News

Studying abroad: From a dream, to reality

Hi! I’m Shannon and I’m a senior duel majoring in Sociology and Public Relations. I went abroad to Florence in the fall of my junior year and it was by far the best semester of my college career (and probably the best three and a half months of my life!). Ever since I was little, I’ve been in love with the idea of traveling the world. So, when it came time to choose a college, a top-tier study abroad program was number one on my list of requirements. I can say will full confidence that Syracuse was the right choice for exactly that!

Because I’ve always loved traveling, and have always dreamt of study abroad, trying to choose from all the diverse abroad programs offered at Syracuse seemed like an impossible decision for me. I started attending the abroad fairs and talking to my academic advisers about my plans to go abroad the second I got to campus, but when junior year rolled around and it was time to make a decision I still felt overwhelmed. I was torn between the London program because there are some classes offered at the London center that could count toward my Newhouse major, and the Florence program because the opportunity to experience the culture, art, and history of Italy really interested me.

Obviously, I ended up choosing the Florence program, and it’s the best decision I ever made! The language barrier, cultural differences, and chance to live with a host family are some of the aspects of my semester abroad that most challenged me; however, I know that those are also the things that taught me the most about myself, and helped me grow as a person. The language difference and host family experience specifically were aspects of the Florence program that initially scared me and made me seriously consider choosing the London program instead. But, looking back, I wish I could have told myself not to be worried about those things because they’d end up being some of the best parts of my abroad experience!

Being worried about living in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and living with a family you’ve never met is perfectly reasonable, and it’s something that almost every student is nervous about before they go abroad. But seriously, take it from an abroad alum, don’t let that fear choose your abroad program for you! You will have an absolutely amazing experience and you’ll look back and laugh at yourself for being so stressed over those things. I’m SO happy I chose to study in Florence, and I know if I had let my fear of the language barrier and living with a host family dictate my experience, I never would have learned or grown as much during my time abroad as I did. At the end of the day, every single abroad program offered at Syracuse is an amazing opportunity to expand your horizons, experience a new culture, and challenge yourself to try new things. You will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience regardless of where you go, so choose the program that speaks to your heart and just take the leap! I promise you won’t regret it.

Shannon Bozman ’20

Florence Center, Fall 2018

Finding my religion in Madrid

Hola! My name is Ariel Hylton and I recently graduated in the Class of 2020 at Syracuse University. I majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish and studied abroad in Madrid in the Fall of 2018. I loved every second of abroad! I really wanted to be immersed in the culture and practice speaking and communicating with others in Spanish. I chose Spanish Identities for my seminar and loved exploring Northern Spain and a couple cities in Portugal and France. This seminar was carried out solely in Spanish and I gained so much from it. I also traveled to so many different countries. Being able to learn from locals and their cultures was incredible. But I was still looking for more during my abroad experience.

As a Jewish woman, I was worried about going abroad. I was so used to celebrating the High Holidays with my family, friends and peers in a place I’m very comfortable going to and wasn’t sure if I’d ever find a similar community. However, I discovered KAHAL, an organization providing Jewish students with various Jewish experiences throughout the world.

Being invited into a new community may be scary and worrisome at first, but attending services for various Jewish holidays was the best decision I ever made. I attended services at a local synagogue in Madrid for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah. I met those who were also Jewish students studying abroad in Madrid, locals and individuals passionate about Judaism. In addition, the services were led in English and Spanish. Because I was fluent in Spanish, I was able to communicate with the other congregants and learn from them.

A local family also invited me into their home for a Hanukkah dinner. This was an experience and evening I will never forget. The family provided me with a delightful meal and included me in their own service. I truly felt at home. I remember going back to my host mom’s apartment and telling her how much I enjoyed spending the evening with that family. My parents were also thrilled to hear that I connected with other Jews.

I also loved learning more about what it’s like to practice Judaism in another country, especially in Spain. Toledo, a small city just outside of Madrid, is historically known for their Jewish community. I was able to visit Toledo during my time abroad, see various synagogues and discover how the Jewish people in this city practice Judaism.

My host mom in Madrid was always so willing to talk to me about being Jewish in Madrid and Spain in general. During the days when I left to go to High Holiday services, my host mom showed interest in my religious experiences the moment I walked through the door. I was able to teach her about my religion and she then shared a little about her own. Even though my own parents weren’t there to talk and spend time with me, my host mom always made me feel important as I celebrated these holidays in Madrid.

