Sarantuya
Student Profile
A truly global scholar
Yalguun Sarantuya
Yalguun Sarantuya is one of 22 students currently enrolled in the Rome Start Global Scholars program at the JFRC. The Rome Start program has been bringing first-year students to Rome for an international experience since 2011. Sarantuya was born in Mongolia and attended international schools until 12th grade. Then she attended an American-style high school in Mongolia, living also part of the year with her family in Turkey. Therefore a U.S. university degree was a natural fit for Sarantuya. She, however, chose the non-traditional Rome Start program where all students are international, living in Italy for two semesters. While Sarantuya is certain she would like to attend law school after graduation, at first she was unsure which course of study to follow and has enjoyed the flexibility and time to choose her major which a U.S. degree allows. She says she is “truly grateful for this experience” and the time she has spent at the JFRC has been “the most fun and exciting time” in her life. When Sarantuya completes her degree, she will have studied on three continents, making her a true global scholar.
What drew you to the Rome Start program?
When I was younger, I devoured books, and a lot of references were made to Italy and its history, so I always dreamt of visiting or even living here as I grew older. In cinema, Italy is always shown to be beautiful, calm, and picturesque. The Rome Start program was an opportunity for me to go to Europe and experience it before moving on to America for the rest of my education. I felt like it was a place where I could enjoy my youth.
What is the value of studying in Rome during your freshman year?
Living on the other side of the world, especially when you’re fresh out of high school, can be a scary experience for most, but it is also a valuable opportunity for growth and complete independence. You can learn to budget, do chores, meet new people, and experience cultures of many different countries and areas, given the JFRC community encourages travel so much. I have grown not only as a student - because I was able to realize my limits and my strengths in an academic environment - but also as a person. I have had the opportunity to meet friends, experience the nightlife, see beautiful art, and travel.
The memories that I have made in only one semester will stay with me for a lifetime, and the idea that I will do it all over again for my second and third terms excites me.
Rome Start student visit the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with Coordinator, Dr Luca Badetti. (Ms Sarantuya is on her knees on the left)
Tell me about your experience at the JFRC through an intercultural perspective?
I grew up in Mongolia and didn’t travel much until my family moved to Turkey. So for the past two years, I’ve been studying at an American high school in Mongolia, and spending a quarter of my year in Turkey. This, along with moving to Italy has been a whirlwind, if I’m honest. Interacting with people from all over the world, getting acquainted with their cultures, and communicating with them in my broken language has been fun, nerve-wracking, and also so rewarding.
I was able to make friends with people at the JFRC from all sorts of backgrounds, I even attended a Diwali party in Rome and danced to Tamil music! I know that many of the Rome Start students missed their families and the culture shock was hard for them. This is one of the only downsides, but I felt as though it taught me to enjoy the now. I knew that if I missed my friends and family in Mongolia when I was in Italy, I would miss my friends in Italy when I was in Chicago. I feel like this revelation helped me get out of my slump.
Describe your experience with on-site learning in Rome.
On-site classes were the easiest way to get acquainted with the city, its public transportation, and its hidden treasures. A lot of students who do not take on-site classes will be able to explore Rome in their free time, but being forced to go to places for class was grueling at first, but fun later on.
I took Professor Massimo Betello’s Art of the Roman World class, in which we analyzed art and architecture from Ancient Rome from Etruscan vases to triumphal arches of the later emperors. Being able to see the dents, the indentations, the chipped paint due to age, and even being able to touch some artifacts felt incredible to me. I always thought about the history of the pieces, how the mosaic that I was walking on in the Baths of Caracalla had been stepped on by Roman men, how the vase that I was touching held water and wine for Roman families and even getting to see a tomb that housed an Etruscan couple’s bodies a long time ago was special. This type of hands-on, visual learning is so much more valuable than seeing these artifacts in pixels on a computer, and I am really happy to have seen the most beautiful museums and galleries in Rome.
“Being able to see the dents, the indentations, the chipped paint due to age, and even being able to touch some artifacts felt incredible to me.... This type of hands-on, visual learning is so much more valuable than seeing these artifacts in pixels on a computer, and I am really happy to have seen the most beautiful museums and galleries in Rome.” Yalguun Sarantuya, on using Rome as a classroom
Describe your experience with on-site learning in Rome. How was Rome your classroom?
On-site classes were the easiest way to get acquainted with the city, its public transportation, and its hidden treasures. A lot of students who do not take on-site classes will be able to explore Rome in their free time, but being forced to go to places for class was grueling at first, but fun later on.
I took Professor Massimo Betello’s Art of the Roman World class, in which we analyzed art and architecture from Ancient Rome from Etruscan vases to triumphal arches of the later emperors. Being able to see the dents, the indentations, the chipped paint due to age, and even being able to touch some artifacts felt incredible to me. I always thought about the history of the pieces, how the mosaic that I was walking on in the Baths of Caracalla had been stepped on by Roman men, how the vase that I was touching held water and wine for Roman families and even getting to see a tomb that housed an Etruscan couple’s bodies a long time ago was special. This type of hands-on, visual learning is so much more valuable than seeing these artifacts in pixels on a computer, and I am really happy to have seen the most beautiful museums and galleries in Rome.
After spending a semester at the JFRC what were some highlights from a community perspective with other Rome Start students or other JFRC community members?
The Rome Start students are a really fun group this year. While there were of course minor issues, living in such proximity with each other from the get-go made us so much closer than I thought was possible. I got to know almost every single person in the program, have conversations with them, and sit at the same table during lunch or dinner.
