Bella Carpenter spent the Spring and Summer 2023 semesters abroad in Bern, Switzerland studying at the University of Bern through Appalachian State’s ISEP program partnership. Carpenter is an Honors College senior majoring in sustainable development and minoring in sustainable business. At the University of Bern, Carpenter took classes in different areas of sustainability. She shared, “One unique part of a seminar course I took, titled 'Enhancing a Sustainable Approach to Labour Migration,’ was that we got to attend the 54th session at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva.” Additionally, while still abroad and with financial support from the Department of Sustainable Development, Carpenter attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) conference in Bonn, Germany from June 5-15, 2023.
While abroad, Carpenter’s travels included various cities in Switzerland, as well as trips to Germany and Italy. About her overall experience, Carpenter reflected,
“Living in Switzerland for six months was the best decision I made. From swimming in the Aare River to hiking through the Swiss Alps, there was always an adventure waiting to happen outside of the classroom. The most enriching part had to be the relationships I formed with students from across the world, gaining close friendships with people from Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, Finland, Germany, and Australia. My study abroad experience is something that I will hold onto for the rest of my life and am so thankful for as I plan to graduate this spring [2024] with the Honors College.”
Carpenter has been accepted into the UN Climate Negotiations course and program offered through the College of Business, led by Dr. Dave McEvoy, professor and chair of the Department of Economics, and Dr. Lee Ball, chief sustainability officer. For the Fall 2023 semester, Carpenter is enrolled in ECO 4530/5530: UN Climate Negotiations, which familiarizes students with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the annual Conference of the Parties (COP). As a part of the course, Carpenter will travel abroad again, this time with a delegation of students and faculty from App State to attend the COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 - December 6, 2023.
Top photo features Bella Carpenter hiking along the Klingenstock-Fronalpstock Ridge Trail in Stoos, Switzerland. Photo submitted
