Send Reaghan to Study Physics in Europe!

Reaghan Wiley Start Date: Dec 28, 2022 - End Date: Mar 12, 2023
  • Geneva, Switzerland
  • Zürich, Switzerland
  • Karlsruhe, Germany
  • Bern, Switzerland
  • Freiburg, Germany

My Travel Story

by: Reaghan Wiley Start Date: Dec 28, 2022 - End Date: Mar 12, 2023
My name is Reaghan. I'm a junior at the University of South Alabama majoring in Biomedical Sciences, concentrating in Public and Global Health, and minoring in Psychology.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved science in all aspects; as a kid I obsessed over astronomy and loved to visit planetariums and participate in stargazes, and I even wanted to learn all there was to learn about the oceans and marine life! Since I was introduced to psychology in 7th grade, I've been dead set on going to medical school and getting a medical degree. In college I confined myself to my anatomy, biology, and psychology classes, telling myself that these were the things that I should take seriously, that these were the only things I would ever benefit from enjoying and mastering. I wouldn't need math and humanities as a doctor, right? Aren't these the only classes that really matter?

Then I met physics. And boy, did I really like physics!

Anyone who knows me knows I didn't really look forward to taking physics, and that I definitely didn't expect to have fun in that class. One day this past semester, my physics professor told our class about a study abroad opportunity with the Physics Department for the May 2023 term. As soon as he told us about the trip, I knew I wanted to go. The program will begin on campus with our group being taught relativity, particle physics, and nuclear physics. Then, we will fly to Geneva, Switzerland, for a tour of the CERN particle accelerator facilities, and travel on into Zurich, Bern, and later into Germany. Throughout the trip, I'll get to watch physicists at work at CERN, see many of the places that Albert Einstein lived and worked, do some sightseeing in the Alps at Mont Blanc, and even sit in on some physics lectures at a German university!

Getting to go on this trip would be huge for me because I really enjoy physics, and I'm seriously contemplating further pursuing the field. If I went to Europe with the Physics Department, I would probably be the only pre-med student that went on the trip, which would not only broaden my horizons as far as learning about medical-physics careers, but it would also make me stand out when I start applying to graduate school. On top of this, I've been teaching myself German since I was 12 years old, and was able to build on that self-taught foundation with two high school German classes and a semester of German in college! This trip would be a good reason to refresh my German language skills and an even better opportunity to use and practice those skills that I often neglect living in Alabama. 

Allowing myself to pour my time and energy into physics has not only shown me that it's a terrible idea to put limitations on myself during this time in my life where I should be exploring my interests and trying new things, but that it's extra rewarding to have a good outcome from a hard class if you worked hard at it and enjoyed it rathered than suffered through it. It's also shown me that it's okay to not know exactly what you want to do when you graduate high school and start college, and that it's also okay to change your plans to better fit the newfound interests you'll find along the way!

Lastly, the whole opportunity to travel abroad and experience cultures outside of my own is what I believe truly allows a person to grow and change into the best version of himself/herself. I think it's a huge thing to be able to learn how to interact with those who live completely different lives than I do, and to be able to empathize with people and problems in different parts of the world. I am certain that I would benefit from the experiences I will gain from this travel opportunity, and that they will eventually aid in my journey through undergraduate and medical school, and that they will ultimately allow me to become a more passionate, personable, effective physician.

Thank you for helping me take advantage of this opportunity I have before me! 
  • Geneva, Switzerland
  • Zürich, Switzerland
  • Karlsruhe, Germany
  • Bern, Switzerland
  • Freiburg, Germany

More Travel Information