2019-20

Malika Singh 

Major: Accounting and Information Systems 
Placement: London, UK
Graduation Year: 2021

What was one of your favorite classes? I was able to complete my arts credit with a class called Photojournalism: London through the Lens. The class took me throughout the city to see things I had never seen before. From street markets to street performers, I got to understand the culture of the city and the people that make up the environment. Our final project consisted of creative expression to explain a story; I chose to highlight the story of a street artist. I happened upon a "poet for hire" and he wrote a poem about how the whole world is in the city of London. I took it upon myself to bring the story to life. I went to different parts of London to capture the vast diversity and culture and ended up having my project displayed in one of the program's buildings!

What was one of your favorite program run activities? OR What did you like about your program/university? The program offered various social activities for us to take part in throughout the quarter, and my favorite was a tour of the Harry Potter Studios. The studio was massive and it contained most of the set of the movie series. I went with some friends from school and we explored for about 4 hours... it was definitely not enough time. Leaving the studios, I felt enchanted and amazed at the work that went into the movies. I was grateful that the program offered transportation and a discounted ticket too (without, it is quite expensive)!

What was your favorite place that you visited or favorite part about your city? One of my favorite parts of the city is a portion called Little Venice. Off the beaten path, it is a small part of town that surrounds a canal full of cute river boats. When I had free time, I would grab some tea and walk along the canal to appreciate its beauty. I love how London offered such a variety of places; in 30 minutes from our flat, you could go somewhere loud and rowdy or quaint and beautiful.

If you participated in a service learning program or worked in an internship, please tell us a bit about your experience. In my internship, I worked at a gelato company called Badiani Gelato. I worked in the finance department as a Finance and Operations intern. Though it was quite difficult, I gained significant technical and cultural experience. Majority of the company is Italian and my boss is French, so understanding the variety of cultures within the environment was insightful. I liked the balance of work and class, but this portion of the program definitely left less time to explore because of how much responsibility we had.

What advice would you give to the 2020 abroad students? Don't waste a minute! The four months pass by quicker than you know it, so take advantage of every moment you have. Even if you feel tired, push through because this is a once in a lifetime experience. Reach out to other friends studying abroad in nearby countries to see more of the world; you don't realize how far away the United States is until you see how close other countries are on the other side of the world. More importantly, reach out and meet locals as much as you can! I found this difficult in my program but the friends I did make showed me a great view of the city and what it means to be a true Londoner. 

Will Stanco

Major: Finance
Placement:  London, UK
Graduation Year: 2021

What was one of your favorite classes?  My favorite class while abroad was called Music in 20th Century Britain. The course covered the history of prominent British composers, music trends, the British invasion, and the cultural impact of the sounds of the 1900's. Each week we progressed along a timeline that outlined major events in musical history and held in depth discussions about how London progressed with the local bands that exploded into superstars. We also went on field trips to different museums to accompany our studies. Some of my favorites were a visit to Jimi Hendrix original house in London and an outing to the British Museum's exhibit on The Clash's most famous album, London Calling.

What was one of your favorite program run activities? OR What did you like about your program/university? My favorite program run activity was a tour that we all took along the River Thames. Along the tour, we learned the rich history of the river and its importance to London. At one point, London was the largest port city in the world, and the city was clearly built around the winding waterway. For almost 2000 years, Londoners have relied on the river to provide for them, and its preservation is of the upmost importance.

What was your favorite place that you visited or favorite part about your city?  My favorite part of London was getting to fully experience English soccer culture. As a Chelsea fan, it had always been a dream of mine to attend games and see if the famous stories of football hooliganism were real. What I found was that all of the rumors were true. English soccer culture was quite the scene as bars were full before 11:00 AM, people were chanting in the streets, and entire sections of the city were shut down for certain games. I had the time of my life attending Chelsea games and can't wait to go back to London in the future to do it all again.

If you participated in a service learning program or worked in an internship, please tell us a bit about your experience.  While in London, I had the opportunity to intern for a company called Pedals Delivery. Pedals is a London based courier service that specializes in next day and same day deliveries within central London. While there I assisted the operations team in running the daily business, and made forecasting predictions for 2020. We worked in a shared office space which really highlighted the start-up feel of the company. In 2019, Pedals was able to triple their revenue and expect to do the same in the coming year. One cool project I was able to work on was an investor presentation. In my final week of work, I was able to help pitch an investor and gain additional capital for the company. I really enjoyed my time interning in London because it allowed me to do valuable work and really feel like a part of the community. Each morning I would commute from my flat in West London to Barbican, about a thirty minute tube ride. It was a great experience to work alongside the Brits and learn all of the aspects of their culture. I enjoyed my internship so much so that I would totally be willing to live and work in London in the future!

What advice would you give to the 2020 abroad students?  Some advice that I would give the study abroad students in the coming years would be to take advantage of every opportunity. Say yes to everything. Although studying abroad can be tiring and expensive, I found it to be an experience that myself and my classmates would never have again. For that reason, I chose to live everyday with an open mind and wanted to try everything. While abroad, you may face challenges, but there is nothing you cannot overcome and take advantage of. Get to know those around you, your city, and leave no stone unturned. Your time abroad is limited, so make the most of it! Push yourself, and positive things will come.

