Iris Chabanis: Senior Iris Chabanis is going to college in Quebec after spending her life traveling
Unsure of where she would be happiest, senior Iris Chabanis struggled to choose a college.
Many seniors grapple with the same problem. But for Chabanis, the decision meant a little more. It was not only a choice of what school to go to and where to live, but also a choice of the country she wanted to spend the next four years of her life in.
Thinking back on her previous tours to schools in California and Canada, she makes a decision: McGill University in Quebec, Canada. Chabanis expected to follow her older brother to school in California, but after careful consideration, she feels confident in her decision to go north.
McGill offers her in-state tuition because she has a dual citizenship in France, and the university also gives her an outlet to the international community when she begins looking for jobs and internships in a few years.
“It was sleeting the whole time [I toured] and I didn't think the campus was cute,” Chabanis said. “But then, I took a step back and was like, ‘Let's think about this. It's super cheap. It's an incredible school. I still get that international experience.’ And the people there! I saw those people, and I was like, ‘Oh, they looked like people I'd want to be friends with.’ I feel like I didn't get [this] with other schools.”
The choice might have surprised Chabanis, but her friends knew she’d go out of the country.
“I knew she could thrive in an international setting,” Chabanis’ friend, senior Claire Langford, said. “And I think I can really see her at McGill.”
Chabanis has enjoyed traveling since she was a kid and has experience going abroad. Her dad has lived in Asia and in France, so she spent lots of time traveling back and forth from where her dad was to America.
“[My brother and I have] traveled all over Asia, all over Europe,” Chabanis said. “So I love travel, and I think that's also why I wanted to go to McGill.”
Oliver Sanders: Senior Oliver Sanders will study Architecture in London
Walking through Mission Hills, senior Oliver Sanders points out a small detail in one of the sprawling houses to his friend, senior Carson Hull.
Sanders has always been attentive to details and enjoyed looking at buildings, but this passion grew when he decided to make architecture his major, according to Hull.
“I think [Sanders] always had an appreciation for architecture and the arts,” Hull said. “He's kind of a detailed guy. Especially now that he's going to go into architecture.”
Sanders will pursue architecture at Westminster University in London.
Growing up, Sanders visited London multiple times and has traveled internationally with his family. His love for travel and historical architecture in London make it the perfect fit, according to Sanders.
“My family travels a lot, so I've been there a lot, and it's very familiar, and I feel surrounded by architecture when I'm there,” Sanders said.
Sanders applied to multiple universities in London and was struggling to decide between Westminster University and Kingston University. Westminster eventually won because it was more central to London and offered the education opportunities he was looking for.
According to Sanders, he's most excited to go abroad for a longer period of time and experience something new.
“I think the experience is a lot different than [in America],” Sanders said. “[I’m excited to meet] people and learn more about architecture itself while being in London.”
Calliope Lynch: Senior Calliope Lynch is moving to Seoul, South Korea, to study linguistics.
As acceptance letter after acceptance letter rolled in this fall, senior Calliope Lynch patiently awaited a slower, on-paper, international letter from Seoul University in South Korea.
“[When I got the letter] I was really excited, especially because out of the schools I picked, it's probably the school that I wanted to go to the most,” Calliope said.
Lynch will attend Seoul University and major in linguistics with a double minor in French and Korean studies.
“I'd heard about [her wanting to go abroad] when she was in middle school,” Lynch’s sister and freshman Persephone Lynch, said. “She wanted to do it for a very long time.”
The double minor coursework will be rigorous, but Lynch is confident in her academic abilities, with no roommate to distract her and only her cat for company in the apartment she plans to live in instead of a dorm.
“I'm going to do housing myself because I'm bringing my cat with me,” Lynch said. “So like, it's a different situation where I'll be living by myself in my own little apartment kind of deal.”
Living by yourself in a new country is a lot for anyone, but completely worth it, according to Lynch.
“I knew I wanted to go abroad because I'm not a huge fan of all the dynamics that come with American colleges, and I wanted to move somewhere where I spoke the language,” Lynch said.
Lynch has been learning Korean for many years and is fully conversational in both Korean and French.
She will continue to develop her language skills and cultural awareness as she focuses on education in a new country.
“Seoul University is the top-ranked school in Korea, and it also has the best linguistics program,” Lynch said.