Name: Tristan Hilderbrand
Major/Minor:
I am currently majoring in Global Studies, and minoring in National Security Studies, East Asian Studies, and Japanese.
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
Favorite dish/food and why:
Taiwanese Stinky Tofu ranks as first on my list of favorite foods because it is such an atypical, adventurous, and unique Taiwanese dish. I couldn't bring myself to eat regular tofu several years ago, now I jump at any chance to eat its fried, fermented version.
Year at UNL: Senior
Why Global Studies?
Choosing Global Studies was a happy accident. While I was still studying abroad in Taiwan during my senior year of high school my parents happened to pick Global Studies for me because it sounded like something I may be interested in. I planned on switching to something else until I realized that Global Studies would allow me to focus on what I was most interested in during my undergraduate studies, explore the many fields covered under what is "global"(such as political science, geography, international business, international law, national security, and inter-cultural communication), and keep the door open to the possibility of studying any one of those fields I may wish to specialize in for post-graduate studies. Each course I've taken in these varying fields have provided me with knowledge that is pertinent to becoming a global citizen in this era of globalization. Global Studies majors should be confident in our choice of major, and piece together the puzzle that is the world around us in order to fully understand the complete picture and who we are as individuals within it.
Tell us about your study abroad/internship experience.
I first studied abroad through UNL to do an internship assistant-teaching English at Senshu Matsudo Junior High School near Tokyo, Japan. I then went to Taipei, Taiwan, for one year to intensively study Mandarin Chinese. I continued living in Taiwan for another year when I took courses at National Taiwan University in Korean, political science, international relations, East Asian history, and East Asian religions along-side native speakers of the language. I am conversationally proficient in Japanese, and fluent in Mandarin Chinese. The extent to which I have developed my communicational, cognitive, linguistic and professional skills during my time abroad is immeasurable.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I plan on continuing my education by studying to earn a master's degree. As for potential careers, virtually nothing is out of the question at this point. Whether I choose to pursue a career in international business, law, or even national security, my experience in global studies and studying abroad will be a part of it.