, Cork proved itself to be a welcoming and accessible city. I was able to take the train from Dublin and easily get to my accommodations in Cork.

Checking into my room I realized that I was truly in a new place and was going to be there for a while. The tiny room with my bed, bathroom, desk and closet squeezed in was overshadowed by the floor to ceiling window that overlooked the Lough. That first day I was just happy to be done moving around and to be able to see more of the city without having to leave my room. By the end of my time there I had spend countless hours at the Lough, watching the swans or sunset or enjoying a piece of cake that a friend and I had brought from a restaurant in the city center. Before I could enjoy that though I felt in desperate need of a call to my parents, a good cry, and then a really long nap.

At UCC I was able to take classes that focused on my theme of Global and Public Health. I took a class that compared the health systems of Ireland, France, and the United States. This class allowed for me to not only learn about the Irish and French health systems but to learn about my own health system through an outsiders perspective. In this class there was me (a US student) a French student and the Irish students. I felt incredibly lucky to be able to have all of the countries represented as we were able to talk about the practical experience of the health system and challenges that may not be known otherwise.

In addition to exploring Cork City, I often spent weekends seeing other parts of of Ireland or other cities in Europe. I think that this gave me a lot of confidence as I was truly on my own for the first time. This travel always required planning with friends around what to see, where to stay, and the best way to get there. One of my favorite memories was in a pub in Kildimo Village, outside of Limerick, where a local band played “Wild Montana Skies”. I feel so much more comfortable doing new things by myself, a skill that has long evaded me. While there were some lonely times and bouts of homesickness, I came out of this experience a stronger, more independent person.

Hi there, my name is Aidan Rasmussen and I’m a Management Information Systems major here at the University of Montana. My study abroad experience in Ireland, as part of the Global Leadership Initiative (GLI) at the University of Montana, provided a valuable opportunity to delve into the relationship between technology and society in a new cultural context. With a focus on “Technology and Society,” I spent my semester at University College Cork, where I engaged in both academic and extracurricular activities that deepened my understanding of how technology can be leveraged to improve lives.

It was very hard at first to adapt to the culture and customs of Cork, especially after a very long Atlantic flight. Luckily UCC has an awesome way of integrating new study abroad students with others. Through their hosted parties, trips, and events, it was quick to make friends and adapt to the local environment.

At UCC, I joined the Consulting Society and the Economics Society, where I participated in research projects examining the impact of Irish policies on local communities. A key focus was on how major technology companies, such as Apple, Facebook, and Google, have established a significant presence in Ireland, influencing the economy and contributing to infrastructure projects, particularly in housing. Cork, like many cities, is facing a housing crisis, and these tech giants are playing a crucial role in addressing this challenge. This experience provided me with firsthand insight into how technology and policy can intersect to create positive societal outcomes.

In addition to my academic pursuits, I took time to explore Ireland’s rich history. Visiting landmarks like Blarney Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Rock of Cashel gave me a deeper appreciation for how Ireland’s past continues to shape its present. These historical experiences enriched my understanding of the cultural context within which modern technological advancements are being implemented.

Cultural engagement was another significant aspect of my time in Ireland. The Irish people’s warmth and openness made it easy to connect and engage in meaningful conversations any and every topic. Through these interactions, I gained a deeper understanding of how the Irish perceive and utilize technology, particularly in relation to economic and social challenges. Besides these topics, it was evident how welcoming the locals, especially in Cork, are.

Although, I was advised in order to experience the full culture, I would have to eat a full Irish breakfast. Black pudding is not my favorite, but I can say I did experience the full Irish culture.

My involvement in the Consulting and Economics societies also contributed to my leadership development. Leading research teams in joint collaboration and working with peers from diverse backgrounds reinforced the importance of adaptability, effective communication, and cultural sensitivity—skills that I feel are essential. This experience has not only enhanced my academic and professional capabilities but also prepared me to take on future challenges in the field of technology and society.

The hardest part, which soon became the easiest, was first bridging the gap between different cultures in order to move towards a common goal. Especially since I worked with some individuals where English was not their native language. This led to misunderstandings and some hilarious moments, but a good attitude and positive demeanor was essential to climbing that wall.

In reflection, my study abroad experience in Ireland was profoundly impactful. The insights I gained into the intersection of technology and society, along with the rich cultural and historical context of Ireland, have significantly shaped my perspective. The friendships I made and the sights I saw will stay with me forever.

Hello my name is Ella, and with the generosity of the Global Leadership Initiative I was able to follow my dreams of creating a Literary Field Guide! What the heck is a Literary Field Guide ? You might ask, well let me tell you about it.

