World Traveler, Transformed Perspective

Before attending Cedarville University, close friends might have called senior Alex Hentschel a homebody. But now, it’s hard to keep the international studies and Spanish major from Flemington, New Jersey, not just at home, but in the United States.

Just before arriving on Cedarville’s campus, Hentschel traveled to the Dominican Republic for a medical mission trip. During her time at Cedarville she has traveled to Israel with Passages, an organization dedicated to taking Christian college students with leadership potential to Israel; and to Spain for study abroad where she also visited Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom.

“There's so much to learn about different cultures, foods, ideologies and experiences,” explained Hentschel. “While abroad, I focused on how my American-ness influenced my view of the gospel.

— Alex Hentschel

"There are so many other ways to live out a faithful Christian life. We can learn a lot when we leave the American vacuum about what it means to be an American, especially an American Christian.”

While on Cedarville’s campus, Hentschel attends International Friendships, Inc., (IFI) a local global outreach opportunity to enjoy a weekly dinner with international students at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. At IFI, Hentschel has been able to discuss different worldviews through the context of a Scripture reading and short message, where her out-of-country experiences have aided her conversations.

“I was definitely able to understand their experiences so much more after leaving the country and being one of the few nonnative speakers,” described Hentschel. “You gain such an appreciation for the bravery it takes to study so far away from home, and how different their life experiences contribute to your wisdom.”

These diverse cultural experiences have led Hentschel to add a Spanish major so she could better communicate with international people. She is planning to attend law school next fall with the goal of studying advocacy for public interest law, hopefully leading to work in asylum processing or civil rights.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish program, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.