Princeton alumna Claire Ashmead ’17 reflected on the impact of her Novogratz Bridge Year Program experience in a recent article on the University homepage. As a Bridge Year student, Ashmead spent nine months living in Kunming, China, where worked with an environmental nonprofit, lived with a homestay family, studied Mandarin, and participated in cultural workshops and excursions.
“Spending a year learning outside of a traditional classroom environment allowed me to reflect on what I was most passionate about,” she said, in the story. “I had a wider sense of the possibilities on the horizon, and consequently, I think I was able to really make the most of my time at Princeton.”
A history major at Princeton, Ashmead earned certificates in humanistic studies, creative writing, and Chinese language and culture. She is now an internal medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic, specializing in community internal medicine, geriatrics, and palliative care.
