While there are many ways to expand your horizons while enrolled as Maryville student, there are only a few ways to gain first-hand cultural enrichment. At Maryville, study abroad trips are often one of the things students hear about most during freshmen orientation, and as a past participant in study abroad, I highly recommend it. The summer before my senior year, I studied abroad for a month in Lugano, Switzerland. I had an amazing experience, as did the rest of the students on the trip.
One of the Maryville University students on the trip to Lugano was Jaret Singh, senior. According to Singh, hiking up a mountain near where the students stayed was his favorite experience in Switzerland.
“I hiked up [Mount] San Salvatore to see the sunrise in the morning. The view was breathtaking as we got to see the sun come up as it hit the mountains,” Singh said.
On the trip, students had the chance to meet many new people from a different culture. Another student traveler in Lugano was Brad Lohbeck. “Being able to bond with so many different people [was] the best thing I got out of the trip. And of course, the gelato,” Lohbeck said.
There was also a month-long study abroad program in Florence, Italy. Students on this trip stayed in the heart of Florence, within walking distance of all of the scenic locations. Brett Harris, junior, went on this study abroad trip over the summer.
“Florence was amazing: the people, the history, the beautiful sights. Everything was made for a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Harris said. “It definitely changed my life.”
While students can find out about these study abroad trips from their academic advisers or past students, flyers can also be found around campus advertising these trips. An upcoming 11-day trip over winter break will take place in Spain and Morocco. This trip costs $3,995.00, including airfare. The deadline for registration is at the end of September 2016.
To find out more information or to express interest, contact Donna Mabrey-Lowry at dmabreylowry@maryville.edu. If a longer study abroad trip sounds more fitting, month-long trips are being scheduled. To express interest in these or to find out more information, contact Germaine Murray at gmurray@maryville.edu or in ABAC 3220 ext. 9544. More information is also available by contacting James E. Harf, director of the Center for Global Education, at jharf@maryville.edu or in Gander Hall 101. “I have strong relationships with institutions in Italy, London and Switzerland; Anyone interested can come see me, and I’ll arrange it” Dr. Harf said. Programs for summer 2017 will be in Europe lasting three- to four-weeks long. These programs will be in Lugano, Switzerland; Florence, Italy; and Oxford, London.
Video courtesy of Catherine Kleiss.
While the study abroad programs may seem like an unnecessary cost, the intellectual and cultural takeaways from the study abroad program are far greater. As a study abroad participant, students will be able to enrich their cultural horizons by experiencing life as a Maryville student in a new environment.
For more information about study abroad, please visit Maryville Study Abroad. Have you considered studying abroad? Comment below.
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