Kayla Hinnenkamp

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Kayla Hinnenkamp was born in Minnesota and currently is a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University. She’s pursuing a degree in Political Science and minoring in French. She enjoys learning new languages, traveling, and watching movies.

What piece of advice would you give future KEI Students?

I think the most important thing to remember is the KEI staff is there for your support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many people available to assist you no matter what the situation. Daniele, the on-site director in Paris really goes out of her way to show the students what the French lifestyle is all about. When I first arrived in Paris she took the KEI students on a tour of the city and told us all about the do’s and don’ts of Parisian living.

What was the best place you visited outside of your study abroad city?

I had the opportunity to visit the seaside towns of Trouville and Deauville with my host mom. The cities are located on the west coast of France. We went right before finals. My host mom told me the ocean air was beneficial to my health and I would be calmer for my tests! The renowned American film festival is held every summer in Deauville. Many celebrities seafood and views of the ocean!

Do you think the program changed you as a person?

Studying abroad has positively changed the way I look at the world. I am more open to new concepts, always up for a challenge, and I have become more organized since studying abroad.

One of the things I quickly learned, if you are traveling, and don’t have a plan, you can spend all day roaming around and never see what you want. While studying abroad, I was always doing things that were new to me, and because of this, I am no longer scared of the unknown. I accept there will always be new foods to try, new people to know, new places to visit, and new challenges to overcome.

Why did you decide to study abroad with KEI?

KEI was the most affordable program. There were certain criteria I wanted the program to have. For me, I wanted an option to stay with a host family. It was vital for me to be able to immerse myself in the culture. Also, I wanted to go on excursions to other cities in France. I had the chance to see two diverse but equally scenic cities, Strasbourg and Marseille.

Another critical aspect was having someone on-site in Paris to help with the basics. For example, in the beginning, being pickup from the airport, showing us how to use the metro, where school was located, etc., were essential things I knew I would need help with.