Bulldogs Share Their Experiences from Studying Abroad
By Jayme Lowe
While Nebraska is a great home for Concordia’s campus, some Bulldogs find that they want to spread their wings (or rather, paws) and study abroad. Taking classes at a foreign university in a new country can be intimidating, but the benefits can be amazing.
Three Bulldogs recently took the plunge to study abroad. Senior Kaitlyn Stradtmann went to Spain for the spring 2018 semester, senior Nicole Affronti spent the summer in Italy, and junior Olivia Hunt is spending the fall 2018 semester in Chile.
Stradtmann’s main reason for studying in Spain was to improve her Spanish language skills through immersion.
Increasing her skills had the added benefit of finishing her Spanish concentration for her major, but it wasn’t all studying. The people she met along the way were what made her trip special.
“My favorite part of the trip was the people that I met there. I met a lot of friends through my gym, others through trips I took, people in my program and classes, and my host family,” Stradtmann said.
Stradtmann also got the chance to work with a family who had two children with cochlear implants.
“(T)hey became like my second family there,” Stradtmann said.
Stradtmann also shared her advice for students who might be thinking about studying abroad in the future.
“First off, do it! Because it is an adventure of a lifetime, and you learn so much about others and yourself,…you get to be Christ’s light to tons of people,” Stradtmann said. “Go into your trip knowing what you want from it. Have goals. This will make the trip more meaningful and give it more worth!”
Studying abroad doesn’t have to take up a whole semester. Just ask Affronti, who chose to use her summer as a chance to visit Italy. After hearing stories of her cousins’ experiences studying abroad, Affronti knew she wanted to venture out into the world as well. She chose to visit Italy because of her heritage.
“My grandparents were born and raised in Italy, so I had to see the motherland,” Affronti said.
Spending the summer in Rome, she took classes to cover her general education art requirements, which she had saved purposely for this opportunity. Rome was her home base, but Affronti also got to visit cities such as Florence, Pompeii and Capri.
“(M)y favorite part was being able to go to Sicily and visit the village where my grandparents grew up,” Affronti said.
Visiting a major cultural center such as Rome allowed Affronti to dig into the culture, and much of her class time was spent out and about in the city.
“(I)t…really made me grow as a person and learn more about independence,” Affronti said.
Junior Olivia Hunt is spending this semester in Valparaiso, Chile. She chose to study through Veritas, a Christian study abroad organization. Because of this, she has opportunities for missions as well as her educational experience.
“The ocean…is an ever-present backdrop to my everyday life now,” Hunt said.
She also recommends trying chorrillana, which she described as “the most amazing bar food ever (French fries, steak, sausage, onion, and fried egg all mixed up).”
Through Veritas and her host family, Hunt has also found a local church to attend, which has Bible studies and young adult events. But the Spanish language is Hunt’s main focus.
“(I am) gaining an all-the-more nuanced, personal appreciation for (Chile’s) history, language and values,” Hunt said.
These three students all took the opportunity to travel while also furthering their education. Why not you? In the words of Hunt, “To anyone even remotely considering study abroad, take the plunge.”
For more information about studying abroad, visit the Global Opportunities Center or contact Julie Johnston-Hermann at Julie.Johnston@cune.edu.
