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General Education Writing

Student Highlights

Outstanding GEW Student of the Month for April 2015 - Tina Frantzen

Picture of Tina Frantzen smiling.

Interview with GEW student of the month, Tina Frantzen:

This month’s student profile features Tina Frantzen, who is Professor Charlotte Strauwald’s GEW student. Tina was born and raised in Narvik, Norway. Narvik has beautiful views of fjords and mountains, and the northern lights can also be viewed there. Tina made a conscious choice to go beyond her comfort zone and come to San Marcos to continue her education. She explained, “I honestly could attend college for free in Norway. I live two minutes from a university, and I could get my bachelor’s degree with no student loans.” Despite how easy it would have been to stay in Norway, she thought coming to CSUSM would provide her with a unique opportunity. She said, “CSUSM offers international students from Norway the chance to start right at sophomore year (with 30 credits) because we go to high school for a year more than American kids.” Tina knew she wanted to study business, so that solidified her decision to attend CSUSM.

 

When asked, Tina said that she enjoys GEW because she gains new knowledge in every class session. Tina initially struggled with GEW and found it overwhelming, but she has started to adapt to the demands of college writing. She said, “Back in Norway I used to get good grades on my papers, and I felt confident about my writing, but when I moved here I was really disappointed when I got my first papers back . . . It was like learning how to write all over again, especially in another language.”  Tina credits working with Professor Strauwald as one reason her writing has improved quickly. She also said, “I feel like I think differently when I write my papers now, and it’s a good feeling when your hard work pays off.”

Tina is truly enjoying California and all that the San Diego area has to offer. She says that the people she’s met have been very welcoming and that there is a lot to explore and participate in. She said, “I'm never bored; I love the nice weather and the beach. I'm from the Northern part of Norway, so it doesn't get really hot during the summer over there, compared to California.” She also described how during the winter in Norway, there is no sunlight for a couple of months. In Norway, she enjoys skiing and snowmobiling, as well as hiking.

Congratulations to Tina for being selected as the Outstanding GEW Student!