Noah Brown
Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan

Attending a university in a foreign country may seem like an intimidating experience, but for Noah Brown, studying abroad will be an exciting adventure. Brown will play lacrosse at Nagoya University (NU) and study biology through the university’s school of agricultural sciences. He describes NU’s biology programs as “the best of the best.”

Finding a school with a strong community was one of Brown’s biggest priorities when searching for a university. The program Brown is enrolled in will have roughly 30 students, allowing him to form a closer relationship with his classmates and teacher, an opportunity he values.

Having visited Japan several times before, Brown is familiar with the country. During his visit last year, Brown had the opportunity to tour NU and attend a lacrosse practice. Having recounted his experience during an interview for the program, Brown says, “I think that was a big part of why I was accepted.”

Studying abroad has always been a goal of Brown’s. Now, having achieved that, he encourages others to consider doing the same. “I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to study abroad. I think that’s something a lot of people wish they could do,” he says. “If you know you want to travel, know you want to study abroad, just explore. You have all the time in the world.”

Annika Caldicott
Gap Year in Scotland

Annika Caldicott decided to embark on a gap year in Edinburgh, Scotland, to gain expeience traveling and see new places. While gap years are often used as a period of time for high school graduates to take a moment to figure out what
they want to pursue in their future, Caldicott’s plans for the following years are already set: She will study international relations and music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

In the first half of her gap year, Caldicott hopes to gain a sense of what it is like to live independently. However, she
doesn’t plan to stay exclusively in Scotland. “I’m gonna be living there for like six months, and then I’m going to be backpacking through Europe for the rest of it,” she says.

Though staying in Edinburgh will broaden her perspective on international relations, it will also offer a new scene in which Caldicott can hone her musical talent. A member of the Royal Blues, Caldicott is currently enrolled in two other choir classes at Grant: A Cappella, alongside a mentor period for Treble Choir. “I’m going to try to find a local community chorus, hopefully. But I also play guitar, so I’m probably gonna bring that, and maybe do some busking,” she says.

Having visited many European countries throughout her life, Caldicott says traveling is an “important life experience.”
Though taking a gap year in Scotland is simpler for Caldicott due to her U.K. citizenship, she encourages anyone who has the opportunity to travel abroad to do so, and to “do it when you’re young, because that’s when it’s easiest.”

Elizabeth Edwards
University of Birmingham,
Birmingham, U.K.

Elizabeth Edwards’ U.K. citizenship has allowed her to follow her passion for travel by studying at the University of Birmingham (UoB). “I like to see new places. I don’t like the idea of staying in one place my whole life,” Edwards says. “Because I had that opportunity to go abroad with very few hurdles to jump through, because I’m a citizen, why not?”

Edwards has loved writing for a long time, and hopes to continue that passion in future jobs. With UoB being ranked
fourth for creative writing in the U.K., the school stood out to Edwards as a way to hone her skills. Likewise, she will pursue a major in English literature and creative writing there.

In preparation for her journey, Edwards has made sure to follow a set of carefully planned, logical steps to avoid overwhelming herself. “I’m someone who really likes to overthink things,” she says. “If I worry about too many things
at once, none of it (gets) done.”

Edwards anticipates, among many things, a social shift in her move from the U.S. to the U.K. In Portland, Edwards feels people are more outwardly friendly than people are in the UK., and says these cultural differences may be one of many important points of adjustment for her during her time abroad.

More greatly, however, Edwards anticipates acquiring a broader personal freedom by studying in the U.K. “I like independence,” she says, “and I’m very much looking forward to university as an experience to be independent.”

Cain Giacomini
Gap Year in France

While juniors were taking the ACT in September 2025, instead of skipping the sessions scheduled for seniors, Cain Giacomini decided to attend a workshop for students interested in taking gap years. “I’d looked at going to college in Europe, and that kind of just turned into a giant headache,” he says. “I wasn’t sure if a degree in Europe would really be transferable back to “America (and I) didn’t know if I wanted to stay there or not, so I was like, ‘Ok, well whatever, let’s go to this gap year presentation.’”

At the presentation, Giacomini learned about a program called Andégo, which allows students to take gap years abroad and teach English to students at local schools. Giacomini decided to sign up for the program, in part due to his love of travel. Over the span of 10 months, he will live with various host families in France while teaching students English.

“Apart from just going to France and eating a ton of crepes, I’m gonna really enjoy learning languages too,” he says. Giacomini also looks forward to being able to go to local restaurants with his host family and immerse himself in French culture. During the several breaks the program offers, Giacomini plans to explore other parts of Europe, such as Greece and Ireland.

As a student of the Japanese Dual Language Immersion (JDLI) program since elementary school, living in France won’t be Giacomini’s first time travelling internationally or living with host families. He has visited Japan twice through JDLI, most recently staying for three weeks with a host family.

After his time in France, Giacomini is “pretty set” on pursuing computational science at Oregon State University. However, he says, “I’m also not set in stone about anything.” With a mind open to what the future may bring, Giacomini ex- citedly awaits his upcoming year in France.

Mirabel Kotamarti

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

A Canadian citizen, Mirabel Kotamarti is excited to start her new journey in Montreal, Quebec. She will study at McGill University, a school colloquially referred to as the “Harvard of Canada.” Kotamarti sees this as an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of people. “I’ll get to meet people from all over and get to work with professors from all over,” she says. “I’m really excited about that.”

By studying in Canada, Ko- tamarti will gain a broader and deeper understanding of her major, political science, than she would if she learned about it solely in the U.S. “Studying political science in another country, I’m going to get a lot more international perspective,” she says.

Another significant difference between pursuing higher education in Canada and the U.S. is price. The high cost of
college in the U.S. often drives students with dual citizenship to explore the opportunity of studying abroad. “The cost of college in Canada is really incredible compared to U.S. colleges,” Kotamarti says.

While graduating from high school and attending a U.S. college does allow students to branch out, find new passions and get a taste for self-reliance, Kotamarti recognizes that attending an international university does so much more. “I’m going to gain a lot of independence from this,” Kotamarti says. “I’m going to be able to explore a new city, by myself, with friends that I make.”