KAHAL and the experiences this organization provided me with truly enhanced my experience studying abroad in another country and city. I recommend KAHAL to any Jewish student planning on studying abroad. It really made me feel at home even when I was miles and plane rides away from my family and friends in the United States. Whether you’re traveling to Madrid, Paris, Prague, Shanghai or Sydney, KAHAL will connect you to immersive experiences in your local community! Check out KAHAL’s website for more information: https://kahalabroad.org

 

Ariel Hylton ’20

Syracuse Madrid

Adventures in Strasbourg

Eva KBonjour! My name is Eva Kamman and I’m a junior here at Syracuse studying environmental engineering. I studied abroad in the fall of 2018 at the Syracuse Center in Strasbourg, France. I chose this program for two main reasons. The first is that my family is French so being able to live there made me feel much closer to those relatives. In fact, in a weird way, it kind of felt like going home. The second was that I was able to take classes both at the Syracuse Center and at l’Institut national des sciences appliquées de Strasbourg (one of the premier engineering schools in France). Taking classes at INSA allowed me to regularly be in the same building as French engineering students and occasionally work with them. In one class, we had a few lectures where each SU undergraduate was partnered with an INSA graduate student to solve problem sets. While I was abroad, I took statics, electrical engineering fundamentals, calculus III, French IV, and I had an internship for credit.

When I went abroad, I definitely didn’t expect to hold an internship. However, the SU Center has a fantastic program that places interested students into positions around Strasbourg and I felt it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I was matched with a research professor at INSA and worked with him for a few hours each week in his student office where I was able to collaborate with his other student researchers. My work was focused on standardized precipitation evapotranspiration indexes and developing a method for calculating potential evapotranspiration in different climatic regions around the world. Being able to work with my advisor in a completely different setting than what I am used to was beneficial to both my academic and professional growth. Eva K

Though I’ve talked a lot about my academic experience so far, I am a strong believer that you shouldn’t go abroad just for the academics. Europe’s accessible transportation took me all around the continent – some notable places were Barcelona, Munich (for Oktoberfest!), and Greece. Each trip that I planned with my friends tested our organizational skills a little bit more. After all, I had always relied on my family to plan trips for me. Of course, there were the occasional flight cancellations or AirBnb mess ups, but we were always together and made the best out of whatever situation we were thrown in.

Studying abroad was probably the best decision I have made in my college career so far. I don’t think that I would be as successful either personally, academically, or professionally as I am today had I not taken advantage of the SUAbroad program. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Merci beaucoup et bientôt.

 

Eva Kamman ’21

Syracuse Strasbourg

Syracuse London’s Virtual Classroom

Syracuse London’s Virtual Classroom showcases the incredible work of professors and students as they continued learning together online and invites you to join them with a rich array of digital resources. Interview a Tube driver and take a ride underground on the Mail Rail; explore internet subcultures and use virtual reality to walk in a refugee’s shoes; or glimpse the Crown Jewels and propose a temporary exhibit at one of London’s iconic museums: https://sulondon.syr.edu/academics/virtual-classroom/.

Learn more about the city of London, Center academics or even student work related to local culture, national history and global issues. Virtual London uses videos and interactive storytelling to place you right inside Syracuse London!

Syracuse Abroad Center Director Awarded ‘One University Award’

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Congratulations to Juliet Golden, Center Director of Syracuse Abroad’s Central Europe program for receiving the Teaching Recognition Award. The Teaching Recognition Award is sponsored by the Meredith Professors to benefit non-tenured faculty members. It recognizes excellence in teaching and fosters a culture of collegial mentoring among faculty members.

Juleit’s work on the Exploring Central Europe program combines scholarly texts and first-hand sources with engaged research work from students. She works tirelessly to stress the important of local histories and memories of Europe’s past and present – which ultimately shape the future. Juliet’s unique teaching style allows students to understand the importance of the historical sites, and encourages them to ask critically important questions as global citizens of the world.

Margaret Himley, Director of LGBT Studies, notes Juliet’s accomplishments as Center Director for Syracuse Abroad:

“Juliet has always brought such a deep commitment to nurturing students as learners, as activists, as persons with unique hopes and goals and challenges. It’s inspiring to read what students have accomplished after being in this amazing abroad program, and who they have become.”

With a master’s in International Affairs and a Ph.D. in International Education, Professor Juliet Golden has designed and taught innovative courses about Central Europe for more than 10 years. Her deep interest in the history of Central Europe developed through research and her journalistic work in the region. Her interests include politics of memory, the Holocaust, urban spaces and architecture as well as photography. Exploring Central Europe is a fall-only semester program in which students travel to various locations throughout the semester, with their home base located in Wroclaw, Poland. Students investigate sites tied to WWII, the Holocaust, and Soviet totalitarian rule and learn about the complexity of issues related to history and social justice in comparative ways.