After a year of visiting The Moon-Randolph Homestead, I compiled a list of historical and culturally significant plants to highlight in my Field Guide, which is just like any other field guide, but rather than having a soul focus on the taxonomic descriptions of each plant, its main goal was to highlight the connections between people, place, and plants, using poetry as a tool for emotional expression. A Literary Field Guide is a collection of poems for various different plant species on the Homestead. It also includes a brief history of the location, and how that may shape the plants living on the landscape now.

Yarrow, like soft music in your lungs, a scent that lingers on long after its gone.

Many of the plants have histories on the land longer than the city of Missoula does, like Yarrow, Bitterroot, and Yellowbells. They carve out stories from time through their relationships with other beings living on the land. With that being said there are various plants that are new to the land, brought with colonialism, and settled just as we did. It was a challenge to tell these stories, and explore my own relationship with the plants. I am white, of settler decent, and it was most important to me that I was uplifting indigenous histories and not appropriating culture.

I spent the fall and spring semester of 2023-2024 visiting The Homestead learning all that I could about the cite, past caretakers, and the land before colonization. I pruned, harvested and sat with plants, I listened to them interact with one another. I watched a Magpie stumble beneath the 100 year-old orchard drunk off plum. I made friends with a chicken who came to greet me at my car everyday, and I enjoyed so many meaningful conversations with Katie, one of the current caretakers.

This project was so meaningful to me and I owe so many thanks to all of the lovely human and non-human beings that made this Field Guide possible.

My name is Rosie Sterk and I study Finance and Economics here at UM. My GLI theme is Culture and Politics and for my Beyond the Classroom Experience over the summer of 2024 I created my own project around networking. I decided to explore this topic more because I feel like people emphasize the importance of networking a lot, especially in the world of business, but there is very little direction on why or how to do it. Over the three months of summer I started small with people that I knew, family, friends, professors and slowly I was able to expand my network as my immediate network was able to connect me with people in their network. I learned how to send introductory emails and how willing people often are to share their experiences and journey. I learned the importance of sending followup emails and to professionally connect with them via LinkedIn after. And I learned that these conversations are often more more impactful in person – being based back home in Scotland meant that I was able to experience networking with people over coffee and lunch as well as over Zoom with people in America or around the world.

The timing of this project was perfect. Hearing a wide variety of perspectives, and from people in different stages of their professional careers was great. Across the board people highlighted the importance of not getting too comfortable, to make sure you are always learning and to trust those who believe in you. Networking requires time and effort to make and retain connections, but each person I spoke to said that at least once in their careers, knowing the right person helped them on their way to getting a job.

Hi! My name is Maya Franscella and I’m a Communications major here at the University of Montana. Over the summer of 2024 I completed an Internship at the Irish Georgian Society in Dublin Ireland. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I chose this internship because my global theme is culture and politics and I focus on intercultural communications with my major. An internship with an organization that focuses on conservation, education, and restoration of their countries culture was the perfect fit for me. When I first arrived in Ireland I did experience serious culture shock. The amount of doubt a person goes through when experiencing culture shock is really scary. There were moments when I didn’t know if I would ever adjust to the country I was in. But with time and experience I felt more and more comfortable with my environment and I gained confidence with help from my friends I met along the way and a stable work routine. During my time at work I learned a lot about my own work style as well as how to adapt to a professional work environment. I was given many projects as well as responsibility during my time at the IGS. I was their archival database analysis as well as their survey designer and I was incharge of the data report at the end of the survey. I had all of those responsibilities at the same time and I didn’t know if I would be able to do a good job doing all of that. But I surprised myself and my coworkers and was able to find a good flow and balance my projects pretty well. It’s given me a lot of confidence in my abilities and what I could offer going forward in a future career. Not to mention, I was able to learn so much about Ireland and the architecture thanks to my coworkers and work environment. It helped me learn and appreciate all I could of Ireland and what it had to offer. Overall I am so grateful for this experience and everyone who helped and supported me through the process.

My name is Ava Heintzelman and I work in Kasper Hanson’s neuroscience research lab at the UofM campus. For my beyond-the-classroom experience, I continued researching, which included genotyping different mice genomes. The goal was to take the various types of mice genomes found and compare them to others to determine if certain expressions lead to certain psychological diseases. What is pictured is my lab station where I run and do the genotyping. Getting ready to genotype mice DNA. Experimenting with the 3A knockout sequencing, excited to see if it will work. a loaded gel with a DNA ladder (far left), each different mice DNA constructs made by me, and wild type (far right). Then I used it with an illuminating device with a wavenumber around 250 to see expression. Trying to test and see if Gin is present. Running the gel is what is pictured next in an 8% solvent, and the last picture is the gel when it has come to completion and imaging is going to take place.

I was extensively grateful for this experience, and I learned that I love science and I am excited to learn and grow more within the field.

