Study Abroad: As an undergraduate, UH Hilo alum Lichen Forster traveled to Aotearoa and Perú to study geology
Lichen Forster first spent a semester in Aotearoa studying geochemistry. Next was a year-long research program focusing on geophysics, which featured a month-long stop in Peru.
By Lauren Aoki/UH Hilo Stories.
Before graduating in 2025, University of Hawai’i at Hilo geology student Lichen Forster studied abroad extensively in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Perú as an undergraduate and made stops in multiple other countries across the globe.
Raised in Puna, Forster, who goes by the pronouns they/them, graduated from Waiākea High School in 2021 and enrolled at UH Hilo the same year. While an undergraduate, they conducted research with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory under the guidance of mentors UH Hilo Professor of Geology Lis Gallant and volcanologist Kendra Lynn with the U.S. Geological Survey, then graduated last semester with a bachelor’s of science in geology.
For four years while at UH Hilo, Forster worked with the college’s student-run newspaper Ke Kalahea and now plans to pursue a career in science journalism.
“I want to continue strengthening my science communications skills, it’s so important that scientists can share what we do with everyone,” Forster says.
Because the pursuit of knowledge has no boundaries, it often leads one outside home turf and Forster is no exception. A love of science is a great source of inspiration to explore the international science community and push beyond current knowledge.
“We learn and grow so much by leaving home,” Forester says.
From Aotearoa to Peru
Forster first spent a semester in Aotearoa studying geochemistry. Next was a year-long research program focusing on geophysics, which featured a month-long stop in Perú.
Both programs were either partially or fully sponsored through UH Hilo’s Study Abroad program. The Aotearoa trip was funded by over $2,000 in scholarships from the McVickar family and the previous director of the Global Exchange program. Meanwhile, the studies in Perú were fully funded by the IRES program, which paid for both the trip and research work.
In Perú, Forster collaborated with students from a variety of universities, education levels, and disciplines, ranging from environmental science to biogeochemistry, engineering, and political and social sciences. Collaboration was key in working together on projects addressing water resources for the local Indigenous communities.
“The program is based on the topic of water resources for Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Andes,” says Forster. “I went as a geology student and did a geophysics project.”
The international travels didn’t stop there. After New Zealand, Forster visited Europe, meeting up with friends to have some fun exploring foreign cities together.
English and beyond
When recalling the hardest part of the international travels, Forster points to the language barrier that made even the simplest of interactions difficult. “Sometimes the hardest part for me was just figuring out where to buy something I needed.”
Though learning independence in a foreign country enabled growth of confidence and capability in everyday interactions, Forster also realized how privileged it is to be an English speaker abroad.
“I had a lot of realizations about myself as an English speaker during my various experiences,” says Forster. “English speakers are very lucky to be able to travel almost anywhere in the world and communicate in our own language.”
Because English is the most spoken language in the world, even when you’re in a country where it’s not the dominant or native language, there’s still a likely chance you’ll find a fluent speaker nearby. Knowing English when traveling affords the speaker a freedom and agency that a non-speaker doesn’t have. This realization was not taken lightly by Forster, who was then inspired to learn other languages as well.
“Going to Aotearoa exposed me to people from all over the world and inspired me to start learning their languages on my own,” says Forster, encouraging other English speakers to do the same, to learn the native language of the place they’re visiting instead of relying on English alone. Doing so shows both respect to the culture and country and makes travels more immersive and profound.
“This is a privilege but I would encourage every English speaker to learn some of the language of the places they visit,” says Forster. “Not only is it respectful to the people there but it makes traveling more impactful when you can share in the languages spoken there everyday.” Even the slightest of linguistic knowledge makes all the difference.
“I found this to be true even though I was never near fluent in French or Spanish, even being able to communicate what you’d like at a bakery is so fun!” says Forster.
On to graduate school
Now a UH Hilo alum, Forster recalls the time studying abroad as memorable, for both enriching their worldview and expanding career opportunities. Even after returning, the connections made still prove to be beneficial. In December, Forster presented at the American Geophysical Union conference with the help of the IRES program.
“The experience was educational from a cultural standpoint and exposed me to new skills in my field,” says Forster.
Forster thanks UH Hilo’s Global Exchange Office for all the support and encourages other students to turn to them for guidance. Studying abroad doesn’t have to be intimidating; the experience is well worth the time and may not even cost a penny to do it.
“I encourage every student to try to study abroad,” Forster says. “There are lots of opportunities and sometimes they are fully funded.”
Forster plans to continue with higher education and is already exploring different graduate options, hoping to continue the work researching mineral geochemistry as a scientific journalist, enriched by the time abroad.
Story by Lauren Aoki, an English major with a minor in anthropology at UH Hilo. She is literary editor at the university’s student publications Kanilehua and Hohonu.
