Whether she is studying abroad in China, focusing on her French minor, or tutoring English, Sarah Grace Fraser is doing what she loves by immersing herself in other cultures.
Fraser, an English linguistics major, hopes to one day teach students who speak English as a second language. Her recent month-long study abroad experience in China helped her gain that perspective as a student newly immersed in a foreign language.
“My teachers in China taught me how to push students more, but also the importance of being kind and helpful,” Fraser says.
Fraser’s study abroad experience was fully funded through her Bepko Scholars and Fellows Scholarship and additional campus resources. While in China, she studied three weeks of intensive Mandarin at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou and also traveled to Xi’an and Beijing.
The School of Liberal Arts sophomore also has traveled to France and Thailand. In France, she taught at a bilingual camp for two weeks, and she taught English at local schools in the Thai cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Dao.
I have made good friends through the Honors College and its student organizations.
This year she is furthering her involvement with cultural diversity on campus by serving with the IUPUI International Peer Mentor Program, where she mentors students from Malaysia, India, Germany, Mexico, and China.
Fraser brings a unique and valuable perspective to campus and recently was elected president of the IUPUI Honors College Arts and Culture Society, an organization promoting diverse cultural experiences.
“This year we’re trying to engage students in visual arts and music, as well as
Fraser likens the IUPUI Honors College to a small community.
“I have made good friends through the Honors College and its student organizations,” she says.
When asked what advice she gives to future IUPUI students, Fraser says, “take advantage of the fantastic community of students, the wonderful advisors, the available faculty, and the unique location in downtown Indianapolis.”