Daryl Stephens – Florence University of the Arts
“I am currently studying abroad in Florence, Italy. I live in an apartment with four other students and if you were to walk out of my front door to the left, you’d hit the Arno river; to the right, Piazza della Republica and Florence’s famous Duomo. I take classes three days a week, which leaves plenty of time for me to travel and explore Florence (even though the city is extremely small). So far I’ve been all over Italy and also to France, Monaco, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Greece. I’m headed to Munich in two weeks, and I might even be planning a trip back to Ireland before I come back home! Although I love traveling and seeing new places, it always feels great when my train or bus comes rolling back into Florence on Sunday nights. I fell in love with this city so quickly, and I know it is a place I want my family to see and experience at some point. I’m headed back to the states in less than four weeks, and I know that it is going to be hard adjusting since there is such a big cultural gap. I know it’s cheesy and every one who studies abroad says it, but I really have grown so much and learned so much more about Italy, America, and just people in general. I have made great friends and learned so much about myself and our own society by meeting other American students going through this same experience. It has been a great journey, and I’d give just about anything to comeback and do it again someday!”
- Daryl Stephens, Junior Psychology Major
P. Brennen Reynolds – Fudan University
“From the moment I landed in Beijing, I knew this was going to be a fantastic semester. After a week of touring the Great Wall, Tian’anmen Square and The Forbidden City, I flew to Shanghai to begin classes at Fudan University. It’s amazing from both an academic and social perspective! Ranked third in China, Fudan offers numerous classes taught in English about China’s society and economic development. My favorites are Western Culture from an Eastern Perspective and Financial Development in China. In the first couple of months I have made friends from all over the world and planned a trip to Nha Trang, Vietnam with them for the end of April. Everyone should study abroad. This is my second semester abroad and I can honestly say that it is a priceless experience!”
- Peter Brennen Reynolds, Senior Business Administration Major
“My semester at St. Mary’s University College in Belfast was a huge experience. Northern Ireland was a great fit for me because I was able to study in a country that has such a rich literary history. The curiculum is ideal for humanities majors, and it was flexible enough to satisfy my degree paradigm. St. Mary’s is small and safe and has a lot of the same characteristics that attract me to Christian Brothers. St. Mary’s makes special efforts to help the international studies integrate, and now I can say that I have friends all over Europe. I used Belfast’s harbor location to easily ferry to England and Scotland, and those trips supplemented valuable insight to my classroom learning. I encouage anyone who is thinking about having an international adventure to make an appointment with the study abroad staff. My four months in Europe continue to affect me, and I’ll always be thankful for Christian Brothers for making that incredible time possible.” - Madeline Faber, Junior English Major
