Marissa Darling
University of British Columbia Exchange, Corbett Scholar
Sunset from Wreck Beach where Marissa and her friends often picnic in the evenings. Marissa Darling
Experiencing cultural diversity doesn’t always mean traveling to the other side of the world. Sometimes it can be found right at your back door. That is what Marissa Darling, a UW undergraduate majoring in Psychology, found out when she decided to immerse herself in a direct exchange program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for the 2017-2018 academic year.
“I wanted to get a better understanding of Canada and explore my options for living and studying there in the future.”
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Marissa received $7,000 to study at UBC as a Corbett Scholar. This scholarship program funds exchange students from UW to UBC and the University of Victoria (and vice versa). As part of an exchange program, Marissa quickly adopted the city of Vancouver as her own. She takes classes from UBC professors and interacts directly with UBC students. She even lives in the university’s on-campus housing.
Marissa and her best friend Theresa share a joyous moment in Tofino. Marissa Darling
“The residence was in a townhouse style with large open courtyards, which made making friends easier. Most of the other students in this residence were either exchange students or international students, so there was a lot of diversity.”
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In fact, UBC currently boasts over 14,000 international students enrolled from 162 countries. The university is ranked consistently as one of the top 20 best public universities in the world, which is why students from all over flock to their campus. They also have spectacular surroundings: the UBC Botanical Garden, the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, and an ever-present view of various mountain ranges. One of Marissa’s favorite stories thus far was exploring Vancouver with some friends.
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“I loved road tripping to the surf town of Tofino on Vancouver Island with two of my friends. Being able to storm watch and walk through the ancient rainforests in the area was incredible.”
As for the food, there aren’t that many differences between Seattle and Vancouver (except, of course, for the delicious poutine). Marissa found that some of her best meals came from the diverse student population on the UBC campus.
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“One of my favorite meals was when my Austrian roommate cooked a traditional Austrian brunch called kaiserschmarrn (sweet shredded pancakes) for my other roommates and myself. It was fun to get to know my roommate's culture a bit better!”
Marissa is still continuing her study abroad adventures and will return to Seattle in April 2018. Although her program is not over, she already senses a shift in perspective from her first semester.
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“I learned to take chances, to make friends out of strangers, to take time out of my day to appreciate life and everything I had the privilege of experiencing, and to love others unconditionally.”
Her recommendations for future study abroad students are to engage with the new environment as often as possible and to keep a journal of all experiences, even ones perhaps considered to be mundane. What seems ordinary at the time may be a cherished detail when reading about it in the future!
Read more about Marissa’s experiences through her article on the JSIS Canadian Studies page.
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Written by Madison Gallagher
Photos courtesy of Marissa Darling
Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery where Marissa has an annual pass. Marissa Darling
Published Jan. 2018