Global Liberal Studies Puts the World at Her Fingertips

Isabel’s decision to enroll in Liberal Studies as a first year away student was easy, in part because she was able to begin her journey at NYU Florence. During her time there, she took on a broad curriculum but fell in love with courses like Media Activism and Democracy, which pushed her toward choosing to stay in the Global Liberal Studies major and developing a concentration in politics, rights, and development, with a focus on refugee migration.

“I worked with refugees in an internship in high school, so it was already a strong interest,” she says. “In Florence I had unique opportunities that shaped my view on refugee issues,” she says. “I was able to travel to Brussels and visit EU institutions twice through the EU in Focus series that NYU Florence hosts, allowing me to learn about how European politics work and also further explore topics such as Brexit and the refugee crisis.”

Isabel loved her time in Florence so much she extended her stay to a third semester and became a global peer mentor for the site, a role that allows her to share her experience with NYU students considering studying abroad.

During her junior year—which Global Liberal Studies students spend entirely abroad—Isabel enrolled at NYU Berlin. There, she continued her study of migration patterns through courses like Transnational Migration, Identity, and Citizenship. It was also an ideal location to explore her concentration. “Berlin, specifically, is one of the biggest hosts to refugees coming to Europe,” she says. “I was able to have an internship that directly deals with this topic in one of the world’s hubs for refugees.” Though her time in Berlin was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, she continues to serve as a global peer mentor for the center, a role that allows her to help recruit and encourage students to enroll in the site.