Internship In Athens, Greece

Posted on January 31, 2025 by theresesolomonb075e69c23

Hello! My name is Therese Solomon and I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. The theme I chose to focus on during my internship was technology and society. For my Beyond the Classroom experience I had the privilege to intern at IASIS Day Center. IASIS is an NGO that is focused on providing therapeutic and counselling services as well as psychosocial support to people who are in need. The Day Center is just one part of this organization’s goal to act both at the level of psychosocial rehabilitation and therapeutic programs as well as at the level of prevention and information on mental health. Before my internship I knew I wanted to pay attention to the use of data analysis tools and online mental health resources, to see whether these technological practices benefit the community of Athens. When arriving at my center, I learned more about my daily role and the opportunities I will have to grow in my studies.

IASIS gratitude lesson at retirement homes around Athens.

There were many different interns from all around the world including Australia, England, Italy and even many folks from the US, as well Greek volunteers. From this diverse group of people I got to learn so many different aspects of psychology. As a group of interns we would spend our time not only working on projects but talking about the different complexities about mental health and mental illness in our different countries and how it affects their society. It was fascinating to talk to all the different Greek volunteers about their experience in their education and how their society treats mental health.

When looking into technology and society within the aspect of psychology and mental health especially in a cultural setting it was important to me to find ways that the community is benefiting from these technological advances. I had many conversations with the staff at the day center about outreach and how the community is learning about these services they’re providing to community members. I asked questions about how these people even have access to internet or online communication within the mental health realm. I did not get all the answers I was hoping to get. I did get a better understanding of how technology is different within their society. When it came to outreach, IASIS had many forms. I talked to a specific Greek volunteer who worked closely within the social media department, she worked on projects such as TikToks about mental health education. I was able to work with her and my other interns to create videos in English about stress relief and how to manage it better. Alongside social media the organization had many opportunities within the community to have their organization be seen by the public. They worked with different events to educate the community on mental health resources, one specifically I was involved in was alongside a blood drive and we were honoring people who had given the most blood. My role within that was to create activities to get people to come and learn more about the day center.

While this internship had many parts of learning and understanding mental health in a cultural setting. One aspect that has really grown my leadership skills was creating and hosting my own public group therapy sessions. These activities would start with questions focused around the connection of themselves to the art. As an example one activity I planned was making art out of foliage found outside. Before we started the activity I asked the service users questions about their experience in nature and how it made them feel and the benefits of being outside. These questions were to spark and form connections with mental health and the benefits of being in nature. While the language barrier was sometimes tricky we were always able to make it work and have meaningful conversations with each other. Coming into the day center every day and seeing the same people show up for group therapy sessions and seeing their faces light up and saying my name when I walked through the door always made me feel like I was accepted to be there.

The day center and all the connections I had made along this internship has been a huge learning opportunity for my growth and career. It was a gift to learn hands-on in another country about mental health and the practice around psychology in Athens. I am very grateful for everyone I have met on this journey and the learning that has come along with it.

My Semester Abroad in Athens, Greece

Posted on August 30, 2024 by kaleismith

My name is Kalei Smith and I am from a small town in North Idaho. I grew up in Lolo, MT but we moved to Idaho to be closer to family when I was in seventh grade. I am studying Elementary Education here at the University of Montana. I have always loved Missoula and when I was looking at colleges, I originally was going to go to a school in Idaho, but as soon as I toured UM, I knew I wanted to attend. I have never felt homesick or out of place while I have been in Missoula because Montana was home to me for so long that it is just comfortable. Here is a picture of little me and Monte. 🙂

I studied abroad in Athens at The American College of Greece. In high school I always loved the idea of traveling to other countries and experiencing new cultures, so studying abroad was always in the back of my mind. I never thought it would actually be possible though, until I found out about GLI and decided to apply. The only country that I had been to before studying abroad was Mexico, and I loved getting to meet new people and see their culture, so I knew I would enjoy being in a new country. When I originally started planning my study abroad experience, I was thinking about going to Spain or Italy, but the schools I was looking at in those countries did not have many classes that interested me and it wasn’t guaranteed that those classes would be taught in English. The American College of Greece was appealing because everything is taught in English.

