In the Place of Useful Learning

Posted on September 1, 2026 by maggienugentced7a64495

My name is Maggie Nugent, and from the 9th of January to the 7th of June, I was incredibly lucky to call Glasgow, Scotland, my home. Glasgow is on the west coast of Scotland, just a fifty-minute train ride away from Edinburgh (which I visited frequently). Glasgow is considered by some to be the second city of the British Empire, and it certainly does seem that way with all of the Gothic Revival architecture present throughout the city.

I lived in the neighborhood of Yorkhill. It’s right between the rivers Kelvin and Clyde and is just a ten-minute walk away from Glasgow’s most prominent university: The University of Glasgow. I studied at the University of Strathclyde in what is called Glasgow’s City Centre, which I went to every day through Glasgow’s amazing loop of a subway system.

Even before beginning to plan my study abroad experience in the spring and summer of last year, I knew that I wanted to live within a Celtic culture. I’m a third-generation Irish-American, and my Global Theme is Culture and Politics, so I wanted my study abroad to reflect the cultural connections I already had while also introducing me to the ways that the cultures are expressed within their countries of origin. When I was younger, and when I would imagine myself studying abroad, I always imagined studying in Ireland. But thanks to the constant pleading from my very best friends who just so happened to live in Glasgow, I applied to study in Scotland at the University of Strathclyde.

Coined by natural philosopher John Anderson in the 1790s, Strathclyde is known as “The Place of Useful Learning,” which I can tell you without a doubt was the kind of learning I had while studying there. I studied history at the University of Strathclyde, and my classes included classes on War and Society, British Colonialism, and a general crash course on British history in the modern era (which is something I most certainly needed). During my time at Strathclyde, I wrote a lot of academic papers regarding pieces of history that I would’ve never known about if it hadn’t been for the classes I took (if you ever want to learn about the different ways in which enslaved Jamaicans engaged in acts of resistance, I’m your man!)

One of my favourite assignments that I had to do at the University of Strathclyde was for my British Colonialism class, in which I had to go to the Kelvingrove Museum and present on an object currently on exhibit. The museum is one of the most beautiful museums I have ever been to, and I was lucky enough to be inside the museum during one of their daily organ recitals. To hear beautiful music coming from an organ as I walked past Rembrandts, Van Goghs, and Dalis was an experience I won’t soon forget.

The organ at the Kelvingrove! They have recitals every day at 13:00

I would consider my study abroad experience to be incredibly out of the ordinary. Rather than living with other international students in university housing, I lived with friends. I never experienced the emotions presented in the graph of Professor Udo Fluck. And probably most importantly, I never felt homesick. Because Glasgow felt like home.

It still does.

Classes at the University of Strathclyde ended in early April, and my exams didn’t begin until the 10th of May, so I had a LOT of time to explore Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom! I went down to Manchester to see a play with a friend. I hiked along a beach to see a crumbling castle on a cliff. I traveled to London and saw War Horse at the National Theatre. I took the train to Edinburgh whenever I could, including to Dean Cemetery to lay flowers down at the grave of a polar explorer. But my favourite thing I ever did was making it to a place I’ve had on my bucket list for ages: Loch Lomond.

My friend Malcolm and I after seeing Road by Jim Cartwright

To quote a traditional Scottish folk song: “There is an old Celtic belief that when a man dies in a foreign land his spirit returns via the low road. In 1745, two Scottish soldiers were made captive in Carlisle; one of whom was to be set free, the other executed. It is the condemned man who’ll return to Scotland by way of the low road of death and reach Loch Lomond before his friend who must travel the earthly high road.”

Hiking around Loch Lomond gave me a lot of time to reflect on how I had made it to Scotland. In the six months I lived in Glasgow, there was never a moment when I was not in awe of my city. It’s that love and appreciation that I’ll hold in my heart until I am back in that Dear Green Place.

