This past summer a handful of our sisters had the wonderful experience of studying abroad through our university, James Madison. The opportunity to study abroad, as you will read below, was for many of them a life-changing journey. Some of our sisters even had the opportunity to study abroad together! Having a sister by your side every step of the way to adventure with, grow with, and learn with -at the end of the day- is what our sisterhood is all about.
"Traveling to a foreign country for the first time was so intimidating, but having my sister Kiki by my side made the whole experience so much more comfortable. The subject matter of our trip was conflict in Northern Ireland."
"It was intense and extremely emotional. Knowing that I could talk to Kiki about some of the heaviness was amazing. My trip forced me to break out of my comfort zone and I am so grateful for my experiences abroad!"
Lauren Preto:
"This summer I had the pleasure to study abroad in Belgium.Going into this experience I didn't realize how much it would impact my life. First off, I got to visit 10 different countries that all had very different cultures. I lived with 33 people that I didn't even know before going abroad but now could not live without. This experience has taught me so much about myself and about life."
Dana Keenan:
"Ciao! Mi Chiamo Dana, I am a senior Health Services Administration major and the VP of Operation for Alpha Sigma Tau. If you haven't figured it out by now, this summer I studied abroad in Italy. The first time I left the country I was 16. I went to Paris, France and it stole my heart. I swore when I went to college I would spend a whole semester there and I could not wait. Unfortunately, I was not able to fulfill that dream but instead I broadened my horizons and wound up spending two whole months in Florence, Italy. Florence is a city filled with amazing food and an incredible amount of history. The location of the city isn’t so bad either. I was able to travel to 3 other countries and 10 cities in total."
"One of the most
memorable moments abroad was after a dinner in Rome. I was walking back to the
hotel with a few of my friends and I remember walking past the Parthenon and I
stopped dead in my tracks and thought, “Wow, I’m just casually walking past one
of the most remarkable pieces of history like it’s no big deal”. We study all
these things in school but how often do we ever actually get to see them and be
apart of them? That moment felt so euphoric, I could not believe it was
happening; it ignited a desire in me to want to have that moment happen again
and again in all other places across the World. I came back from my trip with
an appreciation, for the history I saw, the incredible people I met, the
education I received, James Madison University’s excellent staff in Florence,
and most of all the privilege I had to be able to partake in this opportunity.
It was an experience of a lifetime and I would recommend it to anyone. I hope
to travel to many more cities and make many more memories on every corner of
this Earth. I encourage you all to act upon every opportunity to travel because
if you’re like me, you sometimes forget that there is a world outside the walls
of ECL."
"I have been out of the country before with family, but never on my own and not to Ireland. It was really fun to spend time with classmates and be independent abroad. Meeting other people from JMU that have the same passions that you do was a great experience and we all still keep in touch with each other today. If you have the chance to study abroad I definitely recommend it!"
"There were so many memories made during my time abroad and I had a smile on my face the entire trip (except during the 8 hour flight home) because I was surrounded by the most amazing group of newfound friends in the most beautiful city in the world. Vienna will always have my heart and I am sure JMU and I left our mark there. Especially on the last night when all twenty dukes in the program roamed the streets of Vienna while singing Billy Joel's classic hit, "Vienna."
Danke Vienna for the memories xoxo"
"Having the opportunity to really connect with the people and see their culture, beliefs, and their struggles was truly inspiring and has strengthened my passion for working to help others. It was such a great experience and I was so lucky to get to do it with another sister by my side!"
Jennie Margolis:
"For my study abroad trip I spent 4 weeks in Newry, Northern Ireland. I’m a senior studying elementary education, so my trip gave me the opportunity to help out and teach in a public school in Newry. It was so much fun seeing how the Irish school system works and getting to know my students— they had the cutest accents ever!
Although every trip we took was awesome, my favorite memory is when my group and I hiked this huge mountain to explore the area and have a picnic at the top. I felt like I was going to pass out and it starting down pouring at one point, but the view from the top was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We later found out that the trail we took and that same view is what inspired C.S. Lewis to write “The Chronicles of Narnia” series!"
"I am a senior Psychology major and my study abroad program was a cross cultural study in Italy. We got to see so many different cities and
"I spent the summer living in Frankfurt, Germany and working for Ernst and Young. An accounting firm that JMU helped me get an internship with. I spent my weekends traveling with friends that I made through the job. My favorite parts of my trip were getting to see the world with new friends and also being able to reconnect with Karah, one of my graduated sisters!"
