Meet the ambassador – Charlotte – SHARE, Germany

Name: Charlotte Bennett

School, Degree Programme: SHARE, BA History, third year

Host destination: Bremen, Germany

Tell us about your global opportunity—where did you go, and what did you do?
The Sustainability and Entrepreneurship Initiative is a two week blended programme, with the first week of introductions hosted virtually and the second week in-person. This year Cardiff students has to opportunity to attended the in-person segment in Bremen, North Germany, but this alternates annually and will be hosted in Cardiff in 2026. We visited beautiful sites in Bremen Universities campus and were offered plenty of walking tours to settle in. We worked in teams to create a sustainable product and then had the pleasure of presenting and answering a Q&A to an enthusiastic team Bremen lectures and specialists.

What surprised you the most about your host country/programme/time abroad?
The most surprising aspect of this experience was the supportive and enthusiasm I witnessed from my peers. All teams were incredibly excited by one another’s ideas and bounced off each other offering advice to other teams following team building exercises. This made settling in to a foreign country with a slightly different culture to England a lot more relaxing, whilst giving you the benefits of being out of your comfort zone.

What is the one thing you miss about your time abroad?
I will miss the beautiful scenery of Bremen and the adventure of exploring a new city, one of which I would not of visited otherwise,

What’s something you’re passionate about outside of your studies?
Outside of my studies I am very passionate about sustainability and find the uni offer a lot of opportunities regardless of a students experience. Nature is very important to me and a pretty defining feature of my lifestyle, so I enjoy looking after it in return.

What’s your favourite place on campus/in Cardiff?
Secret Garden, Bute Park

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year (a dream destination), where would it be—and why?
I would choose Spain. I have a keen interest in learning the language and am eligible to get my citizenship there so would like to remove the curse of a UK passport.

What’s a fun fact most people don’t know about you?
I have a twin sister non-identical which often forget to tell people, and has led to a few awkward interactions.

What advice would you give to students considering a global opportunity?
Educational, adventurous, social

What advice would you give to students considering a global opportunity?
Don’t feel overwhelmed by the initial idea of it, it is designed to support and prepare students and many before have doubted how well they would cope. It’s good to surprise yourself and a lovely thing to do abroad.