Finding My Footing in Tarragona, Spain

Posted on August 31, 2026 by Elise Erickson

When I left for Tarragona, Spain, in January 2026, I pictured myself fully immersed from day one, meeting people from all over the world and hitting the road with them every chance I got. I imagined a semester where every weekend meant a new city with a new group of friends I’d made along the way.

Some of that picture came true, just not exactly how I expected. I did meet people from every corner of the globe through my classes and the URV Mentor Programme. But instead of constantly traveling in a big international pack, I found myself exploring in smaller, more personal ways. Whether with friends also studying abroad, completely solo, or with people I met along the way in whatever city I landed in. It wasn’t the version I had planned, but it gave me something better: the confidence to navigate a new place entirely on my own terms.

My Global Challenge was Balancing Culture and Control: Spain’s Struggle with Tourism Dependence. I wanted to understand how a country markets itself to the world while still protecting what makes it culturally unique. Living in Tarragona made this real in a way no classroom could. Tarragona’s Roman ruins sit steps from a beach packed with tourists every summer, and I watched firsthand how a city balances celebrating its history with sustaining an economy that depends on visitors.

Before this experience, I mostly thought of tourism as a way to explore and connect. Living there shifted that. I now see the weight that comes with it too, the way short-term rentals push up housing costs for locals, the strain tourism puts on natural resources. That shift in perspective is something I plan to carry directly into my career. I want to work in travel and destination marketing in a way that promotes tourism responsibly, not just profitably.

Most of my cross-cultural growth came from the people I met, especially other international students. Being surrounded by classmates from so many different countries meant constantly comparing notes on how we each saw the world, and realizing how much perspective shifts depending on where you’re from. It made me a better listener and a lot more curious about the “why” behind how people think and live differently than I do.

As an ISEP Digital Ambassador, I created content for ISEP’s social media channels, which meant regularly stepping outside my comfort zone. I had to approach classmates I didn’t know well and ask them to be in videos, then film in public spaces with people watching. It’s one thing to be confident behind a camera; it’s another to walk up to a stranger, or someone you’ve only met once, and ask them to be part of your content. That experience taught me how to lead with more directness and less hesitation, and I think it will change how I approach interpersonal interactions going forward. I’m quicker now to just ask, instead of waiting for the “right” moment.

The most memorable part of my semester wasn’t a landmark or a trip. It was my very last night in Tarragona, when all my friends walked me back to my apartment and we said our goodbyes at the door. After months of building those relationships from scratch, in a language and a country that weren’t our own, that goodbye hit harder than I expected. It was proof of how much a semester abroad can build in such a short amount of time.

My time in Tarragona didn’t look exactly like I imagined, but it gave me more than I could have planned for: a sharper understanding of how culture and tourism collide, real friendships built across language barriers, and a leadership style built on just putting myself out there. I came home with a clearer sense of the kind of marketing work I want to do, and the confidence that I can land somewhere completely new and figure it out.

My Summer in Potsdam, Germany

Posted on August 31, 2026 by Noah S. Roberts

From March through August of 2026, I studied abroad at the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Germany. I was attracted to the university for its excellent Computer Science program, young but vibrant history, and location within Europe and Germany.

Potsdam spent the last four hundred years as the home of the Prussian (and later German) royalty and court, a history which is reflected in its architecture. Its many palaces, including the Neues Palais (literally “New Palace”) whose grounds and auxiliary buildings are home to one the University of Potsdam’s three campuses, and beautiful nature ensures Potsdam’s centuries-long status as a prime vacation destination remains. Additionally, its close proximity to Berlin grants residents access to all of the sights, sounds, foods, and experiences the modern cosmopolitan metropolis has to offer.