Syracuse University announced its 2020 One University Awards on May 8, honoring members of the University community for their scholarship, teaching, academic achievement, leadership and service.

This year’s awards include the Chancellor’s Citations for Excellence, 50 Years of Service Awards, Annual Milestone Years of Service Recognition, the Teaching Recognition Award, the Teaching Recognition Continuing Excellence Award, the Chancellor’s Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship and the Student-Athlete Award.

 

For more Award recipients read: One University Awards

 

Congratulations to Syracuse Abroad alumni Fulbright recipients!

Congratulations to all Fulbright recipients on this prestigious honor. Of the 7 Syracuse Undergraduates awarded Fulbrights this year, all students studied through Syracuse Abroad during their college careers. Syracuse Abroad is so proud to support these students on their next journey abroad!

Mackenzie Ryan studied in London in Fall 2017. She went on to intern in The White House as part of Syracuse’s Washington Semester Program with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Kenzie graduated in 2019 as a policy studies and political science graduate, and is now pursuing her MPA at Syracuse. She’s heading to Taiwan as an English Teaching Assistant.

Erin Elliott studied at Syracuse London in Fall 2018 and did a great deal with our Remembrance Program. She is graduating this year with a triple major in English and textual studies, fine arts, and public relations. She’s off to Norway!

Samar Al-Any also spent Fall 2018 at Syracuse London Center, and is off to Turkey.

Gwendolyn Burke participated in the London summer session in 2019, and she’s heading to Vietnam.

Leah Garlock, heading to South Korea, was part of the Spring 2015 Design Program in London

Jamie Lustig studied at the Madrid Center in Fall 2018 and is heading back to Spain!

Emma Ettinger studied at Oxford with our World Partner Program.

 

Learn more about all recipients here via SU News.

Real-World Learning in a Time of Pandemic

Our very own Syracuse London instructor Becca Farnum provides unique insights on classroom topics and positive remote learning opportunities amid COVID-19.

Seven program alumni named 2020 University Scholars

Syracuse University has announced its 12 University Scholars for the 2019- 2020 academic year and more than half have participated in Syracuse Abroad programs during their collegiate career. The University Scholar award is the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows and is based on academic achievement, independent research and creative work, and innovation in students’ chosen field. Several students attended Syracuse Abroad Centers, including London and Florence Centers, as well as one of our World Partner programs in Australia.

The impact of Syracuse Abroad is reflected through:2020 scholars

  • Nicole Stallings-Blanche (London, Spring 2019)
  • Morgan Trau (London, Spring 2019)
  • Margaret Garber (Discovery Florence, Fall 2016)
  • Natasha Liston-Beck (Architecture in Florence, Fall 2018)
  • Nicholas Barba (Hong Kong, Fall 2018)
  • Natalia Rice (Madrid, Spring 2019)
  • Bethany Murphy (World Partner – U. New South Wales, Spring 2019)

Becca Farnum, Community Outreach Advocate at Syracuse London, speaks about her interactions with Nicole and Morgan last spring in London. Nicole participated in the Design program and Morgan participated in the Syracuse London Lockerbie exchange.

“It was a pleasure to have Nicole and Morgan at the London Center in Spring 2019. Nicole participated in our special Design Program, making use of London’s rich cultural sector. During her semester abroad, Morgan travelled to Lockerbie with London staff to tour Pan Am Flight 103 sites. She met with first responders and taught a lesson on journalism to local Scottish pupils.”

“Syracuse London is also thrilled to see Bethany Murphy on this list, who will be travelling to the UK this autumn as a 2020 Marshall Scholar. Bethany served as a speaker for our “Gender & Science” Symposium in November 2020, Skyping into Imperial College London to talk about women in STEM.”

Amy Kleine, Assistant Director for Health and Wellness at Syracuse Florence, remembers Margaret as a 1st year student who participated in the Syracuse Abroad Discovery program where students can start their university career abroad.

“Margaret was all things we hope for in a study abroad student. She was a stellar student, who actively sought out opportunities for cultural immersion and was a leader among her Discovery Florence group. Kind, compassionate and full of life, Margaret, even as a first year student, showed her potential for great success in her academic career.”

Jessica Volpe, Assistant Director for Student Life at Syracuse Florence, reflects on her time with Natasha during her architecture program.

