By Alexander Kashpir

Hey Waikato, my name is Alexander Kashpir, I’m a second-year student studying computer science here at the Hamilton campus, for a Bachelor of Computer Science. Beyond the expanse of this subject that I am greatly passionate about, I realise how fortunate I am to belong to the University of Waikato’s vibrant, impactful and academic community.  So, from the day I set foot on campus, it has been my objective to make the most of my time here. It is only natural that when I saw a poster of a scholarship for computer science undergraduates to travel overseas and study abroad, I filled out the form.

It all happened rather quickly. I suppose I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the scale and value of this possibility, so only after I was congratulated on my admission to the program, it hit me. In an awesome moment, it dawned upon me that soon enough, I will be living on the Mediterranean cost, degustating churros, and, fulfilling my passion for adventure, tramping or biking or just exploring the lucratively unfamiliar and beautiful landscape of Alicante, Spain. With a homestay arranged for my residence, I look forward to a full immersion in Spanish culture and language. To the latter, I’m excited to learn a new language and would like to see how quickly I will be able to pick up Spanish, so it’ll be one of the courses I take at my host institution, the University of Alicante.

Just turned 18, for me this international experience will be the first time I experience the world for myself, through my soon-to-be very independent eyes. So, I think that this exchange will change me, and I look forward to this change coming through as personal growth. For all of that, and more… stay tuned to my communiqué from Spain!