The University of Potsdam is a relatively young institution, having been founded in 1991 after German unification. Despite its short history, it regularly ranks towards the top of several global college and university rankings and is well known for its teacher education program and Faculty of Science. I chose to study at the University of Potsdam for its well-renowned computer science program and its vast array of courses offered to international students that need not be taken as part of a traditional degree program. These offerings allow students like me to study subjects not offered at their home universities. I attended a seminar from the Institute for Slavic Studies in which we analyzed themes of peace and conflict in eastern Europe through various works of literature from the past few hundred years. The university’s proximity to and intertwined history with the Slavic world gives them a unique perspective on this topic, one which the University of Montana (or most universities in the United States, for that matter) cannot offer.

I expected my Beyond the Classroom Experience to be a challenge. I would be studying in a new country, foreign culture, and completely unfamiliar bureaucracy thousands of miles away from home, all while speaking far more German than I ever have. However, my study abroad tested me in ways and to a degree I did not expect. As time went on, and as my German skills and confidence improved, my ability to easily engage in everyday conversations proved to not be too difficult. Working within the bureaucracies of the university and Brandenburg state governments was a consistent challenge though, one that persisted mere days before I flew home.

The largest challenge I faced was cultural. Where Americans will strike up a conversation with anyone in their immediate vicinity, conversing with strangers about anything other than which is absolutely required for a given interaction is considered taboo in this part of Germany. This general coldness and shallowness took a real and unexpected toll on my mental health. I am generally a rather smiley and outgoing person, so this environment felt repressive. My day would genuinely be made on the off chance that some random passerby on the street smiled back at me. I was lucky to have found a group of amazing friends from all across the world who supported and opened up to each other to satisfy that need for deep social interaction. Turns out that the stereotypically cold Germans just need some time to get comfortable with you first. I was invited to join some friends at the movie theater to watch The Drama (in German, just for fun). These people became my closest friends, and I will never forget them.

With challenges come growth. Over the last six months, I learned how to navigate an entirely new environment largely on my own, though with some help from my friends and family. I stepped out of my comfort zone and participated in seminars covering difficult and entirely foreign topics to me. I discovered an interest in humanities and research that I had, up to that point, barely explored or considered. Heck, just a day before I moved out, I learned to paddle board!

My Global Theme is Technology and Society, and my chosen Global Challenge is the urgent need to end the ongoing erosion of personal and digital privacy. I hoped to take a course at the University of Potsdam which addresses this challenge but was unfortunately unable to. However, my time in Germany offered some perspective on this issue. Germans generally value everyday privacy very strongly, a value which is clearly reflected in their culture. As an example, Germans who do not wish to be photographed will duck out of frame, whereas Americans will react with apathy or maybe even intentionally enter the frame to photobomb it. This value is reflected in their government, too. The GDPR and the myriad of privacy legislation in Germany and the European Union are not perfect, but the “private by default” attitude taken should be seen as the standard for all privacy legislation throughout the world.

I had lots of memorable experiences, but my trip with some friends to Hamburg was one of my favorites. I found some cheap tickets to the city via Deutsche Bahn’s ICE high speed rail service, so I recruited two friends of mine to join me: Aspen, from Minnesota, and Georgios, from Greece! We really only had one full day in Hamburg, but we packed it full of museums, sightseeing points, and an evening boat tour of the city.

I was also incredibly lucky to have my parents visit me in June. I loved being able to share the amazing places I had found in my adoptive home!

My spring and summer in Germany was one of the hardest challenges I have ever faced, filled with frustration, stress, loneliness, and lots of impostor syndrome. However, I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. I have discovered new academic interests, furthered my German language skills, experienced a world of cultures, and proven to myself that I can jump into the deep end and thrive. Potsdam will forever be a special place for me. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

My Spring in Yorkshire

Posted on August 31, 2026 by jameskampen

During the spring semester of 2026, I studied abroad at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. Between classes, multiple hours on British trains, and my many Steak & Ale Pies at Nottingham House, I thoroughly enjoyed and experienced my time in Sheffield to the fullest. Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire near Manchester, Leeds, and the Peaks District, famous for its contribution to the Industrial Revolution and steel production. Now, in a post-industrious climate, Sheffield is best known for its presence of students as it boasts both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, two major British institutions. The school that I attended, the University of Sheffield, is famous for its vast campus, international programs, and being a part of the Russell Group. The University of Sheffield has many schools and different programs, but since my Global Theme is Culture and Politics, I mostly spent my time in classes that circled around British politics, government, and culture. I chose the University of Sheffield because of my fascination with England, their geography and city planning programs, and my friend, Kate Fraser, who conducted her study abroad at the University of Montana last year, studied at the University of Sheffield as well.

