Lindsey Depledge came to Switzerland as a recipient of the Gilman Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. We caught up with her to learn more about her experience here and with the program.
Originally from Santa Barbara, CA, Lindsey is a junior at the University of California at S
an Diego studying public health and development policy. Lindsey is participating in a semester abroad program through the School for International Training (SIT). The program has her staying with a host family in Nyon and included a ten-day excursion to Morocco where she learned about local health policy challenges and initiatives.
During her time in Switzerland, Lindsey has come to appreciate the slower pace of life like hiking on Sundays instead of running errands – a habit she’d like to take home with her. She also thinks the U.S. would benefit from valuing language education like the Swiss do. “I started learning French because I’ve learned here how important it is to speak another language,” she said.
Lindsey’s educational experience in Switzerland has been foundational for her research going forward; Lindsey is completing an independent study on social determinants of acquired neurological disorders. She will build on this experience by founding a campus club to advocate for the needs of students with epilepsy and seek her Master’s degree in public health and global epidemiology.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides need-based scholarships for undergraduate students to study abroad, internationalizing their outlook and preparing them to thrive in the global economy. For more information, see the Gilman Scholarship’s website here.