Once I was accepted to ACG, the process for getting my visa began. This was probably the most stressful part of the whole experience, because there were so many things that you had to have before you went to your appointment. Once I had my visa, the rest of the process was pretty simple. I browsed the course catalog to plan what classes I wanted to take and I had to set an alarm to register for classes at 2 a.m. I was able to register for classes that only took place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because I wanted to be able to travel to other countries in Europe while I was studying abroad.

This is the Panathenaic Olympic Stadium. We visited this our first weekend in Athens and it was a trip we could sign up for through ACG. At the end of my semester in April, I had the opportunity to watch the Olympic Flame handover ceremony to France for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

January came around and thus my adventure in Greece started. I enjoyed my time in Athens so much. While abroad I could explore the city of Athens, learn more about its history, and meet many amazing people. I loved being able to see the historical parts of the city as well as the more modern parts. Seeing the Acropolis has always been on my bucket list and it was amazing to see it in person.

While at ACG I took four classes, Greece: The Birth of a Modern Nation, Modern Greek I, Infancy and the Preschool Years, and Myth in the Ancient Greek and Roman World. My GLI theme is culture and politics and my class Greece: The Birth of a Modern Nation served as my connection to my theme. The class talked about the politics at play when the Ottomans occupied Greece and what their government looked like after the Ottomans were defeated. Modern Greek I was a great way for me to introduce myself to the Greek language and learn some basic conversational phrases.

One thing that I also wanted to do while I was abroad was travel to other countries and I was actually able to visit four other countries as well as a few different Greek Islands. The different countries I traveled to were the United Kingdom, France, Hungary, and Malta. Out of these four, I think the UK and Malta were my favorites. I also traveled to Santorini, Aegina, and Hydra, which are all Greek Islands. It was super helpful to not have classes on Mondays and Fridays because we were able to have longer trips to each of these places. I am super thankful to have had the opportunity to visit other places as well as the experience of studying abroad. I had such an amazing time and I keep telling everyone that I talk to that they should think about studying abroad because it is such a great way to learn not only about yourself but also about a new culture and new people. I never thought that I would actually have the chance to study abroad but I am extremely happy that I did and I would do it again if I could.

Semester in Athens, Greece! Spring 2024!

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Faith Marshall

Hi blog! My name is Faith Marshall. I was born and raised in Missoula and attend the University of Montana. Studying abroad has always been a dream of mine, especially having watched my older cousins study abroad in Australia, Wales, Italy, etc. Further, as someone who attends a university in their hometown, I knew that studying abroad would be a great opportunity to see more of the world while having structure through school. While looking at universities as a junior and senior in high school, I was fond of the opportunities that the Global Leadership Initiative presented at UM and it was definitely an aspect of UM that brought me here. And then began the journey through GLI and applying to study abroad!

Through traveling with my parents prior to studying abroad, I knew I loved London and Paris. However, there were not great options for me to study abroad in Paris. London did have 1-3 options, but after more research I decided they were not meant to be. After a few trips to the Global Engagement Office, the American College of Greece began feeling like a very realistic and awesome option. It checked lots of the boxes. I had only been to Greece once in 2023 (and loved it! Even saw ACG’s campus.) and because it’s in Europe, I could travel to other European countries. Additionally, as I began browsing the course catalogs, it became very reasonable to be able to have classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with no classes Friday through Monday. This seemed to be a great option to be able to travel on the long weekends to other places around Europe.

As far as the application process goes, it seemed to be a breeze. However, as preparation progressed, it was increasingly more stressful, but surely worth it. The visa process was especially stressful. The necessary materials, the expense to travel down to San Francisco to the Greek consulate, and finally the appointment at the Greek offices to apply for the student visa, wow! The preparation for studying abroad, on top of extra-curriculars, and taking 21 credits, I could not wait to just be in Greece, sit down, and take a deep breath.

