By Maggie Rodriguez

Imagine having the opportunity to study in another country, meet new people, learn a new language and travel the world! Now, what if you didn’t have to imagine? Thanks to the California State University International Program, this might very well be a reality for three CSUB students.
As the students wait to hear back from the Chancellor’s Office, they reflect back on their decision to study abroad as well as why they chose their respective countries.
For biology major Lea Molina, 19, who applied to study in Germany, studying abroad would give her the opportunity to have the college experience CSUB students only hear about.
“ This is the ultimate experience, the chance to completely immerse yourself in a culture,” Molina said.
It’s been a long two years for Molina, who has been working to ensure she’s academically ready, “ I’ve been working towards this since I heard it about in my CSUB 101 class, ” Molina.
She’s even been taking a German course, “ I love the language. [Part of the reason] I chose Germany was because my aunt was stationed there. Hearing her describe Germany made me want to go there. I hope to get the chance to experience it for myself,” Molina said.
While spending last summer in LA, political science major, Melissa Melgar, 21, came across an interesting group of people.
“ I approached one of the girls… she told me they were celebrating midsummer, a Swedish tradition… I [then] found out they were offering an intensive Swedish language course and signed up for it.”
She was immediately intrigued. “Swedish is not like other languages, it’s not cute or romantic but I like it,” Melgar said.
She ended up applying to study abroad in Sweden.
Not many people think of Israel when they think about studying abroad, but for political science major Pete Naveiras, 21, studying in Israel would give the chance to learn about a different government.
For Naveiras, Israel has a special meaning “I’m Catholic, [and this ] country has a lot history, from Nazareth to the city of Galilee, if accepted I’m looking forward to traveling there,” Naveiras said.
It is one thing to read about the program in brochures and another to hear about it from students who’ve already been through the process.
After spending last year in Paris, French major Rogelio Arias, 28, knows first-hand the benefits that come along with an experience like this.
“They’ll be taken out of their comfort. They’ll grow as a person and become more culturally aware,” Arias said.
Omar Hernandez, a 22- year-old history major, is half way through his year in Sweden and he couldn’t be happier.
“ I love Sweden, I love the fact that it’s a college town, I’ve met people from all over the world, ” said Hernandez via Skype.
If accepted, this would be the first time leaving home for Lea, Melissa, and Pete. A decision should be made within the next two weeks.
Interested in studying abroad? The following countries are still accepting
applications: France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Mexico and Spain. The last date to submit late applications online is March 15.
Applications for South Africa or Australia are due May 1.
For more information visit www. csuip.com