Name: Mihika Gogate ’24
Major: Political Science
Semester Abroad: Spring 2022
What was your most valuable experience abroad? My most valuable and unforgettable experience was getting to live with a host family. I was given the opportunity to stay with one of my closest friends from Syracuse and we lived in a quaint apartment in the Robertsau neighborhood of Strasbourg with our host mother and father. Though it might sound cliche, they were much more than just a host family to me and I was truly very lucky and very thankful to have been accepted into their home with such open arms. I think of them everyday and cannot wait to return to Strasbourg and go visit them again.
Contact: msgogate@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family
Name: Emma Crandall ’25
Major: Environmental Engineering
Semester Abroad: Fall 2022
What would you say to a student undecided about going abroad? Studying in a new country with a foreign professor will give you an adaptability to new learning environments that many of you’re peers won’t have. It will allow you to maneuver through difficult or maybe frustration academic and social situations and those skills can then be applied in any working or living environment. Living in another country will give you many other skills that will make you much better at communicating with peers. Being in a country, living in a neighborhood and working with other students that don’t speak the same language creates an opportunity to expand beyond the limits of verbal communication in order to achieve the same goals.
Contact: emcranda@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, , Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, Fitting study abroad into your home campus experience, Health, safety, and support, Living with a host family, Meeting locals, Preparing for departure, Selecting a program option
Name: Jillienne Ness ’25
Major: Computer Science
Semester Abroad: Fall 2022
What advice would you give to a student going abroad? Do not set any expectations for anything. This is not to be taken in a negative way but instead to meant keep an open mind and do not let what you’ve seen or heard influence your experience and opinions. My favorite cities that I visited were the ones that I carried no preexisting notions or expectations for. Allow yourself to have a genuinely unique experience even if that means realizing that some places or activities are not your cup of tea.
Contact: jjness@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, First time abroad, Fitting study abroad into your home campus experience, Living with a host family, Preparing for departure
Name: Danis Cammett ’25
Major: International Relations and Applied Data Analytics
Semester Abroad: Spring 2023
What would you say to a student undecided about studying abroad? Choosing to study abroad is a huge choice and one that every student should take their time to think about and understand what they will be getting themselves into. There are many times during your abroad semester where you will experience unique opportunities that are rare or non-existent in Syracuse and even the United States. Being abroad means you will gain a greater understanding of what it’s like to live with people who are fundamentally different from you, even if you are going to a country that is similar to the U.S. I highly encourage that any person going abroad deliberately takes the time to try out new things and get themselves out of their normal routine; try local foods, read and understand local news, make new friends, go to a music festival, etc. Studying abroad is the time for a student to not only discover the world but to discover more about themselves.
Contact: dwcammet@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, First time abroad, Living with a host family, Meeting locals
Name: Samuel Wagner ’24
Major: Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship
Semester Abroad: Spring 2023
What was your most valuable experience abroad? A week before our departure for February break, our program visited the Vosges mountains in the western part of the Alsace region. Shortly after our arrival at our mountain hostel, my friends and I went outside and watched the sun set over the mountain range, took photographs against the scenic backdrop, and played in the snow. After having dinner in the lodge, we played games in the common area and generally enjoyed good company and conversation in the cozy and laid-back atmosphere of our room. The following morning, we had the opportunity to snowshoe to the top of a mountain with the aid of two local guides, from whom we were also privileged to learn about the local environment and ecological history of the region.
Contact: swagne06@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, First time abroad, Fitting study abroad into your home campus experience, Living with a host family, Meeting locals, Preparing for departure