January 2024 was the beginning of one of the most amazing experiences in my life thus far. There were amazing chances to meet new people from the United States, Greece, and other places such as Egypt, Turkey, and many others. I also loved the classes I took, Modern Greek, Modern European History & Politics, and Tennis, along with three online classes from UM and Helena College. It was a huge bonus that all classes were taught in English! Modern Greek was a great way to learn more about Greek culture while learning the language. I can go to the grocery store and have a conversation in Greek now! Further, as an American student, Modern European History & Politics was very enjoyable in learning more about European history from a Greek/European professor. This is especially true because we go through many series of learning about American history with US History, American Government, etc. and seem to rarely learn about European history.

Continuing on with the experience, I saved as much as possible to be able to travel to as many places as possible on the weekends. Along with a friend from UM, our travels began in January with a weekend in Bucharest, Romania. In February, we went on trips to Milan and Venice, Italy, Barcelona, Spain, London, and Paris. In March, my mom came across the pond to meet me in London. Then, we visited another friend who was studying abroad in Ireland over St. Patrick’s Day, and had a friend from home visit during UM spring break to travel around Greece. At the end of March, we went to Rome, Italy over Easter weekend. Then, off to Malta in April and towards the end of our experience, we visited another Greek island and my parents came during finals week to see more of Greece and go to Spain to begin a cruise along the French and Italian coasts. Finally, coming home was just as wonderful as being abroad. In different ways of course, but I was ecstatic to see my friends and family after four months and to have an awesome summer in Montana. Studying abroad is an experience I would recommend to anyone who is considering. I reflect on the friends I made, professors teaching styles, new daily routines, the uphill walk to the ACG campus, the time change from home, the yummy Greek chocolate, and finally, how well I know the Athens airport now. And looking back, I feel very thankful and wouldn’t change a thing.

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.

Out of the Classroom Experience at Flathead Lake

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Haley Yarborough

Hello! My name is Haley Yarborough. I am a senior double-majoring in Journalism and Biology with a concentration in Field Ecology at the University of Montana. My GLI Out of the Classroom Experience was eight weeks of summer classes at Flathead Lake Biological Station in Flathead Lake, Montana. During my time at the station, I took four two-week classes with a focus on aquatic ecology. These included Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Landscape Ecology, Stream Ecology, and Lake Ecology. This experience was not only important in furthering my career in field ecology but also to learn about the Impact of a warming climate on aquatic ecosystems.

Collecting macroinvertebrates in the Middle Fork of the Flathead

My time at Flathead Lake Biological Station forever changed my perspective on how the smallest changes make the biggest differences in an ecosystem. I have learned so much about the role of nutrients in rivers and lakes, and how excessive amount of nitrogen and phosphorus determine the productivity of bodies of water. I learned how runoff from agriculture can impact these nutrients and how Flathead Lake has managed to stay relatively healthy because of the absence of cattle upstream. For my stream ecology class, I participated in a four-day rafting trip, where we collected data on stream metabolism, chlorophyll, and insect abundance. At the end of class, we wrote a paper about our findings, including how groundwater affects insect species and productivity. Unfortunately, we did not find much correlation in our stream metabolism data, but it was a valuable experience in learning how to conduct experiments and learn more about the productivity of stream ecosystems.

I also learned about the impact of fires on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. For my landscape ecology class, we visited areas of forest post-burn to learn how fire severity and size affect the type of trees that are present afterward and how fire impression has impacted fire ecology within the Montana Landscape. This was not limited to terrestrial ecosystems. For my lake ecology class, we conducted an experiment using several different types of ash to explore how it affects the presence of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and phosphorus in lake and rain-water.

All these experiences made me consider how climate change will further exacerbate climate conditions and how further research should be done on how fires impact aquatic ecosystems, because some of the research, especially in Montana, is minimal. Lake Ecology also made me consider how a warming climate will affect high-alpine lakes. For my last class, we visited Iceberg Lake in Glacier National Park. This was a glacial lake, but because of a warming climate, the glacier and ice that created the lake have decreased in size notably. There is research currently being done on this and I would like to learn more as time passes.

By the time these classes finished, I felt like I learned so much. I feel like I have learned not only so much about ecology but ecology related to the Montana landscape. I think this is particularly valuable to my global theme of Resources and Sustainability because it gave me the experience necessary to learn more about certain facets of ecology if I want to. It also opened up opportunities for me to do further work with the biological station. If I could do it again, I would.

