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Students share international experiences at PechaKucha

As International Education Week at UNH was winding down, the PechaKucha: Three Slides, Three Minutes event invited UNH community members to hear from presenters about their different international experiences. The PechaKucha event, part of the Cultural Connection Series, took place at the Memorial Union Building (MUB) Entertainment Center on Friday, Nov. 18 at 3:30 p.m. Presenters included students, faculty and Durham community members. They had three minutes each to describe their experiences within three slides.
The UNH Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) hosted the event. OISS Assistant Director Elizabeth Webber said that she was very pleased with the way the event turned out.
“This was the second to last event of International Education Week and I believe this was a great way to start to wrap up the week,” Webber said. “The event was fun and the turnout was wonderful.”
International Education Week was sponsored by the UNH Center for International Education and Global Engagement (CIEGE). The week is designed for the university to show its community how much its commitment to international education has had a positive impact on many students’ lives.
“We wanted to showcase the diversity at UNH,” Webber said. “All week and especially in this event, we wanted to celebrate all things international with students, alumni, faculty and the UNH community.”
After starting the event with a video clip of The Muppets showing how to pronounce “PechaKucha,” 15 presenters took to the stage, one after another, to show how their experiences with other parts of the world changed their lives.
There was a wide array of countries that the presenters had traveled to. Some of the countries included were France, Germany, Australia and China. Some of the presenters were students who traveled from other countries, like China and Madagascar, to study abroad at UNH.
Senior Bria Frehner, one of the 15 presenters, said she was more than happy to share her experiences about studying abroad in Paris, France.
“I was very excited to share my experience of spending a year in Paris,” Frehner said. “I want to be seen as someone who anyone could come talk to about studying abroad.”
Many of the presenters mentioned how their lives have changed because of the opportunity to both travel to another part of the world and to experience a new culture.

PechaKucha gave senior Bria Frehner an opportunity to share her experience of studying abroad in France.
PechaKucha gave senior Bria Frehner an opportunity to share her experience of studying abroad in France.

“My French got better,” Frehner said. “Traveling opens eyes and shows how big the world is. Being an outsider in a new country was very intriguing. It is important for young people to escape from their closed off bubble they live [in] and to expand their realm and view of the world.”
After the presentations, each presenter was asked to go on stage and answer audience questions. The event ended with a video of UNH alumni describing their international experiences to UNH community members.
“I expected it to be a mundane event, but it was much different than that,” UNH first year student Joseph Wright said. “The PechaKucha event has enticed me to study abroad and see more perspectives around the world.”
This event was just one of many ways that UNH encourages students to take part in international experiences, whether it be studying abroad or even just traveling to another country.

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