STUDY ABROAD - Passport to Perspective: Ariel and Taylor’s Global Adventures

In this episode of Honors Spotlight, host Robin Lee sits down with two extraordinary Honors students, Taylor Tims and Ariel Nicastro, as they reflect on their transformative study abroad experiences that took them across continents and deep into their fields of study.

Taylor, an anthropology major, shares what it was like to hike into the Amazon Rainforest for a real archaeological excavation in Brazil—and how her adventures continued in Tanzania with a field school experience that expanded her view of global heritage and culture. Meanwhile, Ariel, a physics major and Goldwater Scholar, discusses her summer in Canada, where she took a deep dive into religious studies and explored the rich cultural and political life of Montreal and Toronto.

Together, they offer a powerful look at what it means to step outside the classroom—and your comfort zone—to learn, grow, and connect with the world in bold new ways.

🌎 In this episode:
– Digging for history in the heart of the Amazon
– Faith, science, and cultural discovery in Canada
– Learning to adapt in unfamiliar environments
– How the MTSU Honors College supported their journeys
– Advice for students considering studying abroad

(Intro music by MTSU Music major Elloise Layus.)

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