This online newsletter features stories for and by Berkeley undergraduates. If you've attended CalSO, you've already learned a bit about the campus. True Stories hopes to expand your knowledge about some of the opportunities and advantages available to you.
Shelby Stofle outside of Stephens Hall, home to the Education Abroad Program. Photo by Jenne Mowry.
Being a married student at Cal has been both challenging and extremely rewarding. At times, it can be difficult to relate to other students because many of them don’t have the extra responsibilities that I have. However, many people I have met have been sincerely interested in talking to me about my alternative experiences. I may have felt a little different than the typical Cal student at times, but after making an effort to get out of my comfort zone and meet people, I feel that I fit in just fine. I belong at Cal. I am a part of campus, helping to represent the diverse experiences of our student body.
I have a partner who is very open-minded and encourages me to pursue all of the opportunities that an education at UC Berkeley has to offer. We both try to ease the stress that the other feels. We rent a peaceful house in Suisun City, complete with a full kitchen (which I use very often), a garden, and two cats. We both commute over an hour from where we live to come to school. My husband attends Sacramento State University as a Criminal Justice major. Sometimes it is a lot to keep up with, but it’s worth it in the end. I really enjoy our life together.
Last semester, I studied abroad in Ghana, without my husband. I had never really been out of California, much less the United States. A lot of people were very surprised that we were willing to be apart for almost five months so that I could experience life in West Africa. I have never truly missed my husband as much as I did that semester. It was difficult for the both of us, but I will never regret taking the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study overseas.
In Ghana, I lived and studied at the University in Legon, just outside the capital, Accra. I stayed in the International Students Hostel, a dorm on campus. I took classes in the Geography department, a Ghanaian dance class, and a class in Twi, the local language. There were so many experiences in Ghana that I learned from! It’s hard for me to boil down five months to a couple of experiences that exemplify my time there, but I can say I discovered incredible warmth and kindness from people I'd just met.
The experiences I lived through in Ghana were ones that I will never forget. My worldview changed as I came into contact with many different perspectives. Now, I am reunited with my husband. We are living the typical “starving students” life together and are better than ever. I will be staying put for a while, at least until the travel bug hits again. Next time, I’ll bring my husband along!
—Shelby Stofle
Senior, Conservation and Resource Studies
From Suisun City, CA