stories from study abroad
About Author
Lauren is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is studying Journalism and Media Studies back home. She is most interested in the arts, music, and architecture of European culture and am hoping to discover as much as she can while she’s here. She is not fluent in French yet, but knows enough to get around the city!
Her goal is to share the good and the bad about living abroad with you: the culture shocks, language barriers, homesickness, and more. She wants to give you the tools to truly prepare for and understand this experience, and show you how beautiful it can be!
Feel free to contact her through social media! Bienvenue dans ma vie!
Brandan lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A junior at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, he studies Information Science Technology & Business Administration. Brandan enjoys hiking, cycling, and any kind of adventure. He also spends time working in graphic design and coding websites. Seeking a new challenge Brandan was interested in learning a third language, French. His goal is to become trilingual before graduating spring of 2021. Brandan has a passion for learning languages, new cultures, and about European institutions. He serves as an ambassador in order to share his story and experiences with others.
Sarah Wallace is a native West Virginian, who loves to travel the world and experience exciting new adventures. She is a student at West Virginia University where she is completing Bachelors in International Studies, Political Science, and French, and attends the University of Strasbourg as an exchange student studying Political Science. After graduating, Sarah plans to volunteer in the Peace Corps in the Youth and Development sector, and dreams of one day becoming President of the United States (or the world).
Hello! My name is Ronen Schechter and I am a study abroad student in Strasbourg, France at the University of Strasbourg. Here, I am studying political science, but at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, I study film production with a minor in marketing. I intend to graduate from GSU in the Spring of 2021 with a degree in Film and Media.
Since I’ve been here, many students have asked me why I would want to continue my education studying in a field where I have no particular reason for educating myself. However, every single time that question arises in the conversation, I have an answer ready.
I want to connect with people. And to do so, I need to open my boundaries of comfort and encounter new things. In the case of traveling to Strasbourg, I have (somewhat) made myself accustomed to the French language, the French culture, and the everyday habits of life here.
I have a ways to go.
I am serving as CEPA’s Film Ambassador so I can continue to share stories that interest me. Thanks to CEPA, I will have the privilege to travel to their other study center in Heidelberg, as well as almost any other European city of my choice!
Dajee Lyles is an ESC Heidelberg alumni and senior Business and Spanish major at Mercer University. During her time in Heidelberg, she participated in the Corporate Leadership training and completed the Heidelberg Challenge. She was able to travel to many European cities, meet amazing friends from all over the world, and gain more confidence through her experiences. Dajee is heavily involved in her local community, holding leadership positions with many on-campus organizations and volunteering at various nonprofits and supporting urban development in Macon and Atlanta. After graduation, Dajee plans to return to Europe to continue her studies before taking on law school.
Cameron is a Global Studies major at Georgia State University and a Social Media Ambassador at the European Studies Center Strasbourg. Cameron believes that it is important to have a diverse representation of the people who study abroad and aims to accomplish this as she shares her experience with other students interested in studying abroad. She aspires to work in International Diplomacy and finds it important to understand the world around her through multiple perspectives.
Abby is an alumna of the ESC in Strasbourg. After graduating from Mercer University, she completed her Masters in Security Studies at Georgetown University and currently works as an analyst for the Department of Homeland Security.
Jadon is a junior at Mercer University majoring in international economics. Jadon has long held an affinity for understanding the world around him, both at home and abroad. He is involved with local and campus organizations back home and spent his time at the ESC in Strasbourg growing his intercultural literacy by learning more about French and European culture.
Elizabeth is an ESC Strasbourg alumni and senior Strategic Communications major and Sport Communication minor at West Virginia University. She has a passion for social and digital media. During her time in Strasbourg, she was a Social Media Ambassador. She enjoyed traveling and sharing her experiences with pictures and videos on social.
Elizabeth traveled to 12 countries in four months. Her favorite part about studying abroad was the lifelong friends she made from the program. She encourages students at WVU to study abroad with the CEPA Program.
After graduation, Elizabeth plans to take a trip back to Europe to visit Strasbourg. Then she plans to work in Media Relations and Communications for a Minor or Major League Baseball team.
I’m pretty cool, if you weren’t already aware of that. I’ve been out of the country a few times, traveled all over the USA, and I’m only 22! I can draw, I like to sing when I run, and I have a collection of shot glasses from pretty much any new location I’ve ever been to. I have big dreams of owning my own recycled fabric lingerie company, so be on the lookout for that! Fashion shows and shopping sprees are things I like to partake in when I have downtime (and money). I’m also very into giving back, so I am apart of a great fraternity that goes by the name of APO (Alpha Phi Omega) and we do greta things like donating to dog shelters and helping out at the salvation army. I’m a jack of all trades, if you ask me!
Katie is an undergraduate at the University of Rochester studying economics. She is passionate about applying economics to environmental policy issues, with an interest in doing so at the international level. Outside of the classroom, She is involved in community service and enjoys spending time hiking and painting. Katie is an alumna of the Strasbourg ESC and believes that studying abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity and everyone should take advantage of that experience!
Rachel is a Strasbourg alumna, dog mom, and bona fide politico. While on study abroad, she wrote for the University of Florida “Global Gators” blog and later served as an On-Campus Ambassador for the CEPA Foundation. She has since completed her Bachelor with a double major in Political Science and Economics at UF and now works in DC as a Staff Assistant in the US House of Representatives.
The CEPA Foundation is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization dedicated to building bridges of understanding, fostering intercultural communication, education, and providing for those in the developing world. The CEPA Foundation operates the European Study Center campuses in Heidelberg and Strasbourg.