Hi, my name is Raven King! I’m a second year honors student at CofC. I’m a Biochemistry major on a pre-dental track. As a science major, it can be hard to find study abroad programs that work with your schedule. I would love to travel abroad for a semester, but it would set me back and I wouldn’t be able to graduate on time. For my situation, it was the most ideal to find a program that took place over spring break. I chose the program to Edinburgh, Scotland, because it was an optional travel component for the honors colloquia course “Genetics and the Good Society”. In this course, we examine the science behind DNA databases, direct to consumer genetic testing, pre-natal genetic testing, and large scale genomic medicine projects. We also discuss how they intersect with gender, class, race, ethnicity, and disability. This worked out perfectly, because the course counts as honors credit and the trip abroad isn’t a huge commitment, considering it’s only for a week. I love getting to travel any chance I get. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to Japan, Iceland, Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Australia, New Zealand, and the Cayman Islands. When traveling, I love to try new foods, learn about different cultures, and meet the people living there. I’ve never been to the United Kingdom, so I am excited for my trip to Scotland. I believe Scottish culture is relatively similar to ours, but I expect to discover a lot while I’m there. In class, we have discussed Generation Scotland and the medical research that has been done there. This trip is largely focused on the genetic research and medical history that has taken place in Scotland. The only goals that I have set for myself is to enjoy my time abroad and to see as much of Edinburgh as I can!