Before I left for Sheffield, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that the city of Sheffield was much larger than any place I had lived prior, so I knew I was going to be overwhelmed. I also expected that I would have plenty of culture shock to accompany me during my first time in the United Kingdom. Luckily, because of my friend, Kate, I had realistic expectations regarding the workload, social life, and atmosphere of Sheffield before arriving. Once I did arrive, everything felt a lot less overwhelming than I would have expected. The grocery stores weren’t vastly different, people were much nicer than non-Brits try to make them out to be, and I didn’t experience all of the culture shock that I was expecting. It wasn’t until Easter Holiday (the United Kingdom’s much-lengthier version of our spring break- our’s was almost 4 weeks long!) when I returned to Sheffield from my vacation to Italy and Greece that I began to feel homesick for Montana, which didn’t fully leave until I returned home in late June.

While living in Sheffield wasn’t a shock within itself, I still had moments of surprise and reflection. I lived in a student-living flat with 5 other roommates, who were all students studying abroad from a variety of other countries. All of them were from different parts of Europe including Lena from Portugal, Mark from the Netherlands, Julie from Belgium, Sanyi from Hungary, and Sarah from France. So while learning about the United Kingdom and all that it has to offer, I also got to learn so much about other parts of the world through my roommates. Often on Wednesday nights, my roommates and I would get together and make a large dinner for all of us, including different dishes from our home countries. I got to experience both that and constantly visiting my friend Kate’s flat that she shared with multiple roommates as well. I would come over almost weekly for movie nights with Kate and her roommates who were from all over the United Kingdom, and through that I got to learn so much about the different communities, cultures, and livelihoods in the United Kingdom.

During my time in Sheffield, I also had the opportunity to travel a lot. Luckily my boyfriend, Will Eaton, was also on the exact same study abroad program from the University of Montana to the University of Sheffield as I was, so we got to do a lot of traveling together. We explored a lot of places in the United Kingdom together such as London, Manchester, Bristol, Bath, the Peaks District, Bakewell, York, Haworth, and even went up to Edinburgh with our friend Kate. We also got to explore Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Rome, Florence, and Venice in Italy, and Athens, Arachova, and Delphi in Greece. After my last week of classes in June, my mom flew to the United Kingdom and we explored London, Sheffield, Bakewell, York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Scottish Highlands together.

My experience at the University of Sheffield and my general time abroad will absolutely aid my further work with the Franke Global Leadership Initiative. This experience has allowed me to open my mind to further opportunities, to always accept any adventurous chance given, and how to prioritize both analyzing and experiencing a different culture at the same time.

Exploring Culture and Education in Sendai, Japan

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Brynn Jankowski

Over the spring and summer, I studied abroad at Tohoku University – a university in Sendai, Japan that prides itself on international collaboration. Since my Global Theme is Culture and Politics, I figured that focusing most of my class time on learning more about Japan’s culture would be both beneficial and engaging. However, as a striving teacher, I also wanted to explore Japan’s educational systems. Thus, I designated my Global Challenge as exploring “how to assess and address the inequalities found in nations like Japan through the differences in their rural and urban education systems, along with financial disparities.”

