{"id":7095,"date":"2026-10-13T08:07:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/?p=7095"},"modified":"2026-10-13T08:07:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:07:40","slug":"meet-the-go-ambassador-2026-27-catherine-lopez-paez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-go-ambassador-2026-27-catherine-lopez-paez\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the GO Ambassador 2026\/27 – Catherine Lopez Paez"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
Name: <\/strong>Catherine<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

\nSchool, degree programme and year of study: <\/strong>School of Law and Politics, Law LLB , final year<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

\nHost destination: <\/strong>America<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your experience abroad<\/h3>\n
Tell us about your global opportunity\u2014where did you go, and what did you do?<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
I spent my year abroad at the University of Florida. I took a mix of law related modules and a couple of classes I got to choose myself. I got to build my legal skills through debating, drafting arguments and presenting in mock legal environments, while also taking completely different classes like US law enforcement, wildlife and Spanish. Outside of class, I got to travel within the US but also beyond, which was incredible!! I signed up to almost everything I could and really got to experience what American student life was like first-hand.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

What surprised you the most about your host country\/programme\/time abroad?
\n<\/strong>What surprised me was how easy it was to settle into life in the US. Everyone was so friendly, which made adapting much easier than I expected. I was also amazed by how much there was to get involved in outside of classes. There was always a club, event or something new to try every day, which made campus life so much fun and meant I was always meeting new people and doing something different.<\/p>\n

What is the one thing you miss about your time abroad?
\nI miss how exciting every day felt. I would wake up to amazing weather, get ready with my friends for game days and experience the insane Gator atmosphere, where the whole campus was filled with orange and blue before heading to the stadium!<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

<\/h3>\n


\nA bit about you!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What\u2019s something you\u2019re passionate about outside of your studies?
\n<\/strong>I love travelling and exploring new places. Put me in a new country and I\u2019ll want to see everything, try everything and find the secret hidden spots!! if I\u2019ve got a free day at home , I\u2019m usually looking up somewhere new, hopping on a train or bus and seeing where the day takes me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

