Bonjour! (Hello) My name is Ariana Akizia, and I'm a third year student from California attending the University of Southern California, Santa Barbara. I'm a double major in Philosophy and English, planning to become an attorney one day who fights for justice! At my home university, I compete in the mock trial team as both a witness and an attorney. A fun fact about me is that I can do four accents: American, British, Australian, and French! I am deeply fascinated by different languages and cultures, so I knew I had to study abroad. As I want to be an international lawyer one day, I thought the best way to gain experience for my future would be to go to a country that contains one of the most spoken languages in the United Nations -- French! I was very fortunate and lucky to obtain the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship to help me on my journey in Bordeaux, France and attend the University of Bordeaux. Here, I plan to immerse myself completely in the French culture by improving in the French language and learning more about international politics and law. I am very excited to share my journey with you all and hear about all of your wonderful journeys! I can't wait to connect soon! À bientôt! (See you soon)
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!
