Scholar Spotlight: Study Abroad Recap
Social. Different. Amusing. That’s how Scholar Ari Jones (a senior at Whitney Young High School) describes her 5-week study-abroad experience in Denmark during the summer of 2025. LINK connected Ari with this amazing opportunity through American Field Service (AFS) Global Citizen Scholarships & Aid. During her time abroad, Ari took classes on the Danish language, global culinary arts, and event planning at the Ranum International Efterskole College. Then she spent her final week exploring sites in Copenhagen.
Traveling to a foreign country also involved having foreign roommates, of course. While Ari didn’t know anyone in advance, to her surprise, she quickly connected with her roommates and overcame her nervousness. The ultimate bonding experience was karaoke night, where Ari mustered up the courage to go on stage by herself when no one else would. As a result of her bravery, her roommates decided to follow her lead and joined her in singing songs like “Love Story” by Taylor Swift and “Good Riddance” by Green Day.
Reflecting on her experience abroad, Ari acknowledges that she has become more outgoing and less afraid to meet new people. “The experience allowed me to communicate more effectively with other people and made me want to know other people,” she said. “I was never lonely.”
Building lasting international friendships was not on Ari’s bingo card for the year, but with having to take three different flights to get to Denmark, it only made sense for her to get to know the other American travelers in the program. Upon arrival in Denmark, she began to branch out socially, meeting students from all over the world in the dorms and in her classes. Through this process, she began to understand firsthand the value of networking, especially on an international level.
Now, Ari and her study-abroad roommates actively keep in touch and are planning to visit each other in their respective home countries. “It’s nice to see that I have friends from all over the world,” she remarked.
Before her trip, Ari spent time on social media conducting research on Danish culture as well as using Duolingo to learn a bit of the language. During the trip, some of her expectations were confirmed—such as the cultural significance of fashion on the streets of Copenhagen. But other expectations were met with a different reality, such as when she discovered that most Danish people speak English.
All in all, her exposure to a new culture and new people has inspired Ari to travel more. She feels compelled to visit Denmark again to explore places and parts of the culture she may have missed out on this year. Also, she wants to travel to London to visit one of her study-abroad roommates.
“In my study-abroad experience, I was able to do things I have never done before,” Ari summarized. “I would not have had the opportunity to have such a great summer without LINK and the scholarship!”
Congratulations, Ari! We are so happy you had a fantastic summer abroad!
