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Hi! My name is Brady Arruda and I just returned from a semester abroad in Sydney, Australia in fall 2023. I am an aerospace engineering major and chose to study abroad during the fall of my junior year. I decided to study at the University of New South Wales World Partner program in Sydney as Australia is home to some of the most diverse landscapes and wildlife and would allow me to travel in a part of the world few get to travel to while still getting the engineering credits needed to stay on track for graduation.

As an engineering student, there are several challenges when it comes to studying abroad. One of the primary challenges is finding a location that offers engineering classes that Syracuse accepts credit for. Another is making sure you stay on track for graduation. Since I already knew I wanted to study abroad, I took every opportunity to take classes early allowing me more flexibility in my schedule during my junior fall semester. As easy as this may sound, there are several potential drawbacks. I needed to pack my schedule my first four semesters to achieve this and will be taking a third year class as a senior. However, I do not regret my decision for a second. The opportunity to study abroad is well worth the extra planning and commitment up front.

While abroad, I took four classes. The first consisted of an accelerated marine environment class where I got to learn all about tidal zones and the abundant marine wildlife off Sydney’s coastline. Additionally, during the traditional spring term, term 3 in Australia, I took an astronomy class for fun and two engineering classes: Fundamentals of Advanced Vibration and Fluid Mechanics for Engineers, which both counted for credit for my major.

While in Sydney, I had the chance to meet many new friends and peers. I ended up meeting three Syracuse students who I did not know before and wound up traveling all around Australia with one of them. I also met many other American students studying abroad from Miami, Duke, and even Binghamton. However, through my classes and other acquaintances I was introduced to local students who shared the best spots to eat, where to go, and even got the chance to watch the National Rugby League final with a local friend while having a home cooked Australian dinner.

While in Australia I took the chance to travel whenever I could. I visited Tasmania, the Hunter Valley, the South Island of New Zealand, Western Australia, Fiji, and the Great Barrier Reef twice! One of my favorite memories was when I went to Cairns (the city near part of the reef) and went skydiving, scuba diving, bungee jumping, and wake boarding all in one weekend. I ultimately ended up getting scuba certified in Sydney before going again in Milford Sound in New Zealand and the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

Out of all the amazing places I visited, my favorite was the south island of New Zealand. The scenery was incredible and being able to drink glacial runoff and do cold plunges every day was very restoring. I also really enjoyed traveling New Zealand and Western Australia with my twin brother when he visited me in December. The last highlight was driving around Tasmania for 5 days in a Mystery Machine themed campervan and seeing penguins.

There are two things I highly recommend bringing besides typical clothes and toiletries. Bring a journal to write about your travels in detail as they happen so you can go back and relive your experiences. The other is to pack an empty bag, duffel size works well, so you can fill it for your return as you will accumulate more souvenirs and items throughout your travels.

One of the best parts about living in Sydney was that I lived in an off-campus apartment just 2 minutes from the beach with two people from the UK. Most nights I would find myself strolling down to relax in the sand as I looked up at the stars and listened to the waves as they rolled in. The small beach community also housed several laid back cafes and was always a fun spot to hangout on a sunny afternoon. Living with people from a different country was also very rewarding as we all learned a lot about each other’s lives back home and could hear about how life differs across countries and continents.  

Overall, studying abroad has had an immense impact on my future career path and hobbies. After spending time traveling, exploring, and meeting new people, I want to strive to make traveling a key aspect of my life. Since getting open water scuba certified as well as some specialty add-ons, I am strongly considering returning to Australia to become a certified dive master so I can lead others on dive trips and spend more time scuba diving and traveling. Additionally, I have become interested in obtaining my private pilot’s license so I may fly recreationally.

Now that I know what’s out there, I will always yearn for the feeling of uncertainty and excitement I had when I first landed in a completely unfamiliar environment. I crave the adventure of immersing myself in the unknown.

Studying abroad has taught me to always be prepared, but always be flexible. Adaptability and anticipation are key. Never stay fixed on what image or expectations others have of you and live the life that will bring you happiness and satisfaction whether physical, emotional, or otherwise.

