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The variety and diversity of our many nationally recognized Social Sciences degree programs provide a number of avenues through which students explore, investigate, and impact the world around us.
In honor of International Education week, the School of Social Sciences is pleased to highlight the experiences of several Social Sciences students who have traveled abroad to explore, investigate, and impact the world first hand.
 Rachel Smith
Economics Undergraduate Student
Destination:
Belgium and France
"Travel abroad has quite literally opened my mind to new ideas and new perspectives," says Rachel Smith, economics major of her multiple study abroad experiences in Europe. "I have taken a number of political science and international relations courses at UCI and I catch myself analyzing the material covered in class through the experiences I had and people I met while in Europe."
Read more about Rachel's experience...
 Caroline Melly
Anthropology Graduate Student
Destination:
Senegal, West Africa
A far cry from her Catholic school, suburban life in Philadelphia, Caroline's journey to West Africa began out of "a craving for something different and more diverse." After graduating from high school, she enrolled in courses at the University of Pittsburgh with plans to become a professional painter and university professor. When an opportunity to spend a semester at sea presented itself during her junior year, the studio arts and anthropology major jumped aboard. Traveling across Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean Islands, Caroline's interests in social justice issues and international studies intensified, so much so that she put aside her plans to become a professional painter and chose to instead pursue a Ph.D. in anthropology.
Read more about Caroline's experience...
 Diego Solares
International Studies Undergraduate Student
Destination:
Brazil and Thailand
"While abroad, I was careful to tailor my experience to further my professional career in global public health and international development," says honor international studies undergraduate Diego Solares of his experiences traveling abroad to Thailand and Brazil. "Before embarking on my travels, I was determined to learn how to solve global issues but had little knowledge of where to begin. I had always read about the aid community and the UN but it was all so unfamiliar and so distant to me that I never imagined I could gain practical experience in that field while abroad. Having done so concretized my interest in global health and put a face to the social injustice that had intrigued me for so long."
Read more about Diego's experience...
 Daniel Wehrenfennig
Political Science Graduate Student
Destination:
Malawi, Africa
For the past two summers, Daniel Wehrenfennig, a fourth year political science Ph.D. candidate and fellow of the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, has embarked on a mission -- a mission that has repeatedly led him and a small film crew deep into the heart of the African country of Malawi.
Read more about Daniel's experience...
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