Savannah Boxley:
"I went to Scotland for two months this summer for a JMU General Education program. I'm a biology major pre-pt so this was an awesome and different way to get some general requirements done. I studied in Edinburgh for a month followed by St. Andrews the next month."
"I also was able to take weekend trips to other cities like Amsterdam and London. I have never been abroad before so the experience was amazing and taught me so much about other cultures! I also got to meet a lot of awesome people from JMU that I would not have had the opportunity to otherwise."
Julia Seamans:
"This summer, I studied abroad in France with 13 other JMU students for one month. We spent 2 weeks in Normandy and 2 weeks in Paris. In Normandy, we studied World War II history and visited important battle sites, cemeteries, and museums. It was incredible and humbling to stand on the D-Day Beaches while learning about the D-Day landings. We also had the pleasure of traveling through Normandy with Steve Melnikoff, a vibrant 96 year old World War II veteran who shared his experiences with us."
"In Paris, we learned about French culture by traveling the city and visiting museums and monuments such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and Notre Dame. My favorite part of the trip (besides the delicious food) was making fantastic new friends and spending the evenings with them watching the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to be able to explore such an extraordinary culture with JMU students! It is an experience that I will never forget and I encourage everyone to study abroad!"
Keely Bennett:
"Traveling to a foreign country for the first time was so intimidating, but having my sister Kiki by my side made the whole experience so much more comfortable. The subject matter of our trip was conflict in Northern Ireland."
"It was intense and extremely emotional. Knowing that I could talk to Kiki about some of the heaviness was amazing. My trip forced me to break out of my comfort zone and I am so grateful for my experiences abroad!"
Lauren Preto:
"This summer I had the pleasure to study abroad in Belgium.Going into this experience I didn't realize how much it would impact my life. First off, I got to visit 10 different countries that all had very different cultures. I lived with 33 people that I didn't even know before going abroad but now could not live without. This experience has taught me so much about myself and about life."
"Besides taking 15 credits in classes, I realized that the world is an incredible place. This has motivated me to want to do well in school and try new experiences because you never know what you can get out of it. I would not change my experiences for the world.
I am so grateful that my parents supported me throughout this summer in Belgium!"
Dana Keenan:
"Ciao! Mi Chiamo Dana, I am a senior Health Services Administration major and the VP of Operation for Alpha Sigma Tau. If you haven't figured it out by now, this summer I studied abroad in Italy. The first time I left the country I was 16. I went to Paris, France and it stole my heart. I swore when I went to college I would spend a whole semester there and I could not wait. Unfortunately, I was not able to fulfill that dream but instead I broadened my horizons and wound up spending two whole months in Florence, Italy. Florence is a city filled with amazing food and an incredible amount of history. The location of the city isn’t so bad either. I was able to travel to 3 other countries and 10 cities in total."
Lauren Dallaglio:
"I am a senior Communication Sciences and Disorders major and Exceptional Education minor. I studied abroad in Ireland this summer and took a psychology class that explored identity development. I chose to study abroad because I have always had a passion for traveling and always wanted to go to Ireland!"
"I am a senior Communication Sciences and Disorders major and Exceptional Education minor. I studied abroad in Ireland this summer and took a psychology class that explored identity development. I chose to study abroad because I have always had a passion for traveling and always wanted to go to Ireland!"
"I have been out of the country before with family, but never on my own and not to Ireland. It was really fun to spend time with classmates and be independent abroad. Meeting other people from JMU that have the same passions that you do was a great experience and we all still keep in touch with each other today. If you have the chance to study abroad I definitely recommend it!"
Miriah Ventre:
"I am a junior, Kinesiology major and over the summer I did a
three-week study abroad program in different parts of Italy. I stayed two
weeks in Perugia and one week in Florence. The topic of my program was
cross-cultural psychology. This trip was hands-down the highlight of my summer.
Nothing can beat homemade gelato, pasta, and pizza. The food was unlike
anything I have ever tasted in America. I also had the opportunity to take
several day trips to other cities throughout Italy such as Rome, Pisa, Assisi,
and many other small towns. Out of all the places we went, Florence was
definitely my favorite city."
"Not only
was it the trip of a lifetime for me, but I also got really close with the
people on my trip. One of the girls on my trip happened to be my sister in AST, Becca, and
I was very thankful to have known someone before going into the trip. This trip
has really opened my eyes to other cultures. It made me understand the Italian
way of life, and also helped me to appreciate my own culture even more. I wish
I could’ve stayed longer and I definitely plan to go back to Italy some day!"
