Translating New Learning Summer experiences Series 2025

Learning does not end at the door of a classroom; in fact, lessons learned on campus poise students at the threshold of making a bigger impact in the world. Throughout the summer and the academic year, Rose-Hulman students study and work at institutions around the globe,  connecting them to skills to lead in a global and complex society.

  • Ceren Vuranok: Spain
  • Brett Hixon: Japan
  • Hugo Steudle: Germany
  • Amelia Kremer: Korea
  • Brian Pascente: Japan
  • John Webb: Japan
  • Joshua Bumpus: France

Ceren Vuranok: Spain

Sophomore chemical engineering major Ceren Vuranok, from Antalya, Turkey, studied at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, where she took courses in Spanish art and cultural heritage and entrepreneurship and new venture creation.

"Barcelona in the summer was so beautiful with its beautiful architecture, beaches, delicious food, and landscapes," Vuranok said. "I chose to study in Barcelona because it is a multicultural city full of opportunities."

Her Spanish art and cultural heritage courses led her on many field trips throughout the city and gave her a greater appreciation for the Spanish culture.  

"In every corner, there is a beauty hidden in the streets of Barcelona," she said. "My favorite thing was to wander around without a map and explore."

Her adventures led her to clay art and dance workshops, sand volleyball games with locals, and weekend trips, including to the breathtaking monastery and beaches of Monserrat. With her program, she also took a boat tour in Lloret de Mar, several historical site and vineyard visits, and multiple cooking classes. 

"I want to explore as many countries as I can, collect memories, and make friendships," Vuranok said. "My dream goal is to find myself and purpose again as I discover different places in the world."   Vuranok is already planning another study abroad program for her junior year.

Brett Hixon: Japan

Brett Hixon, a junior computer science major from Clinton, Indiana, fulfilled course requirements for his Japanese minor when he studied at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Nonoichi City, Kanazawa, Japan.

"I had personal interest in Japanese culture that I wanted to experience firsthand," Hixon said. "I have been consuming Japanese artifacts since middle school."

While abroad, Hixon also made connections with students from institutions in New York and the United Kingdom, as well as fellow Rose-Hulman students.

"Getting to know their unique qualities and values was fun," he said. "I also loved the food and convenience stores. You never go hungry."

Hixon hopes to combine his passion for both mathematical and computational skills with his interest in foreign language in his career.

Hugo Steudle: Germany

Hugo Steudle, a sophomore studying chemical engineering with a minor in German and a certificate in international studies, studied abroad at the Universität Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.

Though Steudle grew up in Melbourne, Australia, his grandfather was originally from Germany, and several of his family members arranged a visit from Australia to meet Steudle in Germany.

Steudle took courses in art history and German language and traveled through five different countries by train while abroad, but his favorite experience was conversing with his father and grandfather in their native language during their visit.

The time abroad also helped Steudle build a foundation for his dreams; he hopes to work in non-petroleum based energy missions, such as biogas plants in Austria or Germany.

Amelia Kremer: Korea

Amelia Kremer, a sophomore computer science major from Nashville, Tennessee, studied abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, where she took classes in Korean art and food and culture.

She wanted her focus of her experience to be cultural immersion, which included utilizing Korean public transportation.

"I went on a train for the first time in my life to travel to Busan, a port city on the opposite side of Korea, I loved it so much I went twice," Kremer said.  "Public transportation in Korea is safe, easy, and super helpful."

While in Korea, she explored a colorful mountainside village, spent time at a rooftop spa with an ocean-view sauna, attended a concert, and swam in ice-cold water at the beach.

Her dream job is one that allows her to continue traveling the world and experiencing new cultures.

Brian Pascente: Japan

Brian Pascente, a senior from Algonquin, Illinois, studying computer science with minors in imaging and mathematics, saw the 10-week summer break as an opportunity to explore several career pathways through not one, but two summer internships in 2025, leveraging the programs' flexible start and end dates.

Pascente's first internship as a systems engineer intern at ufotable, inc. took him to Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. His goal was to create a faster and more flexible image-processing filter for production use, so he developed a customizable and efficient Bokeh Kernel from the ground up using C++ and CUDA. He then implemented it into Adobe After Effects.

"When I was interning, the studio was wrapping up the new 'Demon Slayer' movie, so the atmosphere was really exciting. I even got to see a few snippets of it before the official release," Pascente said. "My dream goal is to become a software engineer in the entertainment industry or to create technology that makes people happy, whether that's in the United States or Japan."

Pascente noted that the skills and problem-solving abilities he has learned at Rose-Hulman are universal and can be applied anywhere, including his second internship at MatrixSpace in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. 

At MatrixSpace, Pascente created a program that made it easier to test two or more radar modules simultaneously and assisted in testing the monopulse system of the radar. "I loved going out into the drone field and seeing how my code was used in real scenarios," Pascente said. "It was rewarding to see that something I build had a real impact on the company's work."

John Webb: Japan

John Webb, a junior from Poulsbo, Washington, is studying electrical engineering and pursuing a power certificate. He studied abroad at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Nonoichi City, Kanazawa, Japan, where he studied wireless power transfer. Throughout the course, he designed a triple-band high-impedance antenna for mobile phones.

Though he didn't speak the language and joked that he originally chose Japan because he loves seafood, Webb quickly built a community in Japan.

"I have never received hospitality quite like the people from my lab," he said. "Every day, we had lunch together. At the start, it was very awkward, but as time passed, the other students learned more English, and I learned enough Japanese such that we had meaningful connections every day."   As he begins his career, Webb hopes to build a life dedicated to travel.

Joshua Bumpus: France

Joshua Bumpus, a junior from Indianapolis, is simultaneously pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in engineering management through the Rose Squared program. He was away from campus for several months, but his learning never stopped.

First, Bumpus completed an internship with Marathon Petroleum Corporation in El Paso, Texas, working as a refining mechanical engineering in maintenance and reliability.   In his second internship with Marathon, Bumpus optimized maintenance interval length by analyizing historical equipment data for pressure relief devices to save labor hours for the refinery.

"I was able to learn a lot because of the helpful environment," he said. He has already accepted an offer to return to Marathon for a third summer in 2026.

As he began his fall classes, Bumpus settled into another new experience: studying abroad in Troyes, France at L'université de technologie de Troyes, where he took classes in vibrations and management taught completely in French.

For Bumpus, Troyes provided a welcoming small-town community in close enough proximity to Paris to allow for easy weekend travel.

Bumpus was one of only two Americans in his program, so he enjoyed making friends with students from all over the world.

"I have gotten to learn so much about their cultures and their differences," he said. He was also able to visit four countries outside of France — Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, and the United Kingdom — during his time abroad.