Working in the Study Abroad office gives me the distinct opportunity to meet students from all over the world. There is one young woman who is a major asset to our office. She has the unique perspective of an international graduate student taking classes and guiding students in their quest to attend universities overseas. She is currently studying abroad herself and has almost made a career of it during her university years. She has even allowed me to drag her into the weekly Kaffeeklatsch, the German Club’s coffee hour, where she helps us with our German and is fast becoming our friend. Her name is Sarah Fritz. She is from Wiesbaden, Germany, a western state in Hessen about 20 miles from Frankfurt.

Fritz is the kind of person who is always smiling and is usually one of the first people any student who visits our office meets. Fritz is our front line. She understands what other exchange and international students are experiencing as well as understands what prospective students from the University of Massachusetts Boston will experience when studying abroad. She shares her culture, language, and games with during Global Games & Coffee Social Hour held in the Office of Global Programs in 2100 Campus Center Thursdays 3 p.m–4 p.m. The following is a description in Fritz’s own words of her journey to study in the United States.

“I first came in contact with the United States during a high school exchange to Illinois. There, I became fully immersed into the rural, small community of Charleston and began understanding and appreciating the culture of the Midwest. I encountered fascinating natural landscapes—never will I forget the beauty of the sunsets in The Garden of the Gods—and interesting culinary traditions—it is genius to put fried food on a stick. At the end of that same exchange, I was granted the opportunity to travel the West Coast and see what the Golden Coast is all about. The list of impressions is long, and my words will likely not do them justice, but let’s just say that I was drawn into a spell that began with the waterfalls of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, was surrounded by the jazz of San Francisco, and ended in the skyline of L.A. Though through short travels one is not granted as immersive an experience as through a long-term stay, the multifaceted culture of the United States was highlighted early on in my perception of the country. I kept contact with friends from Illinois and acquaintances from the West Coast, and, once I had completed most of my undergraduate program, I decided to return to the States—this time to explore the East Coast. My first destination was Lowell, Massachusetts and despite its often critically depicted infrastructure, I appreciated Lowell, its university, and most importantly its people, very much. I began to integrate into yet another part of U.S. American culture and, you can probably notice a pattern here already, I integrated enough to feel the desire to return. Today, I am completing my graduate degree at UMass Boston from whence get to experience the United States not only as a travel destination. Today, I travel from Boston to see the rest of the world and I get to return to Boston and call it home.”

The preceding is only the tip of the iceberg of a wonderful person. Sarah is a world traveler who has is at home right here in Boston. I really enjoy working with her and learning from her. UMass Boston is lucky to have her as a part of our community and I feel lucky to call her a friend. Come by the Study Abroad office any time and say hello!