Brady Arruda ’25

Aerospace Engineering

University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, Fall 2023

Hello, my name is Sahara Vinneccy and I am now a Senior. My graduation year will be the Spring of 2024. I studied abroad at the Madrid Center, I major in Biology and minor in Psychology. What led me to study abroad in Madrid, was that I had always had an interest in going abroad in general and lots of my friends who went abroad would always boast to me about how they loved Madrid and how the life is over there.

Also, I grew up speaking English and Spanish in my household so I thought it’d be more of a plus to go to a place where I felt more comfortable to communicate with others and strengthen my Spanish. Furthermore, As I said, I am a Biology major and I minor in Psychology so going to Madrid also worked in my favor when it came down to the classes I’d be taking and if they’d count toward my major or not.

I participated in the Marine Ecology Seminar, where we got to visit many different cities of Spain such as Cabo de Palos, Valencia, Murcia, and many more. During our seminar, we were able to scuba dive in the Mediterranean and obtain our Scuba Diving License. This seminar actually counted towards my major as an upper-division biology course.

I also took a drug discovery course which was very interesting because you learned the history of pharmaceutical drugs and recreational drugs as well, along with their uses and how some of them are even being used in today’s medical world. Another interesting class was my psychology class, drugs, and human behavior, another closer look into the way human behavior is altered by drugs and we go over criminal cases and get to go on really exciting field trips!

Overall my experience was phenomenal, I had met so many people abroad and many locals as well that I’ve stayed in touch with. There are many opportunities to be involved with your other peers, for example, the Syracuse Madrid Center offers a program called the Mad Passport program where, weekly, you’ll receive emails of events the school is paying for and providing for the students. The activities can range from cooking with local chefs to making traditional paella, day trips to different cities such as Segovia, Visiting local fish markets, etc.

While I was abroad I did a work study with the student life department. I was in charge of making a presentation with my fellow peer who worked with me and it was a presentation for the host families. The presentation went well and we had to present it in Spanish which I had never done before so it was definitely something out of my comfort zone and I am thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to be able to work abroad. I would say that I definitely left my mark in the offices at the center because I would always pass by and say good morning. One thing I felt from the overall office was the comfort they gave not only me but all the students. They always made an effort to make you feel welcomed no matter what.

Furthermore, other travel I did while I was abroad was being able to visit London, Copenhagen, Majorca, Berlin, Barcelona, and lastly Morocco. My favorite trips by far had to be Morocco and Berlin. While I was in Morocco, I was off the coast of Agadir and so my friends and I spent most of our days surfing we were fortunate enough to go to the Sahara Desert which is what I was named after and had been a dream of mine to visit. We even went sandboarding! So many fun memories were made on that trip! Then I really loved Berlin because I am a big fan of techno music and Berlin is the heart of techno music and culture. So my friends and I really were able to get the full experience I’d say.

My living experience with my host mom was phenomenal! I was fortunate enough to be able to live with my best friend as well. She and I both made sure when doing the applications that we put our names down under the “preferred roommate” for housing selections. Our host mom was the best lady ever! She’d make us the best traditional food and she was very nice and funny! I really liked that we had our own rooms because it gave me my own personal space and my host mother never invaded that and respected both my roommates and my downtime.

To conclude, study abroad has greatly impacted my college experience in the best way possible. I have been able to expand my horizons and open myself up to many different people and learn how to be adaptable which I think is very important for the real world. I have also been able to strengthen my Spanish skills and learned to be more independent as well. When you leave your host country, I felt like a part of me stayed there and that I brought a piece of Spain with me back home.

Words aren’t enough to explain how studying abroad has forever left a mark in my heart in the best way possible. Ironically, I always encouraged others to study abroad before I even did and now that I have, I am really glad that I was encouraging others to do so. You make endless memories and make so many friends! You learn more about yourself on a deeper level. I plan to travel more when I graduate. I am planning on trying to do some medical volunteer work in Africa perhaps after I graduate. The opportunities become endless really. Now it’s your turn to take on this spectacular journey and create unforgettable memories!

Sahara Vinneccy ’24

Biology/Psychology (School of Arts & Sciences)

Syracuse Madrid Center

Hey there! My name is Elena Cooper and I am a Psychology and International Relations dual major in the class of 2025. I was lucky enough to spend my Fall 2023 semester abroad at Syracuse University’s London Center Program, and I made tons of unforgettable memories. I took classes such as “PSC 300 – Death as Political: Violence, Grief, and Protest”, “PSY 400 – Conflict, Trauma, and Collective Memory”, and “HOA 473 – London Museums: Art, History, and Science”, as well as a 10-day pre-semester Signature Seminar called “GEO 304 – Sustainability on Trial: Environmental Justice in Northern Europe”.

