Study Abroad

Kyle Klaschka

Galway, Ireland
Major(s): Biomedical Engineering
Minor(s): Mathematics, Health Studies

What led you to study abroad?
I have a passion for traveling and I knew going into Fairfield as a freshman that I wanted to study abroad. I was aware that engineers typically studied in Ireland, so I researched the school and discovered it is a top biomedical engineering school. From then on I knew Ireland was where I wanted to spend my abroad experience and today I consider this to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

My highlight moment
My highlight moment in Galway was in the end when NUI Galway held its annual Christmas celebration. All the students attended class in their Christmas attire and the overall mood of the student body was very cheerful. The night was then started off with a city-sponsored parade through town which was followed by a small, but very fun, pub crawl with the students, still dressed I their Christmas attire. Everyone in town was in such a great mood and the pubs played along with the theme as well. Christmas music was everywhere, and the streets were lit up with lights all the way down.

Has my experience prepared for life at Fairfield?
After my experience abroad, I would consider myself more culturally aware in the world. In other words, I have gained a greater appreciation for the other cultures around me and I have become more aware of the cultural diversity even within the United States. This has helped me bring a different perspective into the classroom as we discuss topics relating to history, religion, and philosophy.

Florence, Italy
Major(s): Digital Journalism and English
Minor(s): Italian Language
Concentration: Creative Writing

What led you to study abroad?
My family is Italian, and they speak the language, so I have always wanted to visit Italy and be able to say that I lived there as well. Ever since I was young, I have wanted to travel. Italy was my dream because I wanted to learn more about the culture and fully immerse myself in order to really understand my family’s background, while pushing myself outside my comfort zone of Long Island and Fairfield.

What kinds of activities have you participated in?
An activity I participated in while abroad was cleaning the streets of Florence during a community service opportunity with the company Angeli del Bello. We walked the streets with an older Italian woman while she asked us about our lives in America, and I used my Italian minor to translate. We decided to volunteer again with the organization, and we painted over a fence at a local park; the people of Florence were stopping to praise us for our work, thanking us for cleaning their city. It was a really great feeling for our work to be appreciated because it made me feel like less of a tourist and more of an included part of society. I also took a cooking class where we were taught how to make spinach and ricotta ravioli and my Italian language class wrote for the Florence University of the Arts magazine, Blending.

What is a highlight of your time abroad?
The highlight of my study abroad experience was definitely fall break. I was fortunate enough to travel to five different countries in ten days, and although it was tiring, it was amazing to see so many places I had always dreamed of visiting. If I had to pick one moment that felt truly surreal, it would be visiting the Eiffel Tower. We first went at night, for the light show, and before it started sparkling I started to cry. The Eiffel Tower is something I have grown up seeing in pictures or movies, but I never would have thought that I would get to see it in person. I do not think I could ever forget the moment I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I wish I could relive it and experience that feeling again; it was really amazing.

How did study abroad prepare you for life after Fairfield?
I think studying abroad has taught me so many valuable life lessons and I have more confidence in myself and my future than I had before coming to Florence. Patience and appreciation for your surroundings and other human beings is definitely a skill that is extremely valuable in the real world. I have learned to converse with people in a different language and have patience to listen to those who cannot understand me as well. I have learned how to live with strangers and cook and clean in an apartment of my own. Not only did I learn in the classrooms here, but the lessons outside of the classroom are what have really helped me realize that I can be in the workforce with confidence in my ability to converse with others who are different than myself and problem solve in situations I may not have found myself in ever before.

Jessica Castillo

Aix-en-Provence, France
Major(s): International Studies and Politics
Minor(s): French, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, and Peace & Justice Studies

What led you to study abroad?
I wanted to study abroad in France as a way to certify my level of French and get a cultural introduction to Europe, France, and the Francophonie. As a French minor, this introduction and semester of language practice was extremely important.

What activities did you participate in while abroad (i.e. internships, service, etc.)? 
I had an internship abroad and this internship was extremely illuminating to the workings of a small foreign non-profit organization and was extremely helpful in securing my summer 2019 internship in another non-profit in Washington, D.C.

What was your highlight moment during your time abroad?
The highlight moment for me during my time abroad was getting to travel to Rome and attend Mass with the Pope during Easter.

How has Study Abroad prepared you for life after Fairfield?
Study Abroad has prepared me for life after Fairfield by allowing me to become extremely confident in my own skills and it fostered my independence, giving me the courage to live in a city were I don't necessarily live near people I know.