Pearson, Ashley

Ashley Pearson

Why did you choose to study abroad and how did you select your program?
I chose to study abroad because I honestly felt isolated from being around people who sought to learn about other cultures and languages at UNC, and I also wanted to have the ability to get out of my comfort zone and experience the cultures of others through their eyes as well. Additionally, living with a host family (as I did in Barcelona) often forces you to practice the language you study, in its native environment, and you can also receive inside insight into how life is as a local, and some opinions on local issues as well. I selected the API Barcelona program by looking at the UNC study abroad website and seeing some of the organizations and locations that UNC has worked with previously, and when I saw that an official API + UNC Barcelona experience was not necessarily in session as I would have liked, I pitched it to the study abroad department to be able to go. I chose my Florence, Italy summer program on the basis that I wanted to travel in the summer, while still getting credits completed for my Italian minor and have the ability to practice Italian, and the nutrition program seemed interesting and like the perfect length, so that solidified my decision.

What did you learn about yourself?
Through this experience, I found that I am more independent than I thought because I can navigate airports with ease and plan external trips on my own pretty easily, and that I also feel comfortable experiencing life in a foreign country when I am flying solo at times.

What is one of your favorite memories from your program?
One of my favorite memories is going to a cooking class and making pasta from scratch. I had never done that before.

What advice do you have for future study abroad students?
One piece of advice I would give to students, is share your feeling with a professor you feel comfortable with or a member of your new academic administration abroad, especially if they are a local, because they have probably seen other students experience the same uncertainties abroad, and can help guide you through it. Additionally, because they live there, there is a good chance they are familiar with local procedures or things around you that can assist you in your time of need, and help you to take the actions necessary to better the situation. They can also provide reassurance and the human connection that all people need. 

How do you identify?
Student of color

Could you share any experiences where your identity played a role in your time abroad?
One of my favorite things about being abroad when I am in Europe, is that I am not seen with a bunch of labels like as an African-American woman, I am just seen as an American. People do not normally assume that I adhere to all of the normally assumed stereotypes about black women that I am normally saddled with in the U.S., and I am able to just EXIST. I cannot begin to put into words what kind of weight that lifts off my shoulders, to me, that is what it truly feels like to be free and unburdened. I actually have better mental health when in Europe and not just in part due to the fact that strangers invite me to sit with them if I am eating alone at restaurants, people who I may run into at bars ask about my experience in the U.S., yet do not attach any sort of pre-conceived notions about me or where I come from in the process. In addition, as a black person abroad, one of the biggest things that give me anxiety is where I'm going to get my hair done. I always do research on black hair salons ahead of time, and tend to meet wonderful individuals from Africa who run these salons. It feels like I have my own little community when I get to go in for a wash, even if there is a language barrier at first. 

Is there any advice you would give to other students who share your identity?
I would say go in to your study abroad with an open mind, and don't assume that the natives of wherever you're going to will treat you the same way your fellow countrymen have.

Memories