Anna Rosztoczy

Major: Marketing
Placement: Milan, Italy 
Graduation Year: 2021 

What was one of your favorite classes? One of my favorite classes was titled Managing “Made In Italy” Companies. My teachers were experienced professionals in the fashion industry and they taught us all about the significance of the Made In Italy label. Over the course of the semester we took various field trips to different design museums including a trip to Florence to tour the Gucci Gardens and the Ferragamo Museum. 

What was one of your favorite program run activities? OR What did you like about your program/university? Our program took us all to the spa on our third day of orientation. I loved getting the chance to experience a European spa. It was a great way to relax and get to know the students within my program amidst our crazy first week adjusting to life in Europe. 

What was your favorite place that you visited or favorite part about your city? My favorite trip was to Interlaken, Switzerland. I stayed in a cute hostel in the small mountain town and hiked through the Alps each day. My friends and I also tried fresh mountain Swiss cheese and went paragliding! 

If you participated in a service learning program or worked in an internship, please tell us a bit about your experience. I participated in the Service Learning program and it was a very special experience. Each week I volunteered at a local high school in the city. I helped teach in English, History, and PE classes. I really valued the time I got to spend with the students there. It was a great way to immerse myself in the culture and get to know some Italians. 

What advice would you give to the 2020 abroad students? Enjoy every moment of it! Step out of your comfort zone to get to know your city and experience its culture. 

Ella Cooper 

Major: Finance 
Placement: Vienna, Austria 
Graduation Year: 2021

What was one of your favorite classes? My favorite class was a Circular Economy. The course focused on ways for businesses to redesign their practices to become more sustainable. We discussed changes in all steps of the supply chain and learned about European companies leading the way. My professor was also the VP of the EU-Umweltbüro in Vienna and works to improve EU environmental law and policy. 

What was one of your favorite program run activities? OR What did you like about your program/university? Through my program, I was able to tour major EU companies and organizations. I got to visit the BMW headquarters in Munich, Red Bull Hangar-7 in Salzburg, and the steel company Voestalpine. 

What was your favorite place that you visited or favorite part about your city? I loved traveling to Lisbon, Portugal. The city was beautiful and right on the water.  The architecture was also very unique and colorful. My favorite tourist spot was going up to the Castelo de S. Jorge. The hilltop castle overlooks the entire city. 

If you participated in a service learning program or worked in an internship, please tell us a bit about your experience. During my time in Vienna, I interned at a public school. The experience was very eye-opening and allowed me to explore a new part of the city. I interned in three classes and worked with students from the ages 10-16. I gave lessons on various topics about English, grammar, and culture. The school was located in the 18th district and I would commute about 45 minutes each way. I loved working with the Austrian teachers and hearing about their teaching experiences across Europe. 

What advice would you give to the 2020 abroad students? Be open to stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new things. 

Anna Morris

Major: Finance and Psychology
Placement: Brisbane, Australia 
Graduation Year: 2021 

What was one of your favorite classes? I had the opportunity to take Forensic Psychology and Law, which quickly became one of my favorite university classes of all time. The material ranged from the basic of forensics and how psychology works in the law, to the psychology behind serial killers. The material was so fascinating that I felt on the edge of my seat every lecture!

What was one of your favorite program run activities? OR What did you like about your program/university? My entire life I have attended schools with smaller populations, so with abroad I wanted the opportunity to see what it was like to be at a larger university with lectures of 300 or more students. The university I attended in Australia has about 50,000 students. This means my daily walks between classes consisted of only seeing a couple people I knew, instead of the copious amounts you see when walking around SCU. At times the SCU campus can feel like a bubble, but the Queensland University of Technology campus reminded me of how big the world truly is. I came to love the large school because it reminded me of the copious amounts of opportunities in the world that SCU is preparing us for. Now I look into the future with excitement and joy because of all the opportunities out there. 

What was your favorite place that you visited or favorite part about your city? The most memorable part about living in Brisbane, Australia was all the things that came with living in a big city of 2.28 million people. I was able to walk out the door of my apartment building and be in the heart of the city that was easily accessible by public transport. I always had the choice to go on adventures or explore the surrounding beaches and area. Besides public transport, I loved my ability to walk almost everywhere in the city. It took longer, but on those walks, I would come across the most interesting shops or restaurants. Overall, the main take away from living in a large city is the freedom that came with the ability to explore a sprawling city so easily through public transport.

What advice would you give to the 2020 abroad students? Advice I would give the 2020 Study Abroad Students is to dive head first into the city and country they are living in. I went to Australia not knowing any Australians, but I left there with a group of locals from Brisbane who I would consider to be family. They let me into their lives and became some of my dearest friends. Therefore, traveling around to different countries is fun, but do not forget to immerse yourself in what is right at your fingertips.