What\u2019s your favourite place on campus\/in Cardiff?
\n<\/strong>I love the Main University Building. Every time I walk in, it genuinely feels like I\u2019m stepping into a castle. It somehow makes me romanticise studying and feel a little more motivated just by being there.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year (a dream destination)<\/i>, where would it be\u2014and why?
\n<\/strong>Definitely Japan! There’s so much to do and see, and I love how it seems so modern and futuristic but still has so much culture and history. I\u2019d want to explore as much as possible and just experience what everyday life there is like. Tokyo is definitely high on my list, and I\u2019d 100% have to try the Mario Kart experience!<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
What\u2019s a fun fact most people don\u2019t know about you?
\n<\/strong>I played the violin in an orchestra for 8 years<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Reflections and Advice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Describe your global experience in three words<\/strong><\/strong>
\nsurreal , spontaneous , enriching<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
What advice would you give to students considering a global opportunity?
\n<\/strong>Just go for it!!!
\nIt might feel scary at first, but you\u2019ll come back with unforgettable memories, so much more confidence and a completely different idea of what you\u2019re capable of. You\u2019ll be so glad you gave yourself the chance!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Name: Catherine School, degree programme and year of study: School of Law and Politics, Law LLB , final year Host destination: America   Your experience abroad Tell us about your […]","protected":false},"author":7101,"featured_media":7096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[475,269],"tags":[535],"class_list":["post-7095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-go-student-ambassadors","category-international-exchange","tag-go-ambassador-profile"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4QQbz-1Qr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6185,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-ambassador-catherine\/","url_meta":{"origin":7095,"position":0},"title":"Meet the ambassador – Catherine – LAWPL, Czech Republic","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"October 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Catherine Parkins School, Degree Programme: Law and Politics, LLB Law with a Year Abroad, Third Year Host destination: Prague, Czech Republic Tell us about your global opportunity\u2014where did you go, and what did you do? A Year Abroad at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, studying law What surprised you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/10\/Picture1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6903,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-go-ambassador-2026-27-james-carter\/","url_meta":{"origin":7095,"position":1},"title":"Meet the GO Ambassador 2026\/27 – James Carter","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"September 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: James Carter\u00a0 School, degree programme and year of study: School of Law and Politics, International Relations and Politics with YoSA, final year Host destination:Freiburg University, Germany \u00a0 Your experience abroad Tell us about your global opportunity\u2014where did you go, and what did you do? I went to Freiburg University\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_3171_James-Carter-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_3171_James-Carter-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_3171_James-Carter-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_3171_James-Carter-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_3171_James-Carter-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_3171_James-Carter-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6556,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-exchange-ambassador-leila\/","url_meta":{"origin":7095,"position":2},"title":"Meet the Exchange Ambassador – Leila","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"July 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Leila Remak School and Degree programme: School of Law and Politics - International Relations and Politics Host University: The University of Hong Kong Tell us about why you chose to study abroad\u00a0 I always knew that I wanted to do something exciting during my time at uni, and I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GO Student Ambassadors"","block_context":{"text":"GO Student Ambassadors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/go-student-ambassadors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/07\/CIMG2043_Leila-Remak-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/07\/CIMG2043_Leila-Remak-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/07\/CIMG2043_Leila-Remak-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/07\/CIMG2043_Leila-Remak-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/07\/CIMG2043_Leila-Remak-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/07\/CIMG2043_Leila-Remak-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6874,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-go-ambassador-2026-27-jessica-santley-dilley\/","url_meta":{"origin":7095,"position":3},"title":"Meet the GO Ambassador 2026\/27 – Jessica Santley-Dilley","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"September 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Jessica Santley-Dilley School, degree programme and year of study: School of Law and Politics, BSc Econ International Relations and Politics, Third year Host destination: Konstanz, Germany \u00a0 Your experience abroad Tell us about your global opportunity\u2014where did you go, and what did you do? I completed a year of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/Ambassador-profile-photo_Jessica-Santley-Dill-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/Ambassador-profile-photo_Jessica-Santley-Dill-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/Ambassador-profile-photo_Jessica-Santley-Dill-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/Ambassador-profile-photo_Jessica-Santley-Dill-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/Ambassador-profile-photo_Jessica-Santley-Dill-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/Ambassador-profile-photo_Jessica-Santley-Dill-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6775,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-go-ambassador-2026-27-luca-christopher\/","url_meta":{"origin":7095,"position":4},"title":"Meet the GO Ambassador 2026\/27 – Luca Christopher","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"September 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Luca Christopher School, degree programme and year of study: LAWPL, Law, Year 4 Host destination: Madrid Your experience abroad Tell us about your global opportunity\u2014where did you go, and what did you do? I went to Madrid to study Law at Comillas University. I was able to study a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_4822_Luca-Christopher-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_4822_Luca-Christopher-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_4822_Luca-Christopher-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_4822_Luca-Christopher-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_4822_Luca-Christopher-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/09\/IMG_4822_Luca-Christopher-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6515,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/meet-the-exchange-ambassador-mathilda\/","url_meta":{"origin":7095,"position":5},"title":"Meet the Exchange Ambassador – Mathilda","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"June 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Mathilda School and Degree programme: SHARE Archaeology Bsc Host University: Tubingen Host Country: Germany Tell us about why you chose to study abroad One of the reasons I chose Cardiff university was due to the fact I could undertake a study abroad. It is a great opportunity and I've\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_9205_Mathilda-Bennett-Mac.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_9205_Mathilda-Bennett-Mac.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_9205_Mathilda-Bennett-Mac.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_9205_Mathilda-Bennett-Mac.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_9205_Mathilda-Bennett-Mac.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/06\/IMG_9205_Mathilda-Bennett-Mac.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2026\/10\/IMG_6427_Catherine-Lopez-Paez-scaled.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7095"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7116,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7095\/revisions\/7116"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}