Meet Perlene Lujan (She/Her)

Program and Location:

Summer, Sustainable Design in Santiago & Valparaiso; Chile

Major/Minor:

Design Studies

Why did you choose to study abroad?

I chose to study abroad because I knew that if I did this during my time at NC State I would have the opportunity for a much more immersive experience. My final decision to transfer into my college and major after freshman year was the requirement to study abroad. If I didn’t join I knew I wouldn’t push myself to travel abroad otherwise.

What did you learn about yourself?

I believe studying abroad reinforced some of the characteristics about myself that I already knew but it also revealed some that surprised me. I am very reserved and I haven’t gone too far out of my comfort zone until now. I wanted to test my ability to be more independent and build confidence and through this program, I learned the extent of my limits.

What was one of your favorite parts of your program?

By far my favorite part of the program was the time I spent exploring each of the cities we stayed in with other members of the program. Even though there was a lot more walking involved than I would have preferred, we were able to visit many sites, shops, and cafés! I love sweets and having manjar, similar to dulce de leche or caramel, in so many desserts was truly life-changing! There were also so many beautiful views since Santiago is surrounded by the Andes mountain range and Valparaíso is on the Pacific coast with colorful, stacked homes all around. Another worthy mention: public transportation! So convenient, affordable, and accessible. After manjar, that’s what I’ll miss the most.

How were your classes abroad different than if you would have taken them at NC State? Did you take any field trips or do anything outside of the traditional classroom?

My program abroad was similar and also very different from any of the classes I’ve taken at State. My professor gave us a lot more independence to really explore and immerse ourselves in the community. We had about one to two guest lecturers each week and about four scheduled field trips for on-site learning to influence our final project. Outside of these required activities, we were pretty much free to shape our learning experience with various excursions to explore the cities.

What advice do you have to future study abroad students?

For future study abroad students, I would recommend having an open mind and being open to both good and bad experiences. I think that I was overly cautious at times and that prevented me from having a few more opportunities to explore each city. However, there were also some experiences that were unexpected and negatively influenced my emotions and mood. While this revealed some unfavorable traits of myself, it also showed me that I can actively work on them and I now have more experience to handle situations like these in the future. Thus, I would advise future students to be open to growing through these experiences and know that there are people they can confide in and find strength through.

In what ways did your identity have an impact on your experience abroad?

In terms of identity being a student of color, I am Chamorro so I am Pacific Islander, Micronesian to be more exact. Most people generally assume I am Asian upon the first time meeting. There were a handful of microaggressions that a couple of members of my group, myself included, experienced. Although these weighed on us during our trip, being able to confide in each other helped to lift our mood. If we didn’t have each other I don’t think I would have come out of this experience without a heavy heart. I am also a first-generation college student. Personally, navigating the whole study abroad process was very difficult for me in the sense that, even as a senior, it was still a very new experience. I think utilizing the resources available at NCSU by communicating with people from the study abroad and financial aid office really helped me through this process.

Is there any advice you would give to other students who share your identity?

For other students of color and first-generation college students, some advice that I would have is to not keep how you feel to yourself. Reach out to other people so that you don’t weigh yourself down. Talking things out with the friends that I made and my family helped to lift a lot of weight off my shoulders.

Where did you find support to navigate any challenges you faced abroad?

I found support largely from other members of my group. We confided in each other about our problems with the microaggressions we faced. Also traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, we had a few members who were fluent so they were a great help to navigate a lot of the language barriers.

Would you do it again?

If I was asked if I would study abroad again right after I returned my answer would probably be different. Looking back a semester later I believe that I would.