International Learning Made Possible

During her year in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the U.S. State Department’s YES Abroad program, Valeria, the fourth of eight children, confirmed something she had wondered about for years—international experiences are worth pursuing and enrich every aspect of your life.  

“The whole gap year in Bosnia and Herzegovina, learning their culture and talking to people who have a completely different lifestyle, helped me realize there's a lot that I can learn in a different country and apply it back at home, and I can pursue a career to continue doing that,” Valeria said.  

And Duquesne would help her accomplish it.  

Following that gap year Valeria enrolled in Duquesne, declared her major in international relations and has since taken two additional international study trips coordinated through the Office of Student Fellowships: the first as a Critical Language Scholarship that brought her to Turkey during her first summer after college, the second a semester in Japan as a Gilman Scholar.

“I attribute these programs to helping me figure out that I want to study global diplomacy, be intercultural, and build these skills,” she said.
 
Valeria aspires to work for the U.S. State Department, and knows her experiences at Duquesne, both stateside and abroad, are preparing her for a future that knows no bounds.  

“I wouldn't say I'm fluent, but I've been able to learn these languages. I learned Bosnian, I studied Arabic for two semesters at Duquesne. I know Spanish. I know English. I did a Turkish study abroad last summer, so I learned Turkish, and I'm picking up a little bit of Japanese while I'm here," she said.

Valeria’s experience ultimately changed her family's perspective. 
 
“When I came back, she saw that I knew what I wanted to learn, and she became very supportive of me traveling abroad,” Valeria said. “She even wants to push my little siblings to go outside the country, too."