Macalester Women's Soccer has seven women studying abroad this term in the following places: Ireland, Italy, Denmark, New Zealand, Mali, Bolivia and Ecuador. This Study Abroad Profile sent to us by Allison Kappeyne (Jr., Pacific Palisades, Calif. / Palisades Charter), who is studying in Copenhagen, Denmark.

To see where women's soccer players find themselves this year and last year with links to their blogs and profiles, click here for a map. [ Other Player Profiles & Study Abroad Profiles ]

Allison's report:

“While studying abroad in Copenhagen at DIS, I am exploring my interests in architecture to determine whether or not I would like to pursue this subject as my future career and further my education in Architecture Graduate work. While abroad I have pondered the idea of not actually studying architecture, but rather focusing more on urban design and incorporating my background in environmental studies into my future career and education goals. I love the philosophy behind Gehl Architects, making cities for people and thinking on a human scale. I now walk down the street and analyze structures I would normally pass by. I study façades of buildings and try to key in on details that hint at the building's age and stylistic influence. I am sort of an architecture nerd now you could say. I am no longer just sketching perspective points, by measuring out drawings to scale over a light board and wondering the intentions the architect had when designing this structure.

“So far in Copenhagen, I have visited numerous art museums (like Arken), gone for long bike rides around the city to Amager Beach, explored the old cities winding streets, tried to pronounce Danish street names, found my favorite Danish hot chocolate, been mistaken for a Dane, correctly pronounced red berries in cream in Danish (Rødgrød med Fløde), played soccer with some locals, had a picnic in the park near my house, attended a FC København soccer match, flown to other countries (Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Netherlands), and seen two of my fellow Mac soccer ladies, Machal Gradoz and Jenna Machado.

“While abroad I have had the time to get to know a different city from Saint Paul. Biking is a part of everyday transit here, over 30% of Danes bike (yes even in work clothes, heals and dresses), and walking two miles daily is acceptable. I feel like I myself have become a true Copenhagener after purchasing my own bicycle and using it to get around the city center and to class. My professors are all practicing architects and very knowledgeable about current and historic architectural projects globally. My study abroad program also offers great study tours lasting up to one week, and classes that tour around the city, so you are learning while traveling. On our long study tours I was able to visit Kolding, Århus, and Aalborg all cities in Western Denmark, as well as Malmö and Stockholm in Sweden, Turku and Helsinki in Finland; places I may not have been able to visit on my own. I am thoroughly enjoying my time abroad and recommend that every student take full advantage of study abroad while at Mac”