Imagine having the chance to travel to a different country in order to take a class and receive credit for it. France, Italy, Greece even Ireland. These are only a few destinations Cabrini has to offer when studying abroad. The opportunity to study abroad enables you to immerse yourself in other cultures in order to gain a new prospective in your own.
When choosing to study abroad you can study semester long, year long or short term. The college offers these courses every spring semester. Students apply and go through a process in order to be selected to have the opportunity. Tricia Stocker, a sophomore education major will be traveling to London this upcoming fall. “I am so excited to be studying abroad!” Stocker said. “It is something I always dreamed of doing but never thought it could be a reality.”
“As an Early Childhood Education with Special Ed major, I have almost no room for electives, so I am working really hard and even taking summer classes to make this possible but I think it is so worth it,” said Stocker.
Many concerns arise when studying abroad. Safety is a big concern to many. Some fear that the travel itself may not be safe. Others worry about the surrounding area and environment that they will be living in. “I have definitely thought about the safety factors, especially with all that has gone on in Europe in the past year, but that isn’t something I am going to let get in my way,” Stocker said. “My mentality is that the attacks that have happened over there, could and have happened here in the United States, so why hold myself back because of the unknown.”
The study abroad program is run by Dr. Nicholas Uliano who is a Professor of roman languages at the college.
“Dr. Uliano, really helps students feel comfortable about going abroad,” Stocker said. “One thing he does that I think is really important is asked us if we were concerned about anything as soon as we showed interest in going abroad. He wanted to know what we were concerned about so he could help calm us down if needed.”
“We were basically told not to worry about it,” Stocker said. “He told us if we want to come home because we feel unsafe, it is always an option, but he said we should really think about it before making any decisions. He also told us not to let our fears hold us back. Although there is more a concern with safety recently, he has told us that in the past most students are so busy and having such a good time that they don’t feel unsafe.” Stocker said.
Traveling to new places can be a scary thing especially if one is there for a long period of time.
“I know that I am going to be facing a lot of new and scary things while I am there, but those things will help me grow as a person,” Stocker said. “I am also so lucky to be going with one of my close friends here at Cabrini, so having her with me and knowing I’m not alone really help make me feel safe. I think everyone should take the chance to study abroad if they can.”
