My favorite part of being abroad is having the opportunity to meet and learn from people from around the world. Every day I'm able to learn something new from the people I've met and I'm thankful for that.
Jack Pieper, a sophomore in Agronomy and Global Resource Systems (GRS) from Mount Pleasant, Iowa experienced the “Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Systems of Brazil” two-week, faculty-led study abroad program in May 2018. This was not the first time Jack has spent time abroad, as during the two previous summers, he visited Europe and Costa Rica, respectfully. He heard of the Brazil program through a class he took during the Spring 2018 semester, and immediately 
became intrigued by the opportunity. While in Brazil, Jack was able to visit a variety of farms, which gave him the opportunity to experience different agricultural systems involving both crops and livestock. He was able to relate this back to previous life experiences, saying he grew up on a farm and enjoyed comparing the differences between Iowa and Brazil agriculture. “I really loved seeing how the resource systems I learned about in class were implemented in a different environment, and how they impacted the society and its people.” Jack’s favorite part of the program was visiting Iguazu Falls as a way to round out the trip. Jack says his biggest advice for students considering studying abroad, especially with this particular trip is, “Take advantage of these opportunities while you are young. This specific program is targeted toward freshmen and sophomores, and is a great opportunity to experience a new culture early in your college career.”
Check out another highlight by the Department of Agronomy on Jack's adventures at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, https://www.agron.iastate.edu/student-resources-undergraduate-department/plant-physiology-learning-new-language-jack-pieper.