Study Abroad Personal Statement

The study abroad program I wish to receive the Dr. Oscar H. Horst endowment award for is Tourism Spaces of the United Kingdom during the summer II semester of 2013. During the program, I will be visiting and studying various tourist sites in the areas of Birmingham, London, Cardiff, and Ludlow. I will be arriving in Birmingham on Sunday, July 7, traveling to the previously mentioned cities over the following three weeks, and returning to Birmingham on Monday, July 29 for the end of the program. I expect to benefit greatly from the Tourism Spaces of the United Kingdom study abroad program. For the past thirteen years of my life, I have been waiting for the day that I can travel to the United Kingdom. At the age of nine I became captivated by it and took it upon myself to learn as much as possible. Because of this lifelong curiosity for the country, I can say without hesitation that I will soak up every detail of the trip and do my best to dive right in to the culture.
The Tourism Spaces of the United Kingdom program has an emphasis on the cuisine at the various sites and also how the locals attract their tourists. Through this, one benefit I expect to have is to be able to witness the way in which tourists and locals behave and interact with each other at each individual site. Another benefit I expect to achieve from studying abroad is simply the beginner’s knowledge that every traveler needs to attain. Apart from a couple vacations in Canada and the Bahamas, this will be my first time travelling out of the familiarity of the United States. I feel so grateful and blessed that I have been given the opportunity to spend this experience with my fellow peers as well as an experienced professor like Dr. Hallett. I hope to benefit from my peers through discussing our own travel experiences thus far, exchanging advice and stories, and hopefully receive plenty of know-how from Dr. Hallett over the three weeks that I will be travelling with the program. Tourism Spaces of the United Kingdom is extremely relevant to my tourism and travel program as well as the career I wish to pursue, which is travel writing. This study abroad experience will be the first of many journeys for me and will provide me with the foundation I will need to pursue my career dreams. At the end of the program, a written assignment or presentation is expected of each student. The assignment is expected to contain an overview of our program as well as what we observed and learned. This is similar to what will be expected of me in the future as a travel writer. Therefore, it will provide me with a great experience and excellent hands-on practice for my career. In conclusion, I will take advantage of each day that I am there by exposing myself to and embracing the culture as a whole. I intend to benefit overall by learning as much as I possibly can in a three-week time span about travelling in general and also furthering my knowledge of the United Kingdom. The relevance of this study abroad to my tourism and travel program, and also to my career aspirations is astounding. It is because of these points that I chose the Tourism Spaces of the United Kingdom study abroad program and wish to receive help financially to achieve my dream.