Hello! My name is Annabelle Brown, and I am an Environmental Science major. During the spring of 2024, I studied abroad in Wellington, New Zealand. It was amazing! Known for mountains that meet the sea, New Zealand provided me with the opportunity to experience an entirely new landscape while still enjoying many of the outdoor activities I love. With Sustainability as my GLI theme, I was able to explore how human activity is impacting the country’s expansive fluvial systems. Between exploring the island and broadening my education, I experienced an incredible amount of growth during my semester in New Zealand.

Turns out that moving to another country is incredibly hard! I had never lived outside of Montana, and I finally learned what it feels like to be homesick for a place and the people it holds. After struggling through a flight around the world and plenty of visa trouble, I opened the door to my empty room. The walls were stark white, my mattress lay bare on the frame, and nothing felt familiar. Exhausted, I set down my suitcases and wondered if I had made the right choice. After a few weeks and a lot of new experiences and faces, I grew to understand that the next five months would be magic.

The time I spent both alone and building friendships shaped me into a better, more equipped human being. Nothing could have prepared me for the amount of independence I was about to gain as I navigated what felt like a whole new world! Luckily, people were going through very similar situations. My new friends and I bonded as we compared who had the biggest time difference, tried new foods, and wandered around the beautiful city of Wellington.

My favorite part of going abroad was building new relationships. My friends and I traveled throughout the North and South islands of New Zealand every chance we got before visiting Australia and Japan. It was a privilege to see how other nations go about life, and I feel extremely lucky to have found such amazing people from all over the world. As my old systems of support faded away, I learned to ask questions I had always relied on others to figure out. Public transportation, once a very confusing and scary proposition, became an ally. Most importantly, I learned to not only adapt to a new situation, but thrive!

Traveling abroad was one of the scariest things I have ever done. There were tears, many days alone, and an overwhelming amount of new information. It was also undeniably one of the best, most life-changing decisions I have ever made. My white walls were soon filled with pictures, postcards, and a whole lot of love. When I flew away from the musical, beautiful, windy city of Wellington, my heart sank the same way it did when I boarded my flight out of Missoula months prior. What an incredible way to discover that home is everywhere.

As a freshman, I was excited for all the opportunities that lay ahead, including a wonderful semester abroad. However, life often changes quickly, and you have to adapt. For me, these changes were not setbacks but rather new opportunities. I joined a sorority and took on high positions, including becoming the President of Delta Gamma. This role required my presence on campus, which meant I had to give up my plans to study abroad. However, I did get to travel across Europe for a month with my close friend Hayden, and we were joined by an exchange friend from high school for most of the trip. This experience was enriching, and I decided to reschedule my “beyond the classroom” experience to take place in Missoula. While it wasn’t exactly international travel, my time in Missoula turned out to be incredibly valuable.

For nearly two years, I have worked at Alpine Physical Therapy, so I knew I wanted to shadow Brace Hayden for my internship. I had specific questions and goals in mind to make the most of my experience at Alpine PT. My summer internship included shadowing professionals, learning new techniques, and researching insurance policies that affect access to healthcare, specifically physical therapy.

Missoula is a place many are familiar with, so I won’t go into detail about my favorite places to eat like Tandem Bakery or Green Source, nor will I describe my floating adventures and other summer activities. Instead, I want to highlight a significant milestone: the Missoula Half Marathon. Thanks to Alpine Physical Therapy, I used one of their free registrations and completed my first half marathon! Additionally, I volunteered at their station, where I had the chance to meet and talk with many out-of-state runners.

A big part of my internship involved researching different insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Allegiance, and Pacific Source. For BCBS, the extent of coverage depends on the plan, with some plans requiring authorization for services. Allegiance has a broad network of in-network providers but typically requires a referral or a note from a primary provider for further treatment. Pacific Source offers greater accessibility, as in-network providers do not require a referral. This research helped me understand how insurance policies affect patient access to physical therapy.

Another goal of my internship was to explore ways to improve patient access to services. In discussions with Brace, he explained the concept of letters of medical necessity. He guided me through the process of writing these letters, showing me the importance of detailed progress notes and explaining how further medical intervention would benefit the patient. This insight was very helpful and enhanced my understanding of the administrative side of healthcare.

One of the most interesting parts of my internship was learning about vertigo, specifically Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). I observed many Epley maneuvers and watched patients’ balance being restored. I also learned about other medical conditions such as low back pain and neck pain. Although I didn’t travel abroad, my summer in Missoula was fantastic and filled with wonderful learning opportunities.

This experience showed me that valuable opportunities and learning experiences can be found close to home. My time in Missoula allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and I am grateful for the enriching experiences and the knowledge I gained during my internship.