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Anne grew up mostly in the Boston area and completed her bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology at Carleton ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ in Minnesota. She entered her undergraduate career certain she wanted to study abroad, although uncertain where. Then a summer volunteering in China changed her life. Ironically, she ended up running out of time to do an academic study abroad program, partially due to developing an addiction to Chinese classes. One thing led to another and she ended up working as the coordinator of that life-changing volunteer program in China. She then moved to China to teach English and eventually completed a master’s in teaching Chinese at Xiamen University in southern China.

Six years into living in China and finally ready to consider returning to the U.S., Anne noticed that Denali National Park was looking for a Mandarin-speaking intern. In early 2019, she moved to Alaska. After spending a few winters in Fairbanks during the seasonal park ranger off-season, she finally decided to make it her year-round home. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter.

She is very excited to support you on your study away journey and hear about all the amazing places it takes you!

Raegan is in her third year at UAF, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Marine Science. In Fall of 2025 through Spring 2026, she participated in the National Student Exchange Program, attending Florida International University in Miami, Florida. While in Miami, she completed a minor in Spanish, and experienced a variety of Latin American cultures. She had a great experience during her time away, made a lot of friends, and encourages everyone to do a semester away during your time at UAF!

Cody is in his fourth year at the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Chemistry. He studied abroad in Nairobi, Kenya at United States International University during the spring 2025 semester. Cody views his time abroad as a transformative experience that caused him to reimagine his worldview.

Thea is a fourth-year student studying Natural Resources and Environment. She spent Spring 2025 studying in San Jose, Costa Rica through Worldstrides, an affiliate program. While abroad, she concentrated in sustainability, agriculture, and tropical ecology. She views her time abroad as a major step in expanding her comfort zone and it helped her gain confidence to pursue other independent travel opportunities. Thea had an absolute blast spending the semester abroad and is excited to help others begin their journey. 

Rina is a fourth-year student at the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Climate and Environmental Change with a concentration on Sustainability. In Fall 2024, she participated in the National Student Exchange Program, attending Southern New Hampshire University. Considerably the best choice to go out on your own, to be anywhere outside of Alaska, but still not too far from home. 

Axton is a fourth-year student at UAF studying civil engineering. During his time at UAF, he has been an active member of the Honors ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ and the Climate Scholars program. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, reading, and going on runs with his dog. Axton spent spring 2025 studying away in Spain at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. He loved being abroad and had the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people, explore new places, languages, and cultures. While on exchange, he travelled to places throughout Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Morocco. As a peer advisor, Axton is excited to spread the word about study away opportunities and to meet with interested students. 

Grace is in her third year at the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. In Fall 2025, she studied abroad in Bergen, Norway through the north2north exchange program. Grace’s favorite parts of studying abroad were the countless adventures and side-quests that she embarked on every day, either solo or with friends. During her time in Norway, Grace travelled around the country to many places from Svalbard to Oslo and everywhere in-between. She also plans to study abroad in Wellington, New Zealand this Spring. Grace is excited to help other students take advantage of the incredible study abroad programs and opportunities that UAF has to offer!

Koda is a third-year student at UAF, majoring in both Film and Performing Arts and Foreign Languages with concentrations in film and German. In Fall of 2025, he studied abroad in Lüneburg, Germany at Leuphana Universität. He enjoyed not only learning the German language, but also making friends abroad and memories that he can share. "I think studying abroad is really an important experience, not only to get to explore the world and experience new cultures, but to learn a different way of thinking about life itself, and to open your view of life."