Students share their experiences studying outside the U.S.
What is your favorite experience from your time abroad so far?
My favorite experience from my time abroad so far was being able to see the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo with my friends. It is always an amazing view of the sun setting over Florence.
-Mallie Selinske ’23
What is your favorite experience from your time abroad so far?
One of my favorite experiences abroad has been visiting Córdoba, Spain in February. Three of my roommates at St. Joe’s are also studying abroad this semester, and we chose to meet up in Córdoba for a weekend. It is not a major city at all, so we really got to experience authentic Spanish culture in a way you might not get to if you go to Barcelona or Madrid. The Tapas alone were enough motivation to visit, but seeing my roommates was fun too.
-Aileen Keane ’23
(right) dined at a rooftop restaurant.
What are you most looking forward to during the second half of your semester abroad?
I am looking forward to exploring the rest of Italy in my remaining time here. Unfortunately, in the program I am enrolled in I am not allowed to leave the country, but I have been able to explore a lot of this beautiful country; Pisa, Milan, Venice, Verona, Bologna, Turin, and Cortina. For the few weekends we have left, we have exciting trips planned for the south of Italy including Rome, Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Sardinia, Naples and Capri!
-Maddie Hartman ’23
What is your favorite aspect of being abroad?
My favorite aspect of being abroad is being able to try all the new food. I am a huge foodie, so whenever I see anything that looks new and good to me, I go out of my way to try it, and it is so easy in Madrid. My host mom also makes delicious home-cooked Spanish food for me every night, which is all I could ask for.
-Sam Gingerich ’23
Rome, Italy.
What is your favorite aspect of being abroad?
My favorite aspect of being abroad is most definitely the lifestyle. In Italy, everything is super laid back, from the meals we eat to our class schedule. I love going on long walks or runs in the morning and having the most amazing views of the Arno river and landscapes. I also love spending time with the people from my program — we’ve quickly all become best friends.
-Emma Gugliemini ’23
Museo de San Francisco in Ecuador.
What is your favorite aspect of being abroad?
Through my time abroad, I have been fortunate enough to meet people from all over the world. In Ecuador, I met with officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, salsa danced with an Afro-Ecuadorian professional dancer from the province of Esmeralda in Ecuador and ate dinner with a couple who managed a rose farm and wrote political journalism.
In Barcelona, I’ve eaten dinner with a family from Senegal, participated in a language exchange program with a woman from Catalonia, interviewed fishermen and small business owners who’ve traveled from other parts of Spain and gone out with other foreign exchange students from Iran, Germany and Italy.
-Caren Teague ’23