In order to better answer my Global Challenge, I took two classes; one class taught me about primary education in Japan (with an emphasis on foreign language teaching), and the other class taught me about universities (with an emphasis on comparing Japanese universities with other universities around the world). Through these classes, I explored issues regarding test-based educational systems and recent revisions to the educational curriculums that shift the emphasis to applying skills in the real world. Having to propose revisions for the education system as my final project in these classes, I learned that no one solution exists to the question of how to inclusively structure public education; every student learns differently, and with societal expectations constantly changing, having a curriculum that always fits the mold is unrealistic. Rather, I have found that having in place a system that allows for regular change within the curriculum is a valuable, flexible method to address new issues as they arise.

However, education became a secondary focus when I was studying at Tohoku. It seemed like every week, I encountered a new opportunity to learn about and personally experience Japan’s and Sendai’s culture. For one, I got to take a class that taught me the Sparrow Dance, which I got to perform at Sendai’s Aoba Matsuri: a festival focused on honoring Date Masamune’s (the local lord’s) memory.

I also got to take a class in which I helped make decorations for Sendai’s Tanabata Festival. This class had us creating a design, folding thousands of paper flowers, and attaching all of the origami to a bamboo structure. I not only learned how to fold origami but also how to create meaningful designs.

However, I think my favorite experience was learning Kyudo, or traditional Japanese long-bow archery, from Tohoku’s Kyudo circle (a noncompetitive club) named Zansin. While there, I not only learned about Kyudo and the arts of patience and form, but I also got to make local friends and practice my Japanese.

Overall, this study abroad experience opened my eyes to the wonders of other cultures. While engaging in classes and club activities, I felt that the culture I was learning about was truly beautiful and community driven. Being able to actually participate in another culture also made me feel more connected to the people I met in Sendai, and I am so grateful they were open to sharing it with me.

A Retrospect on Studying in Aberystwyth, Wales

Posted on August 22, 2026 by rubydavisbca4f3c542

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My name is Ruby Davis. In June, I returned from a semester-long study abroad in Aberystwyth, Wales, studying English Education at Aberystwyth University.

I chose Wales for my study abroad out of my curiosity in Wales’ campaign for bilingualism. The Welsh government aims towards having 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. With a focus on Inequality and Human Rights, I wanted to learn more ways to incorporate the care and pride that Wales has. I believe that connecting with your native language increases a sense of belonging and pride and after 5 months in Wales, I met many individuals who genuinely care about addressing this issue. I met a number of people learning Welsh as a second, third or even fourth language.

The view from my dorm (spot the seagull who woke me every day).

Since I joined during a spring semester, I wasn’t able to join a beginner Welsh course. To learn more about Welsh culture and language education, I took a course on Twentieth-Century Welsh Poetry in English and a course on Assessing Materials for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Outside of my courses, I joined the Ornithological (birdwatching) Society and an international student organization. I had many opportunities to travel outside of Aberystwyth during my studies. I took weekly trips with the birding society to different nature reserves around Wales. I planned weekend trips with friends and on my own visiting some of my bucket list locations in Europe like Paris, Barcelona, and Bath. What I have learned, though, is the more you travel, the more the list grows.

Plotting these trips and observing the incredible leadership and organization of the birdwatching society taught me a lot about leadership. Despite having no knowledge on how to identify birds (let alone the birds of Wales), the bird watchers were happy to point out and describe the many species time and time again as I slowly got the hang of a borrowed pair of binoculars. In teaching, I must be prepared to explain subject material again and again, rephrasing and considering the perspectives of students who don’t have the same learning style as myself.

The road sign pictured here is a “give way” sign on the road outside my flat with a sticker slapped over top reading: “Ble Mae’r Cymraeg?” which translates to: “Where’s the Welsh?”. In 2016, the Welsh Parliament enacted legislation requiring all road signs from that point onward to be bilingual.* However, less than 50% percent of the Welsh population speaks Welsh.* Legislation like this is just one example I found of efforts to upend language inequality as so many people work to see the Welsh language thrive.

