Kevin Horak is a third-year Bachelor of International Business (BIB) student in the Spanish language stream. Kevin is studying at Facultad de Economía y Negocios - Universidad de Chile in Santiago, Chile. (All students in the BIB program are required to study abroad for their third year at one of our partner institutions.)Tell us about yourself!Four years ago, when I was in grade 11, I came across the BIB program while attending the Ontario University Fair at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. I spoke with a then student of the program uninterrupted for the better part of an hour and was completely sold. I spent the following year and a half preparing myself to move to Carleton, learn a new language, and eventually go abroad. Fast forward four years and here I am! I have always been the type of person who is constantly searching for the next challenge and moving to Ottawa from the Greater Toronto Area was that challenge for me in high school. The reason why I took it on was because I believe that the BIB program gives you a competitive edge that no other program can (I still hold that belief today). After arriving at Carleton, I immediately began to search for something else to help me grow. Over the past three years at university, I have built a business case competition from scratch, hosted numerous events on campus for the betterment of business students, completed ad-hoc photography and videography work for the faculty, and, more recently, became the president of one of the largest student-run clubs on campus. Outside of academia, I'm super passionate about aviation (I almost chose flight school over business school, actually) and have committed to getting my private pilot's license by the time I'm 30 years old. I love reading both fiction and non-fiction (books on leadership and business have a place in my heart) and I like to go on occasional photography adventures with my roommates. Well, that's me in a nutshell! If you want to know more, I'm really approachable so feel free to reach out! PS - follow me on Instagram! @yosoykevHow did you choose your language of study?I chose Spanish because of how many countries it is spoken in worldwide. Through knowing the language, I open myself up to a multitude of opportunities in Europe, Central and South America, and the USA as well! I also considered the options I had for exchange when choosing my BIB language - there are more possible destinations and partner institutions in the Spanish stream than any other language in the BIB program.Have you travelled before?I haven't done much traveling before, which is probably why I am so excited for my exchange! However, in 2015 I visited Istanbul, Turkey for a few days after the school year had finished. I was taken aback at how rich the city was in culture! There was so much to see and do in such a short time. While I was there, the government had the city shut down to block protesters from reaching the town square (a few blocks from our Airbnb). It was through this experience that I realized how much bias the western media has. Friends and family were messaging me to see if I was still alive and okay due to the reports they were seeing on the news back home when, in reality, I felt 100% safe the entire time. The Istanbul trip really gave me perspective that I think a lot of people who haven't traveled lack. I'm looking forward to opening my own eyes even more while abroad in Chile!What three things must you pack?1. Camera 2. Eyeglasses (my stigmatism is absolutely ridiculous) 3. An open mind!What are you most looking forward to?I'm looking forward to exploring Patagonia and all of the other natural parks that Chile/South America have to offer! I also have a pretty sweet trip planned to Mendoza, Argentina (my favourite wine-producing region in the world)! It is situated on the west coast of Argentina and is approximately a four hour drive from Santiago through the Andes mountains. My friends and I plan to rent a car, drive through the mountains, and round out the trip with some great wine!