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Student Testimonials

Taylor Marouchoc - Alicante, Spain Taylor poses outside in a sprawling landscape in Spain.

Class of 2020
Physician Assistant Major
Program: Spanish Studies Abroad, Alicante, Spain, Summer Term 1 (June term), Summer 2019
Courses: Spanish (4 credits) and Culture Class (1 credit)

Favorite class/part of class?

I loved my culture class which was about tourism in Spain. I really enjoyed it because a huge part of the class was presenting so it gave me the chance to practice my Spanish in front of others as well as learn about the various cultures of students in the class.

What was the best part about your experience?

I really liked being immersed in the culture while living with a host family.

How has this experience has influenced you upon your return to America?

I learned a lot in Spain about the language and culture and I feel like it opened my eyes to a whole new way of living that I had never experienced before. It made me more open-minded and attentive to the world around me instead of focusing on just the U.S. in the small town where I live.

Why you would recommend studying abroad?

I would recommend studying abroad with a program like Spanish Studies Abroad to someone who is looking to improve their fluency in a second language and have an all-around cultural experience.

Denis Kennedy - Dublin, Ireland Denis experiences architecture in Dublin, Ireland.

Business Marketing Major
Class of 2020
Program: Dublin City University International Summer School, Summer 2019
Courses: Irish Culture and Society (3 credits); Media and Culture (3 credits)

What was the best part about your experience?

I really enjoyed making friends with the people on the trip and learning about the history of the country.

How has this experience has influenced you upon your return to America?

My journey over to Ireland really changed my perspective as to life outside of the US and some of the things we are blessed to have or things that we don’t have.

Why you would recommend studying abroad?

To anyone that is on the fence about studying abroad, I 100% recommend it. It was probably the greatest time of my life and I think it made me such a better person.

Jarrett Gabriel - Belfast, Northern Ireland Jarett poses in front of a rocky coastline in Northern Ireland.

Criminal Justice Major
Class of 2020
Program: Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Spring 2019
Recipient of Irish American Scholars Scholarship for semester study abroad

What was your favorite class?

I liked my Crime in the Media and Intro to Film classes. I loved the learning style of each class and how different it was from American education.

What was the best part about your experience?

The best part was traveling all over the country of Ireland and exploring so much of Western Europe.

Why you would recommend studying abroad?

It is an amazing chance to discover the world we live in, to step out of our comfort zones, meet new people, and finding out who we are as individuals.

Carina Hastings - Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany Carina at night while studying in Europe.

Physician Assistant Major
Class of 2020
Program: Democracy, Justice, and Rights: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, King’s Short-Term Faculty-Led Program, Summer 2019
Course: PHIL 189 – Philosophical Investigations

Favorite class/part of course?

My favorite part of the class was actually being in Europe and experiencing first-hand the type of culture and political system that we had talked about in class for weeks prior to the trip.

What was the best part about your experience?

My favorite part of the whole trip was getting to know the other students in the class, forming friendships and then having the time of our lives together in a totally new country and culture everyday. It was also really cool to get to know the professors outside of the classroom.

How has this experience has influenced you upon your return to America?

This experience has enlightened me to the ways in which our culture suffers. I think the fact that most Americans (including myself) are monolingual is quite sad. It has also enlightened me as to how bad America is on the environment because the amount of or should I say, lack of, cars even in big cities in Europe and the use of public transportation.

Why you would recommend studying abroad?

I would recommend studying abroad because it can alter your perspective of the world around you and open your mind to appreciate other cultures and adopt some aspects of another’s culture into your own. The trip I went on was a King’s trip so therefore I was with a group of King’s students that I had never known before class and we got to know each other very quickly and we had the best time together.

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