During my time in Aberystwyth, Wales, my romanticized view of the United Kingdom was disproved and broken down, but I gained a romanticized view of Montana. It was a prideful thing to tell people I live near Glacier National Park, to see the curiosity when I told them that yes, I did carry bear spray with me when walking in the woods, to share pictures of Flathead and Missoula Valley and say “this is where I’m from!” I found that travel increased my love for my hometown, and I am incredibly grateful for that.

I like to say that my study abroad was full of serendipity, but that word entails pure chance and I made an effort to escape my comfort zone in little ways, attend events I was interested in, and reach out to people I wanted to befriend. Having returned to Montana, I am more appreciative of the work that goes into language revitalization, and more confident in my ability to teach and learn.

My Time Abroad In South Korea!

Posted on January 28, 2026 by eddygallegosde443417b9

Hello, my name is Eddy Gallegos. This past semester I studied in Seoul, South Korea at the University of Seoul. I am currently a junior majoring in Cybersecurity with a global theme focused on technology and society. Prior to my study abroad trip, I had never traveled far from home, especially not to a city of millions of people who have a different culture and language from my own. I originally came to Korea to observe how a society with such high technological standards interacts with its population, but I left with a better understanding of technology and my own personal growth.

Before starting my journey, I really didn’t know much about South Korea at all. Most of what I associated with it came from popular music and shows. Two days before my departure I started to overthink, I started questioning if I should really go. I worried about going through my daily life without being able to read,write, or speak Korean. I was nervous about being alone in an unfamiliar place. These worries were simply just worries. Once I arrived I met people from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom I still text to this day. With these connections I found myself stepping away from my introverted nature and by the time the program came to an end. I was reluctant to return home.

My challenge was to see how a society with high technological standards operates. I personally have experienced the opposite during my time in Mexico where the same infrastructure is not present. One of these technologies was the subway system. This technology was completely new to me as I have never experienced it before. The Trains arrived exactly on time, the stations were well maintained and clean. It was easy to go from one place to another without any worry about how to get there. There were many other technical systems that took some time getting used to, but the overall benefits far outweighed any inconvenience. I’d go as far as to say that transportation was my least worry.

As the program went on, I found myself trying new things and becoming more social. It felt like I was living a different life, one that I find myself missing in a meaningful way. I spent a lot of my time going out with friends, exploring different parts of the city, walking through nearby districts, or riding the train or bus for hours just to see where I would end up. I also traveled outside of South Korea and visited Jeju Island, where I hiked the Hallasan mountain, the tallest mountain in Korea. I never realized I could be so outgoing and I discovered what I liked through my experiences with my friends. I always thought of myself as being very introverted and in my own lane so to speak. However in Korea that was just not the case, I would even go out alone at times just to explore new places and monuments.

My time spent in Korea also educated me on dealing with South Korean culture. Many Korean people were very nice and they mostly kept to themselves. Sometimes during my commute on a train some elderly people, Ahjussi or Ajumma would talk to me as best they could in English and I was more than happy to start a conversation with them. I never felt like I was alienated nor felt out of place while I was on the study abroad program. I also met a few Koreans who I became friends with and there I learned more about the culture and why they act how they act.

Looking back on my time in South Korea was an amazing experience, I never expected to do any of the things I did there and I would gladly do something similar like this again. This entire experience changed how I view myself inter-personally as well as how society operates over in the Asia region, something I was unfamiliar with before.

From Tāmaki Makaurau to Piopiotahi: Envisioning Sustainable Futures in Aotearoa New Zealand

Posted on July 3, 2025 by maiyaroelen

Kia ora, hello! My name is Maiya, and I am a senior at the University of Montana studying Wildlife Biology with a Climate Change Studies minor and certificates in Nonprofit Administration and Global Leadership. For my Beyond the Classroom experience, I studied abroad in Wellington, Aotearoa (New Zealand) at Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University of Wellington). My Global Theme is Resources and Sustainability, and during my time abroad, I immersed myself in learning about New Zealand’s sustainability and climate goals and the history and culture of the Māori people. My classes at Te Herenga Waka covered a vast range of climate change impacts in Aotearoa and I furthered my learning outside of the classroom by having conversations with local people, visiting a diversity of natural spaces around the country, and experiencing the critical nature of having a connection to place.

