Sean Pentinga

Name: Sean Pentinga

Sudent profile

What program are you in?
I am in my fifth year studying physics and computer science at Western

What was your international learning experience?
In February 2016 I went to India for a week to attend a conference called “Astronomy at Taj 2016”. It was the first event of its kind bringing together students, researchers and astronomy enthusiasts from around the world for a week of astronomy talks, workshops and touring India. The conference took place in Agra, the city where the famous Taj Mahal is located. A similar conference has occurred in subsequent years in Hyderabad India.

How did that experience impact you?
I really fell in love with travelling this week, so much so that this past summer I took a 10-week solo trip to southeast Asia. That was the first time I took a flight alone which was nerve wracking at first but was a great way to grow. Also, there were some other Western undergrads that travelled to India for the conference in 2016 and it was a great way to get to know them well and we remained friends after the trip. The week I was in India I learned so much about the world and myself.

Why should students embrace international learning experiences?
The world has so much to offer and physically situating yourself in a foreign country is from my experience one of the best ways to learn quickly. Going somewhere as different as India was for me really forced me to grow up fast and adapt and while at the moment it may be scary at times, you will come out the other end a better, smarter and stronger person.

What is a fun fact about you?
I have a black belt in Taekwondo.undefined