Name: Audrey Beedle
Major/Minor: Global Studies and Political Science majors, French and Human Rights & Humanitarian Affairs minors
Year at UNL: Senior
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
Favorite book and why:
Perks of Being a Wallflower, because it's perfect. It made me feel every emotion.
Favorite dish/food and why: All kinds of Asian food - especially Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian! Because it is DELICIOUS
Why Global Studies?
I couldn't think of anything more fitting or interesting to me than Global Studies. It has allowed me to practically hand-pick classes to best suit my interests. I never felt like I was in a GLST course because I had to be there, but honestly because I wanted to. Intro to Africa with Dr. Kang was one of my favorite classes because of Kang, the books we read, and the foundation of general information about the continent in which I studied abroad during the following semester. I always paid special attention to when we discussed anything about West Africa and I appreciated the well-rounded, true-to-life information provided. I suggest to Global Studies majors to never doubt the relevance of this field of study, and to always take the opportunity for an adventure to provide you with some sort of new perspective or global insight. Step out of your comfort zone and study abroad somewhere completely different. Lastly, never stop learning more about the world and how you fit into it.
Study Abroad Experience:
I studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal through a Language and Culture program. I stayed with a host family in the capital city of Dakar and attended classes at the CIEE building shared by a local business school. I took Intro to Wolof (the language of the majority ethnic group in Senegal), Advanced French, Conflict and Development in Africa, Senegalese Culture and Society, and Cultural Anthropology courses all taught in French during my time there. I visited Gorée Island -known for its alleged relationship in the slave trade out of West Africa, St. Louis - a nearby fishing town/village to Dakar, the Senegalese-Mauritanian border, a rural village outside of the city of Thies, the Lompoul Desert, as well as many other places. I volunteered at an orphanage in Dakar twice a week and I spent my spring break in Spain.
Post-Graduation Plans:
After I graduate in May, I am hopping on a plane to spend some time in Central/Eastern Europe with some friends, visiting my sister in Kathmandu, Nepal, and then spending the rest of the summer working at a hostel in Prague, as well as a B&B in the Normandy region of France. After that the plan is to find a "real job." Hopefully one that involves traveling, immigrant and/or refugee settlement/policy, or research in political psychology.