For the seminar, we had the chance to travel across Norway, Sweden, and Finland, meeting local citizens, petting huskies, and feeding reindeer, while also having the unique opportunity to learn about sustainability in some of the greenest countries on Earth.

On top of the tour through Scandinavia, I was also fortunate to have been able to travel nearly every weekend, whether to another country, or another town/city in the UK. I did a lot of independent travel – sometimes with friends and other times alone – while abroad, making it to nineteen different countries during my time in Europe!

But, many of the coolest experiences happened within the realm of my program. For example, the London Center program sponsors free weekend and day trips to places like Brighton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Greenwich, Cork & Cobh, and Copenhagen, which housed some of the most amazing moments of my study abroad semester. In addition to large trips like those, the classes in London all use the city as their classroom, taking field trips to museums or other sites many of the weeks of the semester. That made it very easy to explore the city and feel right at home.

The people I met abroad were also a key part of making London feel like home! They are some of the most sincere, amiable, and compassionate people I have ever known, and I was lucky to share a space with them for a semester, whether that be in my flat or in Faraday House (home base for SU London!). My flat housed 12 total students, split across singles, a double, a triple (mine!), and a quad room, who all shared a combined kitchen/living room space. Everyone I lived with was spectacular, which really contributed to a positive experience abroad.

Our flat was always bustling with activity, whether from us, or from friends who always spent time at our place. But, the friends I made didn’t just come from my flat: they also came from the seminar, my classes, and from participating in activities both sponsored by SU London and independently around the city. (Some were even real, authentic Brits!) I also felt blessed to get a chance to connect with the London staff. They were so incredibly supportive and friendly, and really made me feel welcomed and encouraged in all my endeavors. My professors there were also the best I have had during my entire Syracuse experience thus far.

As far as the impact my abroad semester had on my future and career goals, I underwent a great deal of change. I had swapped my majors and minors numerous times already before going abroad, not really having a certain idea of my future. But, during my time in London, I developed more confidence in what I want to get out of my future because of the life changing experiences I had.

One particularly impactful moment was the time I spent in Lockerbie, Scotland with community members who witnessed the aftermath of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Their stories humanized the horror of terrorist attacks, and impassioned me to study the connections between Psychology and International Relations, in this case in the form of terrorism. I now feel passionate and hopeful about the future, and my role in making it a better, safer place. Thank you Syracuse Abroad!

Elena Cooper ’25

Syracuse London

Psychology & International Relations

My name is Myra Wong, and I am a senior double majoring in public relations and political science with a concentration in race, gender and class. I chose the charming city of Florence, Italy for my study abroad experience because I wanted to immerse myself in a culture that was completely different from my own. I wanted to experience being in a country where I did not know the language or customs.

While in Florence, I took artistic courses, such as observational drawing and the sound of art. Florence is a very artistic city, and the SU Florence program has an impressive set of studio art classes for non-majors like me.

While in Florence, I had the opportunity to travel to eight different countries. I was able to visit France and Monaco through the school’s I-explore program. From the cultural riches of France to the glamor of Monaco, each destination taught me more about the country, the culture and myself.

During my stay in Italy, I resided with a kind and welcoming host family, where every day was a celebration of Italian culture. From engaging conversations about Italian traditions to relishing traditional Italian dishes, my immersion in the local lifestyle was nothing short of enriching.

Studying abroad was more than just academic exploration; it was a journey of personal growth and self-discovery. Navigating through unfamiliar territories taught me invaluable lessons in independence, resilience, and cultural adaptability. I learned to embrace challenges with an open mind and a spirit of curiosity, fostering a deeper understanding of cultural diversity.

One of the most important realizations from my time abroad was of my passion for international affairs and global diplomacy. Immersing myself in European politics and observing different systems of governance inspired a new desire to contribute to the global community. Since my return to campus, I have been actively pursuing opportunities that align with this new aspiration.

Myra Wong ’24

Syracuse Florence

Public Relations & Political Science