Since graduating last spring, Claire James has climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan, wakeboarded on the Han River in South Korea, and learned how to say “hello” in three new languages. She has also worked with international organizations to assist in English language programs and microfinance initiatives.

As the inaugural recipient of the Wolff Fellowship, created by the generosity of Paul Martin Wolff (’63) and Rhea S. Schwartz, James was given $45,000 and granted the opportunity to create her ideal year of traveling internationally, pursuing her passions without financial burdens. Eight months into her year of travel, James says the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been astonishing.

“It is incredible to me how much life can be lived in a couple hundred days,” James says. “I could spend hours telling you about the amazing food I’ve eaten, the places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met.”

James graduated with degrees in international studies and economics, with certificates in European studies and French. This year, she is using the opportunity to apply what she learned in the classroom to the real world, traveling to five countries and exploring organizations with a message that aligns with her aspirations.

It is incredible to me how much life can be lived in a couple hundred days. I could spend hours telling you about the amazing food I’ve eaten, the places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met.

Starting her journey in June, James traveled to Nagasaki, Japan, where she worked alongside other interns from Wisconsin and Minnesota at the Guy Healy English Language Summer Camps. She then traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to volunteer at the International University Exchange Center, which supports Korean students preparing to study abroad in Wisconsin through language and culture classes. James is currently in Lilongwe, Malawi, interning at ACADES, a microfinance organization that provides business, input and irrigation loans to groups of youth and female farmers.

“I remember I first heard about microfinance and village savings and loan associations in an econ class as a sophomore at UW, and I was really interested, but those don’t exist in Madison,” says James. “In Malawi, I’ve been able to tangibly see applied economics—applying the theories, the principles and the practices that I’ve learned about in the classroom to real life, real places, real people.”

In the coming months, James will also travel to Gurugram, India, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she will work to strengthen community-led development initiatives and take immersive classes in Spanish.

In planning her year, James was intentional about the organizations that she would work with, making local leadership and ties to Wisconsin priorities.

“It was really important to me that the groups I worked with had individuals from those places who are also actively involved in the project,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that the projects I was contributing to were being spearheaded by people from those communities who live with those challenges and really know the ins and outs of how best to go about solving a problem.”

Outside of her work with these organizations, James has had the freedom to explore the countries she has visited. From safaris and cooking classes to host-family visits and sunrises on Mt. Fuji, James has made it her goal to make the most of her time abroad.

“I really am trying to make sure that I am appreciating these experiences, because I understand that this is not the norm,” she says. “Having the privilege to be able to travel and go to these places and receive the welcome that I have and the freedom to move around—it is not lost on me that this year is truly something to be so grateful for.”

Despite being able to experience many bucket-list destinations and activities, James says that the connections she has made in every country have been the most fulfilling part of her travels.

“I am constantly amazed—in every place I visit—how people are so willing to welcome you in,” she says. “After spending three days with a host family in Japan, we kept in touch over the summer months and shared meals and visited so many beautiful spots in their city. They even invited me to their great-aunt’s restaurant and made me an honored guest.”

Although James has four months (and two countries) left on her journey, she says that this experience has inspired her as she looks ahead to her future, which may include graduate school and work in economics and diplomacy.

“If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that I want to work internationally in the future,” she says. “I have loved meeting people and making connections and learning in an international setting.”