Hampton Zidlicky: Blog Post #1

My name is Hampton Zidlicky, and I am a third-year Honors college student at TCU, majoring in Psychology with double minors in Child Development and Criminal Justice. Growing up, I was lucky enough to get to travel out of the country with my family to Europe, the Bahamas, Canada, Turks & Caicos, and more. These experiences led me to develop a love for traveling, so when I came to college, I knew I wanted to prioritize making time to study abroad.

 

I chose to study abroad because I wanted to expand my cultural exposure and grow not only academically but personally. After completing my third amazing year at TCU, I have adjusted well to Texas dynamics. This was not always the case; having grown up in New York, Texas was originally a culture shock. I have grown to love the South and everything about it. Knowing how much I had grown from coming to Texas, when given the chance to study abroad in Asia, a place I had yet to visit, I knew I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. TCU’s short-term study abroad programs, such as the Maymester I enrolled in, allow students to immerse themselves in a foreign country without missing an entire semester on campus.

 

While I had already built so many great relationships within the respective psychology and child development departments, I had not yet established connections in the Criminal Justice Department. Through my time in Japan, I hope to form new friendships, broaden my perspective, and create special professor-student relationships. I am so thankful to TCU for offering short-term study abroad programs and further grateful to the Criminal Justice Department, and specifically, to Dr. Kinkade and Dr. Bowen, for making this experience possible.