Mijn gezellige reis naar Tilburg

Posted on January 31, 2023 by maxshaver

Hallo iedereen! My name is Maxwell Shaver, and I studied abroad in Tilburg in the Netherlands. I cannot recommend it enough- especially if you love biking (check out Not Just Bikes on youtube: https://youtu.be/9OfBpQgLXUc ). There I was close enough to a major hub for international traveling (Schiphol Airport), and studying at a top 50 school for economics. All of this is with the added bonus of the GLI scholarship! What’s not to love?

Moving abroad is tough at times, like this picture of me implies. But first and foremost remember: everyone is struggling the same amount as you. This was my second study abroad and by far the harder, and the first one wasn’t even in English! The school system is harder, and the separation you get from friends and family is tough, but hey- you’re tougher! Studying abroad, you get so many awesome experiences. I managed to learn Dutch in only four months, and now I can communicate with a population that has a 93% English literacy rate! In all seriousness, I made friends in my international dorm from all across the world. I now have a couch to sleep on in Madrid, Singapore, Vienna, Taipei, Hong Kong, and even as far away as Sydney! Some of the people I met are going to be lifelong friends, and really encourage me to be true to myself. As my friend Libor told me (in a thick German accent) “Mixwell, you are, who you surround yourself wif.” I will never forget those words, and I am happy to have taken lessons from people I love so much. They pushed me to be who I want to be, and it is an experience I wouldn’t have given for the world.

Apart from the sappy (yet always important) personal growth you will inevitably experience abroad, there are so many things you can do. Tickets from Schiphol to Barcelona were at one point 22€, not to mention how easy and cheap it is to get around by train or bus! I had six close friends and family members come to visit me throughout my semester, and I got into a rhythm of showing them the cool parts of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Not to mention how cheap it is to travel (especially in Eastern Europe), there are always super cool events going on! Somehow a pirate band I had known for most of my life (don’t ask) was playing in a few nearby towns on tour, and I managed to rope a few friends to go. This band was so engaging and fun we all went to each time they played in the Netherlands.

How crazy is that? All of the members on tour (they are called Ye Banished Privateers by the way) signed my CD, and it remains a highlight of our friend group.

Regardless, this experience was life-changing (as you have heard a billion times), and I can only say good things about the Netherlands. Also, I need people here to speak Dutch with. Please go, if not then please learn it and hit me up!

Dankjewel om dit te lezen, ik vond Tilburg heel gezellig en jij zult het ook vinden!

A South American Adventure: 12 weeks studying Spanish and journalism in Buenos Aires

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Addie Slanger

Hello to all from chilly Missoula, Montana — quite a bit colder than Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I recently spent 12 weeks as a newspaper intern, soaking up all I could of the beautiful South American country. My name is Addie Slanger and I am a Franke Global Leadership Initiative graduate with a theme of Politics and Culture. In Argentina, I interned for Que Pasa Noticias Zona Norte, a newspaper covering the wider Buenos Aires province.

While in Buenos Aires, I focused on a series of stories about international holidays and how they related to Argentina and the U.S., as well as conducted a semester-long audit of my organization’s social media. As my Spanish proficiency grew, I graduated into more complicated stories and news coverage. I was able to use the expertise I gained in school and apply it in real life, in a totally different environment than I was used to. As a graduate of UM’s journalism and Spanish programs, I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to integrate the skills I’ve cultivated over the last four years of my undergrad. And the experience proved to be incredibly valuable. Although I was certainly not breaking international news or interviewing celebrities, I gained significant insight from my editors and improved my Spanish language skills more I ever had before, learning how to communicate and convey intricate concepts to an international audience.

Living in a city with 12 times the population of Montana (yes, the entire state) — and working in an industry that pushed both my professional skills and language comprehension — was an indescribable asset for my personal, professional and academic development. Along with satisfying the last requirements for my GLI certificate, the internship was a perfect synthesis of my love of journalism and Spanish, and a way to explore a part of the world I’ve never seen before.