I think the best memory that I made in the past semester would probably be the day we chose our classes for the second semester. Because we didn’t have many credits, we had to choose our classes last and a lot of us weren’t able immediately to get into the courses we wanted. This meant some of us were upset, and so we gathered together in one room, and then went outside in the pouring rain, playing old music and singing. It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while, and it was then that I truly thought, “I’m really glad to be here.”
What are you most looking forward to about moving to Chicago next year?
I think about the weather and exploring the city. Italy is wonderful, but it is too hot for me, coming from the coldest capital city in the world. I am excited to see snow again, and also explore the city! I made a lot of friends who are going to take me around and show me their favorite restaurants, places, and people. Meeting new people, and getting closer to old ones is always the most fun part about moving, and I’m sure that will be true for Chicago, too.
What drew you to the Rome Start program?
When I was younger, I devoured books, and a lot of references were made to Italy and its history, so I always dreamt of visiting or even living here as I grew older. In cinema, Italy is always shown to be beautiful, calm, and picturesque. The Rome Start program was an opportunity for me to go to Europe and experience it before moving on to America for the rest of my education. I felt like it was a place where I could enjoy my youth.
What is the value of studying in Rome during your freshman year?
Living on the other side of the world, especially when you’re fresh out of high school, can be a scary experience for most, but it is also a valuable opportunity for growth and complete independence. You can learn to budget, do chores, meet new people, and experience cultures of many different countries and areas, given the JFRC community encourages travel so much. I have grown not only as a student - because I was able to realize my limits and my strengths in an academic environment - but also as a person. I have had the opportunity to meet friends, experience the nightlife, see beautiful art, and travel.
The memories that I have made in only one semester will stay with me for a lifetime, and the idea that I will do it all over again for my second and third terms excites me.
Rome Start student visit the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with Coordinator, Dr Luca Badetti. (Ms Sarantuya is on her knees on the left)
Tell me about your experience at the JFRC through an intercultural perspective?
I grew up in Mongolia and didn’t travel much until my family moved to Turkey. So for the past two years, I’ve been studying at an American high school in Mongolia, and spending a quarter of my year in Turkey. This, along with moving to Italy has been a whirlwind, if I’m honest. Interacting with people from all over the world, getting acquainted with their cultures, and communicating with them in my broken language has been fun, nerve-wracking, and also so rewarding.
I was able to make friends with people at the JFRC from all sorts of backgrounds, I even attended a Diwali party in Rome and danced to Tamil music! I know that many of the Rome Start students missed their families and the culture shock was hard for them. This is one of the only downsides, but I felt as though it taught me to enjoy the now. I knew that if I missed my friends and family in Mongolia when I was in Italy, I would miss my friends in Italy when I was in Chicago. I feel like this revelation helped me get out of my slump.
Describe your experience with on-site learning in Rome.
On-site classes were the easiest way to get acquainted with the city, its public transportation, and its hidden treasures. A lot of students who do not take on-site classes will be able to explore Rome in their free time, but being forced to go to places for class was grueling at first, but fun later on.
I took Professor Massimo Betello’s Art of the Roman World class, in which we analyzed art and architecture from Ancient Rome from Etruscan vases to triumphal arches of the later emperors. Being able to see the dents, the indentations, the chipped paint due to age, and even being able to touch some artifacts felt incredible to me. I always thought about the history of the pieces, how the mosaic that I was walking on in the Baths of Caracalla had been stepped on by Roman men, how the vase that I was touching held water and wine for Roman families and even getting to see a tomb that housed an Etruscan couple’s bodies a long time ago was special. This type of hands-on, visual learning is so much more valuable than seeing these artifacts in pixels on a computer, and I am really happy to have seen the most beautiful museums and galleries in Rome.
Describe your experience with on-site learning in Rome. How was Rome your classroom?
On-site classes were the easiest way to get acquainted with the city, its public transportation, and its hidden treasures. A lot of students who do not take on-site classes will be able to explore Rome in their free time, but being forced to go to places for class was grueling at first, but fun later on.
I took Professor Massimo Betello’s Art of the Roman World class, in which we analyzed art and architecture from Ancient Rome from Etruscan vases to triumphal arches of the later emperors. Being able to see the dents, the indentations, the chipped paint due to age, and even being able to touch some artifacts felt incredible to me. I always thought about the history of the pieces, how the mosaic that I was walking on in the Baths of Caracalla had been stepped on by Roman men, how the vase that I was touching held water and wine for Roman families and even getting to see a tomb that housed an Etruscan couple’s bodies a long time ago was special. This type of hands-on, visual learning is so much more valuable than seeing these artifacts in pixels on a computer, and I am really happy to have seen the most beautiful museums and galleries in Rome.
After spending a semester at the JFRC what were some highlights from a community perspective with other Rome Start students or other JFRC community members?
The Rome Start students are a really fun group this year. While there were of course minor issues, living in such proximity with each other from the get-go made us so much closer than I thought was possible. I got to know almost every single person in the program, have conversations with them, and sit at the same table during lunch or dinner.
I think the best memory that I made in the past semester would probably be the day we chose our classes for the second semester. Because we didn’t have many credits, we had to choose our classes last and a lot of us weren’t able immediately to get into the courses we wanted. This meant some of us were upset, and so we gathered together in one room, and then went outside in the pouring rain, playing old music and singing. It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a while, and it was then that I truly thought, “I’m really glad to be here.”
What are you most looking forward to about moving to Chicago next year?
I think about the weather and exploring the city. Italy is wonderful, but it is too hot for me, coming from the coldest capital city in the world. I am excited to see snow again, and also explore the city! I made a lot of friends who are going to take me around and show me their favorite restaurants, places, and people. Meeting new people, and getting closer to old ones is always the most fun part about moving, and I’m sure that will be true for Chicago, too.