�It’s only through wandering,� according to American author Scott McCloud, that �any of us ever get a solid sense of where we want to go.�
In the fall semester of 2006 and during J-Term 2007, Seton Hill University (SHU) students studied abroad in Spain, England, and Mexico where they overcame personal struggles and learned something about themselves.
By Michael Diezmos,
Photo Editor
�It’s only through wandering,� according to American author Scott McCloud, that �any of us ever get a solid sense of where we want to go.�
In the fall semester of 2006 and during J-Term 2007, Seton Hill University (SHU) students studied abroad in Spain, England, and Mexico where they overcame personal struggles and learned something about themselves.
�I wanted to see what other countries are like,� said Samantha Boden, a junior. Through the Cultural Experience Abroad (CEA) program affiliated with SHU, she went to Seville, Spain and took art history and Spanish courses.
Before Boden left the states, she was reserved about speaking Spanish. When she came back on December 18, 2006, her Spanish conversation and grammar skills improved dramatically.
Sitting in class at the University of Seville and taking notes properly helped Boden to learn Spanish grammar.
�You hear (Spanish) and see how they say it,� she said.
She was culturally immersed in Seville, where the trees were sparse and the terrain was desert-like.
�My host mother doesn’tspeak English (so) I either speak Spanish or don’tget fed,� said Boden. �(Studying abroad) puts everything into a greater perspective,� she said.
Sharing a similar view, Katrina Stokum, a junior learned patience while studying at Middlesex University in London England, also through the CEA program.
�Life has ambiguity,� Stokum said. �I�m comfortable with (life�s) gray areas.�
Stokum advises others to look beyond the initial tourist attractions.
�Settle in and live life over there. The best part of the experience is meeting other people. You�ll never know what niche you�ll find,� she said.
While meandering in the streets of London, Stokum found a little bookshop where a group of women from all around the world met weekly and shared stories about life.
�I was nervous joining the discussion group. Some of the things I said to the women from Pakistan and Israel wouldn’ttranslate easily,� said Stokum.
Laura Fleming, a senior, understands the importance of clear communication between different cultures.
During J-Term, she went to Cuernavaca, Mexico with other SHU students to explore and also to fulfill her language core requirement.
�Spanish is helpful and useful in the future for me to know,� Fleming said.
Not only did Fleming learn from professor of History John Spurlock and his Mexican Civilization class, she also learned from the artworks of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. She saw sketches Kahlo drew at a young age.
�The doodle drawings of eyes with hands and wings gave me hope in my own artwork. They also inspired me to see political messages and stories through art,� said Fleming.
Studying abroad is worth it, according to Stokum.
�Contact Michelle Chossat, study abroad coordinator…the process can take long because of financial reasons, but if you want it enough, it will happen,� said Stokum.
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