Many beloved traditions returned to the hilltop during the 2021-2022 academic year. One highly-anticipated opportunity among students is the ability to travel and study abroad.
Now more than ever, Saint Anselm students will benefit from global education. From global seminars to the new Tuscania semester abroad program, global education at the college prepares students for their personal lives and professional careers ahead.
“Living a healthy and fulfilling life in today's complex world requires understanding, empathy and context. Similarly, work and leadership in today's world both demand high levels of skills which support cultural understanding, openness, acceptance, and curiosity,” said Director of International Programs Jane Bjerklie-Barry. “Through our varied program options, Saint Anselm students have opportunities to explore cultures around the globe, engaging in activities and experiences that not only challenge them, but which also invite personal growth and connection in meaningful ways.”
Business major Kylie Lison ‘23 jumped on the opportunity to study abroad during the winter of her junior year. Her month-long Fashion Marketing and Communication course in London was a dream come true.
As many students find after a study abroad experience, Lison returned to the United States with a new worldview. A highlight of her trip was the ability to connect with the English students in her class.
“We were able to bond over our shared curiosity and teach each other a bit about our lives. We could come out of the conversations with a little less judgment and a little more understanding and compassion towards the other culture,” she said.
Another current student that is experiencing the benefits of studying abroad is Andras Bencze ’25, who received a scholarship from Alpha Lambda Delta to spend the summer taking a German course at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany. He lives with three other German students in an apartment to fully immerse himself in culture with people his age. In his free time, he also joined an ultimate frisbee club in Lüneburg and hopes to share some of the skills he has learned from the team with the Saint Anselm Ultimate Frisbee Team when he returns in the fall.
“The experience so far has been great,” said Bencze. “Every day I reinforce the German I already know as well as learn new words and phrases, all of which I am very excited to share as a German peer tutor at Saint Anselm.”
Beyond offering a new perspective, study abroad experiences can also shape students’ plans for after graduation.
Kathryn McGillivray ‘20 has been living in Madrid, Spain since September 2021, teaching English at an all-girls Catholic school. She majored in Spanish and Secondary Education during her time at the hilltop before going on to teach in Massachusetts and then Spain. It was her initial study abroad experience in Argentina during her junior year that solidified her desire to live abroad again.
“[My time in Argentina] confirmed that I love learning Spanish and motivated me to continue improving on the language. It also confirmed that I wanted to live abroad after college in a more semi-permanent setting,” said McGillivray.
After returning home from Madrid, McGillivray will travel back to Argentina in February 2023, this time on a Fulbright scholarship. She will serve as an English teaching assistant in an English teacher training college.
McGillivray is not the only study abroad alumna with a bright future ahead. Melissa DeLury ‘10 graduated from Saint Anselm as a history major before going on to get her MA in International Peace Studies from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Now, she is a Ph.D student at George Mason University in Washington, D.C.
“My education abroad has completely impacted my life and career after Saint Anselm. I was hooked after my first study abroad experience in Italy during my time at Saint Anselm,” said DeLury.
DeLury, also a Fulbright scholar, lived and worked in India from 2017-2018, where she sought to understand barriers to education access in Madhya Pradesh.
“My education abroad has made me consider myself a global citizen. By having these experiences, I developed this sense of international mindedness for how I approach interacting with others both in the United States and abroad,” DeLury said.
Saint Anselm students can gain skills such as empathy and an ability to connect to those around them despite differences from study abroad experiences. These skills and others are pivotal during the current transition to a post-pandemic world.
“By engaging in intercultural dialogue, we see how much more we have in common than we have different, but we can also appreciate and learn from the differences in ways that enrich everyone,” added DeLury.
Saint Anselm offered three global seminar courses for the spring and summer of 2022 where courses combine on campus instruction throughout the semester with an international component. Courses included:
- “Music and Culture in Vienna,” led by Andrew Haringer of the Fine Arts department.
- “Advanced Spanish Immersion and Internship” to Argentina, led by Beth Fouts of the Modern Languages department.
- “Community and Public Health Nursing,” in Costa Rica, led by Pam Preston of the Nursing department.
The upcoming academic year 2022-2023, global seminar opportunities include: Normandy Through the Ages, The Cold War in Cuba, Community and Public Health Nursing, and an Advance Spanish Immersion course.
In addition, the college will offer a new study abroad opportunity in Tuscania, Italy beginning in the spring of 2023. Those interested may apply now.