Center for Education Abroad

John W. Cole '19

International Relations/Economics  |  Procida, Italy

"I feel this is the absolute beauty and success of our program, because it is one of cultural immersion and experiential learning. I have learned so much more through meeting people on the island and voluntarily working for them than I could have from a book in a classroom. Books are important, and reading a historical guide of Procida provides valuable insight to island life, but that never actualizes to a legitimate perspective and understanding the way cultural immersion allows"

Zelalem Alabo '18

Digital Media Studies  |  Procida, Italy

The Experiential Learning program in Procida, Italy is unlike any study abroad experience. It is one thing to travel to a country to learn the language but it is another to be embedded into the community and make a mark amongst its people, culture, and history. This is what the “experiential learning” of the program accomplished.

Read the full testimonial here >

Tessa Zavislan '18

International Relations/History  |  Brussels, Belgium

“I was an intern in the European Parliament, which allowed me to meet people from around the world and supported me in doing work that I was passionate about. I also was part of a very small program (five people), which allowed me to form meaningful relationships and really positively impacted my whole experience.”

Gina Bolanos '18

Mechanical Engineering  |  Madrid, Spain

“IES Madrid had everything you can think about: sports, language exchanges, dance classes and so on! My favorite activity that I did throughout my semester was volunteer at a local school in Madrid as a English teacher assistant for 3rd graders. It was a rewarding experience as I was able to improve my Spanish and meet several local kids. It definitely made me look into possibly teaching English after graduation and made me fall in love with teaching.”

Eli Rogers '18

Molecular Genetics/French  |  Paris/Rennes, France and Haifa, Israel

“I would recommend study abroad to the highest degree; it was a life-changing experience that taught me more than I could have imagined about myself and about the world. I would specify, though, that anyone studying abroad should consider trying to have an experience that is not tourism, and trying to push themselves to be not in their comfort area. They will learn the most if they challenge themselves.”

Siobhán Seigne '19

Russian  |  St. Petersburg, Russia

“I’m on the track team and a lot of my team mates have come to me with questions about studying abroad. Despite being on a sports team and missing crucial training time, I think the long lasting impact of a study abroad program is very important. An acute awareness and tolerance as well as an appreciation of cultures different than our own are just some of the things a student learns while studying abroad. As someone who has been to Russia—a country that is stable but with a faltering economy—I think it is very important for students my age to garner an understanding of some of the impossible work and living situations some families find themselves in, especially without a governments and policy as forgiving as our own here in the United States.”