My experience in Argentina perfectly exemplified my GLI concentration. My understanding of both the politics and culture of this country (and their contextualization in comparison to the U.S.) grew latently as I lived, worked and traveled there. Since both are so inherent to everyday life in a country, there was no doubt in my mind I’d reap generous rewards from this experience in regards to my global theme. And my internship paid off in dividends as well. Though I myself was not writing big news stories, I was sure to consume them daily, to stay on top of current events and ensure I was properly educated on the state of things there. Each and every day I engaged in conversations — with my host and her friends, my coworkers, my Argentine and international friends — that greatly augmented my understanding of culture (and politics as an element of culture) in Argentina.

As a direct result of this experience, I became more broadly informed, a more adept communicator, and more globally conscious, key objectives of the GLI program and absolutely essential in the functioning of a productive and ethical society. I’m excited at the possibility of taking what I’ve learned and using it to inform my future studies, bringing an internationally literate point of view and an ability to communicate nuanced, multicultural perspectives to each relevant situation.

Yes COVID – And , the travel bug

Posted on August 26, 2022 by tayloredwardcurry

If the travel bug were real, I’d be infested. And I’m sure I caught it the moment I stepped off the plane in Lyon, France where I would spend the past year studying international politics and French literature.

I joined the sizable cohort of international students at Université Jean Moulin in Lyon during the turbulent COVID pandemic, when the existence of such a program was under stress from a myriad of health and safety concerns. I think there’s interest in the idea that two very different viruses — COVID (real) and the travel bug (not real) — would exist in the same plane for me during that year.

The lens through which COVID asked that I perceived the world revealed so much about my global theme and challenge. In fact, it really redefined culture and politics by putting them into quotidian terms. For instance, the diversity of cultures within Europe, already a small sliver of global diversity, insists that culture isn’t an abstraction to be experienced for a few months by airplane, but instead a lens through which we define our own existence. At the risk of getting too metaphysical, I realized while abroad that a theme like culture and politics is more about how we name the world than it is about what that world superficially looks like.

The guiding principal for me right now is a ‘Yes – And’ : it’s the idea that two things can be true at once, and that there’s always a third truth next to them.

Naming the world for me began at the academic level. I sat among French students in classes on topics ranging from fundamental rights and liberties in European courts to medieval poetry in early France to the geomorphology of water-based landscapes in the time of climate change. Diversity is a word that comes up a lot when we talk about culture, and it certainly applies to academic culture as well as social culture. This diverse set of subjects affirms that the perspectives with which I approach my degrees are not mutually exclusive. I can look at the world from both a cultural and a political stance, from both a literary and a scientific stance, or from both a pragmatic and an abstract stance. Understanding academics in this way indicates that nothing exists in isolation, and that interdependence is the defining quality of global culture.

Naming the world continued and found its peak impact for me while travelling. This is where diversity in the classic sense returns, as I started to think of seemingly distinct countries like Finland, Tunisia, Malta, and so many others in terms of their interdependence. Oftentimes, though, I’ve been surprised by how pervasive that interdependence can be. In an example, a pastry vendor in Marrakech, Morocco, related to my travel friends and I that he used to work in the tourism industry, directing visitors to popular attractions around this part of north-western Africa. During COVID, when travel declined, that business practically dried up. In order to remain economically afloat, he pivoted to baking as a (hopefully) temporary position to support his family. It’s startling that we all experienced the COVID pandemic in very diverse ways, but more importantly that our personal privileges dictated how severely we were each impacted.

More profoundly, the way we each pivot during stressful moments is so indicative of how we have learned to name the world. It’s overly simplistic, but I like the sentiment that we are all just piles of organs trying to make correct decisions.

As I transition back into a more ‘stationary’ education here at UM, I continue to think about the uniqueness of those two viruses existing simultaneously. The globe is stocked with ‘Yes – And’s. I hope that I can let multiple truths exist together, and that I can let them guide my evolutive naming of the world.

