Studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, during her junior year was Heather Schalliol’s first time overseas.

The engineering graduate enjoyed it so much that she made sure it wasn’t her last international adventure.

“I’ve been interested in Spanish language and co-existing cultures since my childhood, growing up in Arizona,” says Schalliol ’07, who works as a chemical engineer in Los Angeles researching and developing reverse osmosis membranes for water desalination using nanotechnology. “Beginning with my HMC study abroad experience, I’ve sought out opportunities to combine this interest with my desire to work in the field of engineering. When I heard of Mudd’s Global Clinic opportunity for my senior year I jumped at the chance.”

Schalliol says the Global Clinic Program opened her eyes to not only the global market for engineers and scientists, but also the “global” perspective of technical work.

“By ‘global’ I do not mean ‘worldly,’ but, rather, ‘complete,’” she explains.

A year after setting foot in Puerto Rico during the summer exchange part of her Global Clinic project, Schalliol was on a plane to Córdoba, Argentina, where she completed a three-month internship conducting drug delivery research in a biotechnology lab following her graduation from HMC.

“By the end of my three months there, I spoke Spanish fluently, knew basic tango and Folkloric dancing and had enough travel recommendations from international travelers and native Argentines to tempt me to change my scheduled three weeks of travel to three years,” she says. “But, alas…student loans were beckoning.”

Throughout all of her travels, Schalliol, who plans to pursue a graduate degree in chemical engineering after working for a few years, has always relished her interactions with people.

In Argentina, for example, “I conversed with strangers about the Argentine economy while waiting for a late-night bus; discussed the differences in approaches to technology between places like Argentina and the United States while sipping yerba mate [tea]; and, while questioning politics with my Argentina co-worker, was politely interrupted to do cartwheels in the plaza with her 6-year-old daughter,” Schalliol shares. “It’s the lessons that result from these moments as undercover anthropologist that I expect will most strongly stick with me.”

Schalliol doesn’t know where her travels might take her next.

But, “of course, I’ll be keeping my eye out for international adventures for both work and leisure,” she says.