Ally Chester: Rome, Italy

Each year as part of the five-week Rome Summer Study Program, education majors who have completed their junior year, are given the opportunity to take a three-credit Educational Internship at the Marymount International School in Rome, Italy. In addition, they take a three-credit course at the American University of Rome. Ally Chester, a double major in elementary and special education, reflects on her internship at Marymount and her time in Rome.

"I taught children at the Marymount International Elementary School from all over the world; bilingual and trilingual children, who at the age of 10 have seen more of the world than most people would in a lifetime. The weekends were all different, I traveled to Florence, Venice, Capri, Sorrento, and Positano and I had an amazing time no matter what I did or what I saw. This experience opened my eyes to so much of the world. I realized that there is so much in this world that I have never seen or experienced…and I want to. If you have the opportunity to study abroad, then it would be foolish not to take advantage of it."

Ellen Pettit: London, England

Ellen Pettit spent a semester at Regents College in London, England. Like other study abroad students, she reflects upon her time in London with fond memories. "There is so much to see and do in London, everyday was an adventure. Even something as simple as walking around the surrounding campus was amazing; it is located in a beautiful park that has a HUGE rose garden.

On the weekends I traveled all over Italy, France, Scotland, and Wales. I also took bus trips around Bath, Stonehenge, Holland, Belgium, and Ireland. The whole semester for me was - I do not even have the words to describe it. I lived a life of exploring new things and seeing new places; every sense of mine was challenged and enriched within the four months that I was abroad. It is an experience I will never forget and I cannot wait to do more traveling!"

Lauren Ellis: Angers, France

Lauren Ellis, a triple major of elementary education, special education, and French, spent a semester in France at the Universite d'Angers. She told us, "For the first three weeks I did an intensive language course and lived with a French family. Every weekend I would pack my backpack, jump on a train, and travel to a new country. I never really had an agenda or knew what I was going to experience - I just grabbed a map once I got to my destination and explored the area.

Being abroad gave me such a greater global perspective. I had been abroad when the war in Iraq had broken out and Europe , and more specifically, France, was up in arms. Generally speaking people were extremely responsible and truly tried to see my point of view. My global perspective was also increased because of the people that I became friends with. All of the students who lived in my hall were from the North African countries of Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. We would always compare and contrast our lifestyles, belief systems, and interests. Those experiences, combined with my weekend adventures helped me to really analyze who I was, what I believed and what I wanted." Lauren tells potential study abroad students to "get out of your comfort zone and take chances - create your own adventures!"

Maria Dolgetta: Florence, Italy

Maria Dolgetta is studying to be a secondary Spanish and Italian teacher. She had the opportunity to spend a semester at the Lorenzo di Medici School in Florence, Italy. She reports,

"I still cannot believe that everyday, on my way to class, I walk passed the Duomo. It's amazing how well I have adapted to my new surroundings and how well I have gotten to know the city. Along with my daily class, there are mandatory guided visits to historical churches and museums across the city as well as weekly seminars all conducted in Italian. I fear I might have trouble speaking English when I return home!

I was chosen to be somewhat of a teacher's assistant in my 9-credit intensive Italian course. My professor would allow me to go over homework exercises with the class and answer any questions the students had on the grammar topic being covered. In addition to this program I am taking an Italian culture and civilization class as well as Masterpieces of Italian Literature, all conducted completely in Italian.

I was given the opportunity to go to one of the local high schools to speak with the students about the difference between the Italian and the American school systems. This was a great experience for me, knowing that I will one day be teaching these first hand experiences to American students."

Erin Bacon: Paris, France

Like Ally Chester, Erin Bacon studied abroad on a short-term program. She writes, "This past summer I attended La Sorbonne University. I was placed in a homestay with my best friend Sara. The two of us lived with a woman doctor by the name of Mira. Mira spoke seven different languages, and was very eager to help improve her English, as well as help Sarah and me improve our French. I attended class everyday from either nine to one or eleven to one. Within those five weeks I was able to interact with French people on an everyday basis and learn their way of life. Although it was very different from anything that I had ever experienced, in the end I came out not only with better French language skills, but also a greater understanding of myself.

Paris is an amazing place, filled with so much beauty and architecture that it's hard to take it all in at once. There's so much to see and do that you could never be bored. Between the cathedrals, museums, cafes, the shopping, the Eiffel Tower and the markets, you are able to experience new aspects of life. We went on weekend trips to Normandy, Mont Saint Michel, Omaha Beach, and a weekend excursion to the Loire Valley to see the chateaus and a vineyard. Overall, my time abroad was well appreciated and I would recommend study abroad to anyone!"

Kathryn Weber: Prague, Czech Republic

"I finished the intensive language course and now I am taking art and architecture of the Czech lands, Jewish religious thought, and Czech theatre for my semester classes. I really like all the classes. It is so interesting to hear my teachers talk about the history of the Czech Republic and their own experiences dealing with communism. All of my teachers have stressed that the arts were one of the only ways that the Czechs could really express themselves because they had to do everything the way that the Russians wanted them to. It's also interesting to know that students in the Czech Republic organized the revolution that freed them from communism in November 1989.

I've also been to ballets and operas at one of the oldest theatres here in Prague (called the Theatre of the Estates). It is so nice walking to class everyday and walking across the bridge looking at Prague Castle up on the hill. There is also a beautiful park around where the dorms are. By the school on my breaks, I've been walking around the Old Town area of Prague. There are a lot of vendors, old buildings and churches to look at. At night, jazz and blues clubs are really popular and it's so enjoying to sit in a historic underground building and listen to music.

At first I was scared out of my mind here but I really love it now and the AIFS staff is wonderful. They are really helpful with everything from classes, to cultural activities, to helping students deal with their homesickness.

Feel free to email me if you're thinking about studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic."

Valerie Mey: Torino, Italy

"Hey! I just wanted to give you an update about my time in Italy. The city Torino is amazing. Adjusting to life in Italy has been a little difficult but overall it's been OK. Torino is located in Northwestern Italy, near the French and Swiss borders as well as the Alps. In fact, Torino is the home of the 2006 Winter Olympics!

My school, the Scuola di Amministrazione Aziendale (SAA) at the University of Torino, is a lot like Salve in the fact that there are small classes. Learning Italian has been awesome and my program requires you to take a six week intensive course which I just finished. I've already found the intensive language course to be very useful in my every day life. If you want to learn Italian, Torino is definitely one of the best cities to do it in because they have a strong and distinct culture."