Lily Bentacu
College of Engineering
“Studying abroad has always been a goal of mine; I have always wanted to explore and learn about the world when I became a student. Coming to Iceland was the best destination to land at, given the irregular contact between the United States and its own culture. I will always remember the first moments off of the plane, bussing to the capital. Seeing the mossy, unforgiving landscape pass before me 
and the feeling of finally arriving in a new place will always be in my memory. Walking on forested trails to and from Reykjavik University were the most calming and wondrous everyday moments. Experiencing the landscape and cultural ties to it was the most surprising, only because of how joyful and inspiring they were in what we learned in class and how we lived every day.
Studying in Reykjavik allowed me to understand more about programming beyond the language and more about how the computer works, given the program’s greater emphasis on the machine rather than only the writing. This adjusted my academic goals to learn more about computer science as a Robotics major and become more skilled in my understanding of how to program. The short study time meant that time management and keeping a balance in my lifestyle would promote my health and study habits positively. Because of the rigor introduced by this, I was able to personally grow as well to maintain healthy exercise and study habits every day.
Being a first-generation student meant no one in my family has gotten to see as far across the world as I would be able to. I knew that many of the challenges I would have abroad would be new and unexpected. Having the First-Gen Education Abroad Scholarship meant that finances did not have to be a challenge on my journey abroad, so I could focus on learning how to adapt in the moment and be where I was with full engagement and enjoyment.“
