The Study Abroad Experience Education Abroad

In this episode, we are joined by Letslie Molina who was born in 1996 and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico. In 2018, Letslie completed her Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition at the University of Texas in San Antonio. During her undergraduate career, Letslie participated in the COLFA Semester Abroad program in Urbino, Italy under the guidance of Dr. Drew Stephen. Upon her return from Urbino, she received the UTSA Reed Holmes Music Composition Award. Letslie was also commissioned to compose an art song for the San Antonio Tricentennial Celebration on March 25th at the Institute of Texan Cultures by the SOLI Chamber Ensemble and mezzo-soprano Tynan Davis. During Fall 2017, she was awarded an Educational Research Fellowship by the UTSA Mexico Center. The fellowship allowed her to carry out fieldwork in the Yucatan Peninsula to collect music samples from individuals of Mayan descent and subsequently incorporate those samples into her own personal composition style. In 2018, Letslie was commissioned to compose the music for The Poetics, a student-produced stage play about the life and times of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. The original compositions for piano and guitar explored aesthetic and political issues that have persisted from Aristotle's day to our own.



UTSA's Global Study Center at Urbino, Italy serves as UTSA's commitment to internationalization, multiculturalism, and diversity. Recognizing the value in having a strategic location to elevate the university’s international profile, GSC Italy also serves as the first UTSA Global Study Center supporting the facilitation of UTSA’s activities throughout Italy and neighboring European countries, including student/faculty exchange, study abroad, and inter-campus educational partnerships. Read more at: global.utsa.edu/Global-Study-Center-Italy



Tune in to hear more about Letslie's Study Abroad Experience in Urbino, Italy as she shares stories about the personal, academic, and professional growth that the program has offered her.



Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @utsastudyabroad and visit our website at global.utsa.edu/education-abroad to stay connected!

In this episode, Biljana Jovanova & Carelli DeLaGarza discuss the long-term professional benefits of studying abroad, expanding your world view, and building a strong global network as international students! 



Biljana is an international alumna of UTSA from the Republic of Macedonia. While at UTSA, Biljana participated in two College of Business Immersion studies; one in Europe, visiting Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and the other in Asia, visiting Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China. She earned her Bachelor’s in Finance and a Master of Science in Data Analytics and graduated with Highest Honors upon completing her research dissertation in the field of Corporate Finance. Today, Biljana Jovanova is a Senior Data Scientist at the Texas favorite retailer H-E-B  where she specializes in building Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms capable of understanding human language. 



Carelli is originally from Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico and holds a Bachelor’s in Marketing with a concentration in International Management, a Master of Science in Management of Technology and a Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Management from UTSA. Today, she serves as a consultant for UTSA global initiatives. In her previous position, Carelli was the Senior Global Relations Advisor for UTSA and was dedicated to helping to raise the profile of the university globally by fostering strategic partnerships and agreements with compatible foreign universities; managing the university's international special programs and being a resource for faculty interested in developing international initiatives within their respective colleges. 



Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @utsastudyabroad or visit our website at global.utsa.edu/education-abroad to stay connected!

In this episode, we are joined by Jay’Len Boone who was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a small township just outside Detroit. He graduated from UTSA in the summer of 2020 with a BA in Global Affairs and a secondary BA in Sociology. He is currently a first-year Masters student at the University of Pennsylvania where he is studying International Education Development.

Jay’Len is passionate about youth empowerment and global development. Most recently, Jay'Len served as the 8th United States Youth Observer to the UN, advocating across the country for a stronger US-UN partnership and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. He is a Global Citizen Curtis Scholar, Cultural Vistas Fellow, and a winner of the 2016 Gates Millennium Scholarship. His desire to combat social issues such as extreme poverty and climate change has taken him across the globe, working on the ground with communities in Hong Kong and South Africa.

One of his primary goals is to increase local action and involvement in the Sustainable Development Goals. It is his belief that community activists and young change-makers at the local level will play a pivotal role in determining whether the SDGs will succeed or not.

The Study Abroad Experience is a podcast brought to you by the Study Abroad Office at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Join us as we talk with phenomenal students and alumni about their unique journeys abroad and dig deeper into the minds and behaviors of young globally-minded leaders. For more information visit our website at https://global.utsa.edu/education-abroad/ and connect with us on our Instagram and Facebook @utsastudyabroad!

The Study Abroad Experience Podcast is brought to you by the Study Abroad Office at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Join us as we talk with phenomenal students and alumni about their unique journeys abroad and dig deeper into the minds and behaviors of young globally-minded leaders. 

In this episode, we are joined by Montana Meeker, a UTSA study abroad alumni who interned in Dublin, Ireland and participated in a semester-long exchange program in Shanghai, China as an undergraduate student. As the recipient the Rotary scholarship, Montana will be participating in a 2-year Master's program in Taiwan to continue elevating her academic and professional career. Montana has a background in Management Science and is an Assistant Program Manager contracting with the 8020 Foundation and a Business Development Paralegal for a legal consulting brand out of Geekdom. Tap in to listen to her advice on funding your study abroad program, adapting to foreign countries despite language barriers, and leveraging cross-cultural communication skills in the workplace! 

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @utsastudyabroad or visit our website at global.utsa.edu/education-abroad to stay connected!