The famous Wellington sign in the country’s capital city.

New Zealand is home to tens of thousands of endemic species, meaning that certain plants, birds, reptiles, and other organisms are found nowhere else in the world. Being an island nation, Aotearoa also hosts a diversity of marine life, including dolphins, whales, seals, sting ray, fish, and marine invertebrates. Being from the United States which is not geographically isolated in the same manner as Aotearoa and not having had a lot of prior knowledge of endemic species, it was incredible to witness the plant life and wildlife that are Native to the country. Students and professors in the Ecology and Biodiversity Department at Te Herenga Waka nearly always refer to species with their names in Te Reo Māori (the Māori language). For me, this was a learning curve at first, as Indigenous language has never been a part of my education due to the systemic colonial thinking embedded in US academic culture. It was a beautiful and transformative experience to learn to speak about the land in Te Reo Māori. I will remain committed to decolonizing language and systems of thinking in my field of conservation, and I will challenge myself and others to continue to learn in this way, for it is so important to the knowledge of people, place, and our relationship to the natural world. I initially arrived in New Zealand thinking that policy would be my primary focus with regards to conservation and climate commitments, but came to be reminded of the importance of turning to Indigenous leaders for lessons in how we care for the Earth. From Pīwakawaka to Kererū, Ruru to Kārearea, and Kauri to Rimu, my time in Aotearoa expanded my understanding of the possibilities for the future of conservation and only made me love wildlife more. How can I continue to honor Indigenous tradition in my education, my career, and throughout my life? How does language shape the way we view the natural world and our vision for the possibilities of a future that exists in symbiosis with the planet?

Hiking near Marlborough Sound outside of Waitohi Picton.

In addition to the unique wildlife and plant communities of the country, the geography of Aotearoa is absolutely stunning. Highlights of my time there include a weeklong bus trip across the scenic North Island with other students and solo travelers that took me from Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) to Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). Along the way, we stopped at the famous Cathedral Cove, Karangahake Gorge, Waitomo glowworm caves, Huka Falls, Tongariro National Park and Lake Taupō. I also greatly enjoyed my time on the South Island at the end of my trimester, as I travelled from Tāhuna (Queenstown) to Waitohi (Picton). Experiencing the splendor of Piopiotahi (also known as Milford Sound) on the South Island was one of the most magical moments of my time abroad because witnessing largely untouched and protected wilderness such as that is so extremely rare and precious. And of course, visiting a Kiwi bird rehabilitation sanctuary in Tāhuna is another special memory from the South Island.

The southernmost point of the North Island at Cape Palliser, Aotearoa.

My time in Aotearoa challenged the way that I think and enhanced my ability to evaluate how language shapes our relationship to the world and each other. I met some incredible people who welcomed me to a new place with compassion, curiosity, and warmth, and for this welcome I will always be grateful. I found joy in learning about species I had never known, like the Tuatara, hiking to an eight-hundred-year-old Rimu tree and stumbling upon a huge Fur Seal community at the southernmost point of New Zealand’s North Island. I believe we should always learn from our local, national, and international neighbors with humility because there is a lot to know, and it is always worth taking the time to listen. I am tremendously grateful to the Franke GLI for helping to make this experience possible and for encouraging me to seek unique paths along my educational journey that open doors such as this. I look forward with great excitement to my next adventure.

The Remarkables mountain range in Tāhuna Queenstown, Aotearoa.

My Semester in Athens, Greece

Posted on September 7, 2023 by hannah1davisumontanaedu

Hello Everybody!

