Berta Franzluebbers ’16 – Linguistics, Physics “I chose to major in physics but also wanted to fulfill a personal goal of studying as many foreign languages as possible. I knew that UGA’s AP credit policy would give me the time necessary to pursue this dream. My first class at UGA was Arabic 1001, a fitting start to four years full of exploring new languages both on campus and abroad. I was able to continue studying three foreign languages I had studied in high school, as well as begin seven new languages! I began with Arabic and continued to Portuguese and Swahili in the following semesters. When I took Hebrew, I found that the class was much more translation focused. This class proved to be a turning point for me, and I continued to become more interested in ancient languages and translation, taking courses in Greek, Latin, and Old Icelandic over the next years. “Although these new languages were intriguing, learning the introductory material of a single semester was a completely different experience compared with the more advanced classes I took in German, Spanish, and French. I knew that being immersed in the language would be essential. While I had experience with German through travel with my family, I was excited to take advantage of the UGA en France program, which I funded using the Ramsey Scholarship travel stipend. “While in France, I was fully immersed in the language, as I had hoped, speaking French with my home-stay family, during classes, and everywhere else around the cities of Montpellier and Paris. My French family welcomed me completely, including me in visits to relatives and the points of interest of nearby towns, in addition to daily breakfast and dinner conversations. As a part of this program, I also took advantage of the option to spend two weeks in Morocco, staying with Moroccan families. Being submerged so wholly
in the ‘world’ of two different languages in one summer was incomparable. “Academically, taking linguistics classes made it possible for me to learn new languages more easily. The patterns of language change discussed in Historical Linguistics were invaluable when studying Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. Conversely, taking classes in varied languages made linguistics classes more accessible.” Davis Coleman ’18 – Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Germany, England “Coming into the University of Georgia as a Ramsey Scholar, I was in awe of all the experiences around the world that the older students had enjoyed. Before college I never thought that I would have the resources available to travel the world, but I quickly found myself planning my own trip around Europe to advance my professional skills and to grow as a person, as well. “I was primarily going for the London School of Economics. I spent three weeks studying Risk Management and Management right in the heart of London, with leading professors from all over the world. I cemented an interest in financial services and learned so much about international economics with hands-on experience. “Beyond LSE, I found myself on the Camino de Santiago, hiking through the Pyrenees Mountains on the centuries-old pilgrimage, the start of my 800-kilometer trek through Spain. I created lifelong friendships with amazing people from South Korea to Peru, all while staying in hostels every night, saddled with just a guide book and a 13-kilogram backpack. I even ran with the bulls in Pamplona in the famous San Fermin Festival. “I am no longer in awe of the experiences other students in the program have had, because I created one of my own.”
Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort
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