European Union, Brats, and the Bundesländer

Posted on August 23, 2022 by sethdcarmichael

Complicated and interlocking political and economic administration systems. I expected most of Germany to be devoid of trees and heavily influenced by the Cold War cement. Waking up at the end of my flight I noticed a polka dotted landscape of villages that grew in size while coming closer to major cities. All over Germany there are fields of wind turbines and solar panels. A brave utilization of land, lush and beautiful. The area I called home for a year is the ‘Ruhrpott,’ distinguished by a preserved mining heritage reminding me of Butte, America. Embodied in the state-of-the-art UNESCO museum at the Zollverein Mining area, it follows Germany’s history in utilization of coal mining, industrialization, and worker life in the area. This museum displays local artifacts ranging from archeological treasures found while mining, cultural tides of an imperial past, and the final chapters of coal mining in the area. Local Dortmund peers educated me on the Fußball Club rivalries and diverse communities within the Ruhrpott. As one could expect, this city prides itself on diversity with citizens coming from all over the world. I was particularly impressed with the international students at the Techniche Universität campus as they number 14% of the student body.

I opted to intern with a local high school as an English teaching assistant in my second semester. Unsure how this experience would go, once these “at risk” students learned about where I was from their curiosity pushed them to communicate in my native language. It helped I spoke enough German to answer simple questions and I was able to play a bit of charades when these students wanted to dig deeper than their English textbooks allowed. (I was really proud when during this year my I managed to pass as a local giving directions at the Hauptbahnhofs.)

Personal connections are the lasting souvenir from Dortmund. In an online German Intensive Language course, I invited a bunch of peers out one evening and quickly became friends with a Turkish fellow, Maltepe. He had been attending a Military Academy in Istanbul with the expectation to become an officer. I immediately knew I’d found another politics buff. We traded thoughts about Turkish current events and American culture. I enjoyed telling him stories of my Montana home and other parts of the U.S., particularly national parks, and he enjoyed explaining growing up in Malatya on an apricot farm. He opened up about his love of Turkey and his hope for a better future. He works hard for his studies in a foreign country, learning his fifth language, working, and following a different career than he was educated for. He became a fellow explorer of German culture, architecture, bratwursts, and museums.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time using the Deutsche Bahn public trains because of the easy use long distance and local systems. I was able to use the regional train systems with the German 9 Euro Ticket allowing individuals to buy an all-inclusive ticket to travel anywhere in Germany (regional and local in all cities). This was a promotional legislation and experiment to see if Germany could attract a large amount of tourism after the pandemic. It worked and train platforms had no elbowroom and felt like being at a concert.

Dortmund is an undiscovered gem. A central location near the Rhine river, there is easy access to historical sites in Germany such as Cologne, Aachen, and just a few train stops from Münster (where they conceived of national sovereignty). The downtown boasts the oldest Pharmacy in Western Europe that was founded in 1332 which put into perspective how young the United States are. While traveling Germany and exploring the national museums show an ancient and divided history in a youthful nation (remember it only unified after the fall of the Berlin wall). I was fortunate to study and travel Germany while political passions were high. The election of a new Chancellor (Olaf Schultz of the SPD). A common spirit of decency and respect and anti-Nazi sentiment referring to the far-right AfD party. Traveling the former Eastern block countries when Putin’s War in Ukraine began gave me a fright and incentivized a habit of being glued to the news even while in museums. I had a few heavy visits to concentration camps; in particular the Dachau camp which my great grandfather Allen Chesbro Jr. (UM Class of 1941) helped to liberate with the Rainbow Brigade. I enjoyed representing Montana to my international peers, it gave me a diplomatic perspective I hope to carry in my final year at the University of Montana. The intensive German language learning courses offered by TU were a great way to meet other new exchange students and there were many events on the TU campus to connect with the local Germans before classes began. Learning a language takes a little humor and a lot of dedication to try. I took many classes on the E.U. structure and recent crises. I learned from new friends to make traditional Calcutta Curry and Schnitzel while memorizing different phrases in Turkish. While participating in day trips and longer travels in Europe I taught these same friends to respond ‘Fight On’ to my chant of ‘Go Griz’.

Beyond the Classroom

Your gateway to the Beyond the Classroom Experience with the Franke GLI at the University of Montana.

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