Meet Sebastien Wang

Impact of my global learning experience

When I was in my first year, I participated in Community Engaged Learning Cuba because I registered a beginner language course "Spanish 1030". I was really impressed by the opportunities I had to envision the Hispanic World while I was also studying Spanish. This sparked my interest in continuing to study Spanish and inspired me to study abroad in Spain during my third-year summer. I discovered that I really liked Spain in the end. These experiences have deepened my appreciation for intercultural communication, boosted my adaptability, and enriched my academic study in the Spanish program offered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Why I chose Western

Western has an excellent academic reputation, a vibrant campus community, and strong language and cultural studies programs. For example, our Spanish program has a lot of opportunities to be involved, such as study abroad/experiential learning/work, or volunteer. I wanted an environment that supported personal growth and offered rich opportunities to explore new academic interests.

A fun fact about me

I have absolute pitch.

Do you have any advice for new students or students considering going abroad?

For new students who have started their programs at Western, I would advise that you try to explore opportunities in your program as much as possible and do your best to apply as much as you can. For students considering going abroad, I recommend immersing yourself in your desired destination, such as the local cultures and humanities, as much as you can; it is sometimes difficult, but it is the most effective.

I would also recommend students complete the Global and Intercultural Engagement Honour – it’s a great addition to your CVs and applications.

In the end, I just want to share a very commonly heard Icelandic phrase, "Þetta reddast," which means “trust yourself, and everything will eventually work out.”