by Erin Petty
Features Editor
Travel has always been a big part of Melissa Andrykowski’s life, so she was disappointed when, due in part to the events of Sep. 11 and her father’s illness, she had to scrap her plans to study abroad last year. “I had enough credits to graduate early,” she said. “I decided I wanted to do something different and travel in that semester.”
Andrykowski has traveled extensively throughout the world. A Spanish major, she has spent two summers in Mexico working with Habitat for Humanity and the U.S. Embassy.
Another summer she backpacked through Greece and Italy. She traveled to India last summer and interned as a clothing designer, an experience she hopes to repeat this summer.
Travel doesn’t immediately figure into her plans for next semester. She’s going straight to graduate school instead. “I’ll be studying journalism and mass communications at the University of Minnesota,” she said. “I sat in on some classes while I was up there during Fall Break, so I thought I’d try it out.”
Because of the unusual nature of entering the program in the spring semester, there are still parts of the application process Andrykowski has yet to complete. She’s continuing to look at other programs, as well. She’s still applying to other places, including the University of Denver, Columbia, University of Chicago, and Teach for America.
In keeping with her travel experiences, all of the graduate programs that interest Andrykowski have international components. “I’m interested in other country’s relationships with the U.S, particularly those of developing countries,” she said.
She also likes the further travel opportunities a career exploring international relations might provide her. “I find all the different smells and tastes in cities like Mumbai and Mexico City really invigorating,” she said, “and that’s something you can’t get in the U.S.”
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