Hello, my name is Areli Medina, but please call me Eli. I am currently a junior at the University of Illinois in Chicago, and this semester I'm studying abroad in amazing Seoul, South Korea! I'm majoring in anthropology with a focus on global Asian studies, so you can see why I'm so excited to be in the capital of South Korea right now... it's a dream come true!
I was born in a small town in Mexico, but have been living in America for most of my life. As a first generation college student, I was never expecting to travel outside of the U.S., but as my interest in other cultures grew in high school, it became my dream and goal. I traveled to France and Spain in 2014, and now I'm in South Korea, expanding my world even further and viewing this experience through the lens of my own Latin origin. I'm excited for you to join me!
Want to know more about how you can study or intern abroad when you are a college student? The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Learn more about the scholarship by clicking here!
