October 14, 2008

LinguaLinx Opens Doors to Study Abroad

From Europe to Asia and everywhere in between, the University at Albany creates opportunities to study around the world.

UAlbany students Ashley Chapman, Jocelynn Rizzi, and Holly Baranowski said the addition of a LinguaLinx Scholarship helped send them on their adventures abroad. Chapman is in Spain this semester. Rizzi studied in Spain and Baranowski traveled to Japan for the Spring 2008 semester.

LinguaLinx Language Solutions is a full-service translation agency providing multilingual solutions to corporations, law firms, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. The agency has donated $6,000 to UAlbany's Office of International Education, division of Study Abroad & Exchanges, for scholarships.

"Winning this scholarship was and is still important to me because I have all my loans in my name," wrote Chapman from Madrid, Spain. "I also lost my mother and my dad has two children attending college right now, so money is tight." Chapman, a Spanish major and education minor from Skaneateles, N.Y., is attending El Instituto Internacional de Madrid this semester. She is now considering teaching in Spain. Her advice: "Definitely try to go abroad. It has been the best time ever for me."

Rizzi echoed that sentiment. "Enjoy every moment while you're there, and don't let any day go to waste, because it goes by so quickly." The Coram, N.Y., native spent the Spring 2008 semester in Spain. "I was completely taken out of my element for four months," she said. However, from the moment she stepped off the plane, "I knew I was going to have the time of my life." She saw Mallorca, Granada, Toledo and Cadiz.

"Out of all the cities I saw, Madrid was by far my favorite. I loved everything about the city: the food, the people, the nightlife. There was never a dull moment while I was abroad, and there was always something to do." Rizzi, a senior majoring in Spanish and psychology, said, "Every Sunday, my friends and I would spend the day in Retiro Park, listening to the drummers and watching as hundreds of people danced to the beat while enjoying the warm air."

She saw her first bullfight in Madrid, watched people storm the streets when Real Madrid won its (soccer) game, celebrated Carnival, and witnessed the 200th anniversary of Spain's independence. "I was given a completely new outlook on life," she said. Rizzi is interning at LinguaLinx, considering a career in marketing, and has an opportunity to be a financial adviser with Spanish-speaking clientele.

Baranowki used her scholarship to study in Japan in Spring 2008. Baranowski, a senior with a double major in art and Japanese, said, "The LinguaLinx Scholarship was very important to me; without it, I doubt I would have been able to go to Japan and have the experiences I had."

The scholarships make study abroad possible for excellent students who want to continue to study languages, but who are financially in need.

Baranowski studied at Kansai Gaidai University. "I was able to be on my own more than ever and really realize what it's like living by yourself, getting the things you need, and relying on yourself for basically everything, said Baranowski, of Camden, N.Y. "I believe my study abroad experience will help me in future travels I plan to have down the road."

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