Lauren Flanzenbaum:
"Gutentag, I am currently a junior majoring in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health. This past summer in June I had the amazing opportunity to study overseas in Vienna, Austria to study cross-cultural psychology. With this program, I was able to visit pieces of history such as the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, the John Lennon Wall, Sigmund Freud's home, the oldest zoo and amusement park in the world, and many more!"
"The program itself was only a few weeks but during my time abroad, we had a chance to visit Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary, and Bratislava in Slovakia. Since Austria was home to many respected psychologists, my study abroad family and I were able to visit where Freud, Viktor Frankl, and Alfred Adler constructed their ideas."
"There were so many memories made during my time abroad and I had a smile on my face the entire trip (except during the 8 hour flight home) because I was surrounded by the most amazing group of newfound friends in the most beautiful city in the world. Vienna will always have my heart and I am sure JMU and I left our mark there. Especially on the last night when all twenty dukes in the program roamed the streets of Vienna while singing Billy Joel's classic hit, "Vienna."
Danke Vienna for the memories xoxo"
Katelyn Messitt:
"This past summer I spent a month in a few different places in Southern Africa through the Department of Health Sciences. Through partnerships with a variety of non-profit and government organizations, we studied international health with a focus on HIV/AIDS among children and youth. This was an absolutely amazing, eye opening, and humbling experience."
"This past summer I spent a month in a few different places in Southern Africa through the Department of Health Sciences. Through partnerships with a variety of non-profit and government organizations, we studied international health with a focus on HIV/AIDS among children and youth. This was an absolutely amazing, eye opening, and humbling experience."
"Having the opportunity to really connect with the people and see their culture, beliefs, and their struggles was truly inspiring and has strengthened my passion for working to help others. It was such a great experience and I was so lucky to get to do it with another sister by my side!"
Jennie Margolis:
"For my study abroad trip I spent 4 weeks in Newry, Northern Ireland. I’m a senior studying elementary education, so my trip gave me the opportunity to help out and teach in a public school in Newry. It was so much fun seeing how the Irish school system works and getting to know my students— they had the cutest accents ever!
Although every trip we took was awesome, my favorite memory is when my group and I hiked this huge mountain to explore the area and have a picnic at the top. I felt like I was going to pass out and it starting down pouring at one point, but the view from the top was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We later found out that the trail we took and that same view is what inspired C.S. Lewis to write “The Chronicles of Narnia” series!"
Becca Smoot:
"I am a senior Psychology major and my study abroad program was a cross cultural study in Italy. We got to see so many different cities and
experience a new culture. My favorite experience was climbing the bell tower in Florence we were able to see the whole city from the top! Another highlight of my trip was becoming closer with my sister, Miriah!"
Emily Trenning:
"I spent the summer living in Frankfurt, Germany and working for Ernst and Young. An accounting firm that JMU helped me get an internship with. I spent my weekends traveling with friends that I made through the job. My favorite parts of my trip were getting to see the world with new friends and also being able to reconnect with Karah, one of my graduated sisters!"
Savannah Boxley:
"I went to Scotland for two months this summer for a JMU General Education program. I'm a biology major pre-pt so this was an awesome and different way to get some general requirements done. I studied in Edinburgh for a month followed by St. Andrews the next month."
"I also was able to take weekend trips to other cities like Amsterdam and London. I have never been abroad before so the experience was amazing and taught me so much about other cultures! I also got to meet a lot of awesome people from JMU that I would not have had the opportunity to otherwise."
Julia Seamans:
"This summer, I studied abroad in France with 13 other JMU students for one month. We spent 2 weeks in Normandy and 2 weeks in Paris. In Normandy, we studied World War II history and visited important battle sites, cemeteries, and museums. It was incredible and humbling to stand on the D-Day Beaches while learning about the D-Day landings. We also had the pleasure of traveling through Normandy with Steve Melnikoff, a vibrant 96 year old World War II veteran who shared his experiences with us."
"In Paris, we learned about French culture by traveling the city and visiting museums and monuments such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and Notre Dame. My favorite part of the trip (besides the delicious food) was making fantastic new friends and spending the evenings with them watching the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to be able to explore such an extraordinary culture with JMU students! It is an experience that I will never forget and I encourage everyone to study abroad!"
randy@mail.postmanllc.net
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