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Grenoble, France
Donovan Zampetti

Student Perspective: Donovan in Grenoble

Donovan Zampetti
College of Literature, Science, and Arts

I had never been to a country outside the US or Canada, and a nation as beautiful as France was obviously very attractive. Additionally, the program allowed me to advance my understanding of French culture and language. Not only did visit France, but in a way I got to integrate myself with France for 6 weeks. Overall, it was too awesome of an opportunity not to seize.

This study abroad was perhaps one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I have always wanted to travel all my life, and have always been fascinated with other cultures and ways of life. Not only did I get to see it, but I got to feel it. However, the impact of this trip was not only realizing my dream of traveling abroad, but also making me learn a lot about myself, and connecting me with people who have a similar mindset. As a transfer student as well, I definitely lacked connections here at Umich that I would have had otherwise, so having people with similar goals and attitudes come together to experience such a life-changing thing really made me feel connected. Lastly, this will certainly impact my future career as well. Having knowledge and experience of any different culture and language is such a powerful thing, as it shows a kind of ambition to learn and the ability to integrate with and respect/understand others. This skill alone is very important in any workplace, and I hope I have shown an ability to do that with my time in this program. I would recommend every student to do at least one study abroad, and learn about and see the beautiful world out there. It will change your life.

Without the generous aid from this scholarship, I most likely would not have been able to go. A trip like this is costly, and since I’m almost entirely on my own, this was daunting. With this help, I had the pleasure of having this life-changing experience.

As a first-generation student, I often find it hard to know where I should focus my energy and which opportunities are worth it. How I would go about college life is often something I have to ask myself quite often. Is that club worth my time? Should I have a job while in school? How many internships is a good number? All things I have to feel and find out for myself. It can get overwhelming, and I often find myself thinking I’m not good enough or qualified enough to seize certain opportunities. This I have learned is wrong. At first, this France trip was just a pipedream, something to hope for, but I didn’t think I could make it happen. I was wrong, and I’m forever happy to myself that I submitted that application.

Carpe diem. Seize every opportunity you can, and learn about everything you can while abroad. Don’t overfill your plate obviously, but any and every opportunity you think would be useful to you, or a good experience that will fill your desires, do not think twice about trying. Truly connect with the people around you, and experience everything. Unless you’re truly exhausted, never say no to an opportunity to meet new people or connect with old ones. The world is yours to explore.