Arts & Science Student Receives Prestigious McCall MacBain International Fellowship

“There’s so much value in pushing yourself outside your comfort zone—that’s always where the most growth happens,” says Arts & Science student, Rya Adronov.

She is living her dream of spending time living abroad (and well outside of her comfort zone) during her undergraduate education as a 2025-26 recipient of the McCall MacBain International Fellowship. Rya will be living, studying, and working in South Korea for the next year. “I’m most looking forward to exploring different parts of the country and learning Korean, a language I have no experience in,” Rya shared. “I’ve always loved languages, so it’s an exciting challenge!”

Designed to enable globally-minded young Canadians to develop strong intercultural competencies and ties to different regions of the world, and to help them cultivate creativity, resilience, independence, and critical thinking, the McCall MacBain International Fellowships provide students with the opportunity to learn a language and live abroad, fully funded, for a year.

“It’s such an honour to have been selected as a Fellow,” said Rya. “And I’m incredibly grateful to the McCall MacBain Foundation for creating these opportunities for young Canadians to become more globally-minded citizens.”

Rya joins six other Arts & Science students who have been awarded year-long McCall MacBain International Fellowships in the past: Parnika Godkhindi (Morocco), Zia Mawani, Faris Mecklai (Uruguay), Kartik Sharma (Argentina), Sneha Wadwhani (Argentina), and Tasneem Warwani (Lebanon).

We caught up with Rya after two months living abroad. Hear what she had to say:

What attracted you to live/study in South Korea?

I chose South Korea for a number of reasons, but the deciding factor was that I knew it would challenge me more than any of the other countries I was considering. When I arrived in Seoul just under two months ago, I spoke zero Korean and had no real connections in the country. I also had the spice tolerance of an infant, which isn’t ideal for Korean cuisine! I felt incredibly overwhelmed and out of my depth my first week here, and I struggled to imagine myself living here for twelve whole months. The thought that kept me going was knowing that as hard as it was, I was growing from the experience—that was my ultimate goal when I began the process of applying to the Fellowship nearly a year ago.

Since then, I’ve grown in ways I hadn’t imagined were possible, and with so much of my year here left to go, I can’t wait to see how else this experience challenges me and what I’ll learn in the process.

Can you share a bit about life since arriving?

I’ve begun my language term, the first of the Fellowship’s three terms: language learning, work, and academic. I spend most of my days studying Korean at a language school here—I’ve found it to be a slow process to build up enough vocabulary and grammar knowledge to be able to communicate, but I’m beginning to notice myself understanding much more of what I hear and gaining confidence in speaking with people. Recently, I visited Namdaemum Market, a famous market that sells everything from traditional foods to secondhand electronics. I ordered everything in Korean, and even managed to converse with the shopkeepers there. They’re small steps to celebrate, but they represent a lot of progress from where I started!

In my spare time, I’ve joined the Camarata Chamber Choir, an ensemble in which I’ve been able to connect with both Korean people and other expats. I’ve also gotten involved with the Korea-based World Council on Isotopes, a follow-up to my summer research on radioisotopes with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, as well as with a local English class for Korean children—a great way to practice Korean with people closer to my language skill level!

How do you feel this experience connects to your Arts & Science education?

Artsci’s focus on globally-minded learning and developing a diversity of skill sets ties in very well to the Fellowship’s missions. I’m grateful that Artsci has afforded me the flexibility to pursue the Fellowship experience, and that it has trained me to think deeply about the world around me and to interrogate my own beliefs and reactions to new environments and ideas. I also feel that Artsci has equipped me well for turning my focus from taking primarily STEM courses last year to learning a language full-time—the range of fields we study in Artsci has taught me flexibility in tailoring my study skills and curiosity to any subject.

About the McCall MacBain International Fellowship

The McCall MacBain International Fellowship (MMIF) aims to enable globally-minded youth in Canada to develop strong intercultural competencies and ties to different regions of the world, and to cultivate creativity, resilience, independence, critical thinking and the ability to “stretch” outside of their comfort zones. The McMaster Student Success Centre (SSC) oversees McMaster University’s partnership with the McCall MacBain Foundation regarding the MMIF opportunity, and supports students by offering application guidance, interview preparation, pre-departure activities, in-country and post-return support.

Applications are now open for the 2026-27 McCall MacBain International Fellowship year. There are up to 10 Fellowships available at McMaster University, with up to $30,000 available per Fellowship. Fellows for the 2026-2027 year will depart between June and August 2026. Learn more and apply here.

McMaster students are invited to attend a virtual MMIF Overview and Peer Panel Discussion on October 30 from 12PM – 1:30PM (link to register) or join MMIF Applicant Drop-In Session on November 10 (link to register) or November 26 (link to register) from 1:30PM – 3:30PM both days.

Have questions? Email your SSC/Global Experience Coordinator at globalcareers@mcmaster.ca.