Ellen Thomas had always envisioned her education as something without borders. A student at the Faculty of Life Sciences in Kleve, pursuing a degree in "Qualität, Umwelt, Sicherheit und Hygiene" (Quality, Environment, Safety, and Hygiene), she sought an experience that would broaden her horizons. That opportunity came in the form of a semester abroad at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) for the academic year 2023/2024. CSUMB, founded in 1994, is one of the newer universities in the California State University system, built on the site of the former Fort Ord. This relatively young institution offered Ellen a dynamic environment for her exchange. "I wanted to experience a different approach to education, to see how sciences were taught outside of Germany," she explained. "The moment I learned I could study abroad without delaying my graduation, I started planning.”. Read more.