“My interaction with Natasha was very limited, but I can say that unlike many architecture students, she had requested to live in a homestay as opposed to an apartment. It think it says a lot about her character and her openness to learn about a new culture, particularly given the increased intensity of her program. From what I remember she also got along very well with her host family – a great success, I would say!”

View all 2020 Syracuse University Scholars here: https://news.syr.edu/blog/2020/04/01/syracuse-university-scholars-announced/

Becoming a local in Stockholm

Rachael ChurchHi! My name is Rachael Church and I studied abroad through a Syracuse Abroad World Partner program called DIS in Stockholm, Sweden during the Fall of 2018.

Though choosing a program seemed daunting at first because there were so many options, I discovered and became interested in DIS Stockholm because of the unmatched courses offered there. I am a Biology major with minors in Public Health and in Environment & Society, so finding programs with more than one or two courses that would fill the requirements I still needed was a challenge. In Stockholm, however, I didn’t have to put my academic trajectory on hold to have an amazing experience. I took two classes that counted toward my major requirements: Translational Medicine (my Core Course) and Immunology. I also took Epidemiology and Medical Ethics as two courses to fill my Public Health elective requirement, and Scandinavian Crime Fiction to complete my liberal arts core requirement. The learning experience was incredibly hands-on and collaborative, with small class sizes and “study tours” around Stockholm to talk to experts in each field. Before studying abroad, I was considering pursuing Epidemiology after graduation, but was unsure if it was for me and wanted to learn more about the applications of Public Health and its intersection with my other interests. Studying with DIS allowed me to get an inside view of what my potential careers could be and make informed decisions to narrow down my prospective career options.

Kayaking

Living in Sweden is similar to the US in some ways, but the parts that stand out and make it unique are what make it such a fun experience. Everyone commutes (on the cleanest public transportation I have ever been on) or rides bikes to work instead of driving. The city parks are always full of joggers with their dogs and dads taking their babies for walks in strollers. The sun may set early (around 3pm in the middle of winter), but Swedes have adapted to this and know how to stay happy, healthy and active, and make the most of the sunlight that they have. The easiest way I found to immerse myself in the culture was to go to new cafes in the different parts of the city in the afternoons or during my breaks from class to do my homework and have fika (coffee and a dessert). I would also stop by one of the many museums with friends or take a walk through a park. DIS is also really helpful when it comes to getting involved. Through the program, I signed up for a kickboxing class which I took once per week with other Swedish and international university students. I also joined a yoga studio, which was easy for me to do because though it was taught in Swedish, the vast majority of Swedes also speak English, so I could get personalized feedback when I needed it. Speaking simple Swedish phrases is also pretty easy to pick up once you set your mind to it, and you can take a Swedish Language course at DIS as one of your classes too. Another way I got involved and immersed was by joining DIS’s Outdoor Adventure Learning Community, for which a group of 7 DIS students (who all lived on the same floor of a student apartment building outside the city) would explore Stockholm every Tuesday evening. Throughout the course of the semester, we went on walks, took ferry rides, went bike riding, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking and ice skating, all of which were incredible experiences that I might not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. Since I lived in an apartment with other DIS students, I did not get the experience of living with a host family, although that is also an option. Since I still wanted to get the experience of being part of a Swedish family, I participated in DIS’s Visiting Host Family program, where I was assigned to a family that I met up with once every couple of weeks for dinner. I also made friends with other students who did stay with host families, and we would go visit them every once and a while as well. If you are willing to put yourself out there, DIS gives you endless opportunities to immerse yourself in the Swedish culture.

DIS group

Of course, one of the biggest reasons people want to study abroad is to travel. Through my Core Course at DIS, I had the opportunity to take a trip to London for a week for a long study tour. I also traveled to lots of cities within Europe with the friends I made through DIS including Copenhagen, Bergen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Zurich, Florence, and Venice on weekend trips and breaks throughout the semester. Though Stockholm is more distanced from the rest of Europe and it’s not possible to just take a train everywhere, it is still more than feasible to travel and get the full European experience.

Studying abroad in Stockholm increased my sense of confidence in myself, taught me how to adjust new and unfamiliar situations, and introduced me to some of my lifelong friends. I was drawn to DIS through the offered coursework, but applied for the opportunity to study in a unique city without a ton of tourist traffic and with students from all over the US to better my ability to meet adventurous people. Though my time abroad has been over for a while now, I know I’m not done travelling and I am so grateful for the experiences I gained in Stockholm because they gave me the confidence I need to pursue other opportunities and live abroad in the future.

 

Rachael Church ’20

DIS Stockholm, Fall 2018