My name is Hannah Davis and I’m a current senior at the University of Montana that is majoring in Theater and a minor in Music. This spring semester for my junior year, I went to Athens Greece for my Beyond the classroom experience. For four months, I have partaken a few gen ed classes, a theater class and music classes at the American College of Greece including a social inequality class for an approvement on my inequality and human rights topic for my global theme. Also, I was able to find a club that involved with womans rights and a foundation for woman to do fundraisers and show the empowerment of working together known as the American Woman of Greece.

Coming to Greece was a process to be experiencing air travel to another country and being able to get through to my next destination was worth it. I was able to meet my new roommates and I had great time getting to know them. It took me time to adjust being away from home and my roommate was so kind and respectful to what I was going through. Soon, the Adjustment became like a second home and that my roommates were like family.

I got to perform in a concert for the music program over there and went to go see a musical known as the Phantom of the Opera. Certain activities I did was going to gift shops on the islands, took tours that were being offered in places I was at, went clubbing for the first time and went island hopping. My island-hopping experience was so much! I met a lot of great people on the ship including trying great food, great company, adventure a little bit on the islands, got to see dolphins and went swimming in the beautiful blue ocean.

I had visited places that were very historical, breathtaking and I had so much fun. I was to afford going to travel different places and islands that were offered such as Italy, Crete, Seces and Many more. From Historical downtown Athens that had a lot of stores, people, wonderful Cuisine and very creative artists on the street. The Athens temple to Parthenogen had such an historical background and mythological effect towards making truly beautiful. I was able to visit the city of Delphie was so beautiful and being to learn how certain parts of them that was run by leaders, kings, and mythological gods.

Above All, this beyond experience had been Absolutely amazing and Unforgettable! I learned more about myself as a person and being able to explore my horizons on this journey of exploring new possibilities. I truly enjoyed my experience and I’m still shocked that I went to one of the most beautiful places in the world and I still miss it. It’s Worth It!

Classroom to Coastline: Studying in Malta

Posted on August 31, 2023 by dahoyer

Arriving on the island of Malta felt surreal. As I left the airport, I was greeted by sunny skies, limestone buildings with the most colorful balconies, and the clearest water I had ever seen. Surrounded by the Mediterranean, my island home and classroom taught me so much.

Hi, I’m Danielle (or Dani), and as I write this, I am currently a senior musical theatre major. I left for Malta in the spring of my junior year and spent five months abroad. I partook in various theatre and music classes at the University of Malta (L-Università ta’ Malta in Maltese) and a social work class in agreement with my global theme of Inequality and Human Rights. Beyond that, I traveled quite a bit, helped write and perform a short musical, and learned the ins and outs of the small island I called home.

Moving to college and learning to be on your own is difficult, but moving to Europe and learning to be on your own is a whole new level of independence. Adjusting to the new structure of schooling and meeting new people was a challenge, but it was so gratifying. Days were up and down, but I slowly became accustomed to this way of living. My local Maltese classmates welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home. As I mentioned, I took this opportunity to do some traveling. While I saw beautiful places like Italy and Spain, traveling came with its own challenges.

While typical travel annoyances arise (hostel stays, airport security, etc.), the problems my travel partner and I ran into were much scarier. Our classes had ended for the semester, and while we had been to quite a few places already, we wanted to cover as much ground as possible. So we planned a long two-week trip. Our first stop was Spain; little did we know it would also be our last. On day four of our trip, my friend Anika got sick. We got her to a doctor, and it was very little help. Eventually, we ended up in the hospital, and after much testing, she was diagnosed with viral meningitis. Long phone calls with insurance and a language barrier made this scary experience even scarier. After the discharge, I played caretaker, and we spent two weeks in a Spanish hotel while I tried to navigate a culture and language barrier. We made it through, and the two of us got home safely. Now, we have a lot to make up for in the future.

Overall, I am grateful and overjoyed to have had this experience. I learned so much about myself and have significantly broadened my worldview. I am still in awe of the beauty I witnessed, but truth be told, I never missed home more than when I was away.

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