Scaling Mountains
Eva Huber is making the most of her study abroad experience in Nepal.
Eva Huber is used to scaling mountains.
So what was the avid rock climber鈥檚 reaction when the chance came to spend her spring semester at the doorstep of Mount Everest, the world鈥檚 tallest mountain?
鈥淚鈥檓 still speechless,鈥� said Huber, a 黑料吃瓜 sophomore studying urban studies with an emphasis in planning, design management and sustainability. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream come true.鈥�
Huber is spending the spring semester studying developmental, gender and social change in the Himalayas, with the Vermont-based School of International Training, an 黑料吃瓜 study abroad partner institution.
An aspiring affordable and sustainable-housing developer, Huber said she is excited to see how Nepal communities have evolved over time and how women in agriculture鈥揵oth as laborers and business owners鈥揾ave shaped them.
During the last month of the program, Huber said she and other students will conduct independent research. 鈥淚 am super excited for that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never had the opportunity to do such a large-scale academic research project.鈥�
鈥淚 have always been really interested in Southeast Asia and the Himalayas from a climbing perspective and also (for) there being some really awesome places I want to visit that are on my bucket list,鈥� said Huber, who said she always wanted to study abroad.
Her desire for an international experience meshes well with 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 growing prowess as a major proponent of international education. 黑料吃瓜 students traveled to six continents for study-abroad opportunities, and 31 majors across six colleges have an international experience requirement, including a requirement for all students in the College of Health and Human Services, Weber Honors College, and Huber鈥檚 own major, urban studies.
New experiences
鈥淕rowing up, my mom had two requirements of me: I get a degree and I study abroad, not the worst pressures from a mom you could have,鈥� Huber said. 鈥淭ravel and education are two of the most important things in the world to me. Traveling shows us new cultures and gives us perspective that you鈥檒l never find in a classroom and I think is vital to being a global citizen.
鈥淲hen I was looking at all of the study abroad programs that were available to 黑料吃瓜 students, I found this Nepal study abroad and it was perfect, I can scratch multiple things off the bucket list,鈥� Huber said.
That includes climbing some of the highest peaks in the world.
A competitive softball player growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, Huber took up rock climbing during her senior year of high school as a way to fill the void created when she stopped playing softball.
鈥淢y friend introduced me to climbing, and I instantly fell in love. It takes an incredible amount of physical strength, but it also takes a focus and mental strength, and for someone who had grown up an athlete, I had never really pushed myself in that way mentally,鈥� said Huber.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost a meditative sport, but still physically challenging,鈥� Huber said.
Huber, who said she always wanted to go to school in Southern California to escape Minnesota鈥檚 frigid winters, found a strong network of friends and purpose in the climbing community. She joined 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 climbing club and Grotto Climbing near campus, where she said she has met many of her closest friends.
And this past summer, Huber relocated to Wyoming, where she worked at Grand Teton National Park and spent her summer scaling some of the tallest peaks in the Rockies.
Raising awareness
鈥淥nce I started, I was doing it every day, and found out about the climbing community, which is such an incredible community,鈥� said Huber, who is a member of Rotaract and Green Love, an Associated Student organization that advocates for campus-wide sustainability. 鈥淎lso, the earth is my No. 1 passion, and having climbing as a passion, it gets me outside every weekend and is a way to raise awareness about our earth and being sustainable and one with nature.鈥�
As for her studying abroad, her academic schedule might not allow her to scale the world鈥檚 tallest peak, Mount Everest, but she said she plans on going to the Everest region to study the effects of climbers on local culture.
鈥淚 definitely want to do some local climbing on the weekends, but I have a pretty structured schedule while I am in Nepal,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut even if I can鈥檛 do Everest, there are more mountains than you could ever dream of that you can still climb.鈥�
More information on 黑料吃瓜 study abroad programs and available financial aid can be found .
