From Los Angeles to London, Bradley students stepped outside their comfort zones during their winter breaks and studied abroad.
According to students traveling during the January interim, the opportunity to study abroad not only comes with a lot of hard work in the classroom, but the chance to experience new places and cultures.
Junior sports communication major Pablo Iglesias said his trip to London over the January interim provided him the chance to see a place he had never been before.
After reviewing the study abroad information, Iglesias said he decided the chance to travel to London was too good to pass up.
“I just love to take advantage of any opportunity that comes my way, especially to study abroad in a place like London,” Iglesias said. “You don’t really get that opportunity every day.”
Iglesias said his class took many excursions into London, which allowed him to learn a lot outside of his required curriculum.
“I really learned more about my independence,” Iglesias said. “Just being out on my own in a different country and being ready for that challenge was really cool.”
It wasn’t just students that were taking their winter breaks internationally. Students also attended a study program in LA.
Bradley English professor Seth Katz traveled to London in January to teach his first class abroad. Katz taught a travel-writing course that encouraged students to put their experience into words.
Katz said he enjoyed watching his students gain a better understanding of the world through their writing.
“The writing is a crucial part of the experience,” Katz said. “It was an opportunity for them to stop and reflect on what was happening to them.”
Katz said having students reflect on their experiences and feelings regarding their travel helps to enhance their education.
“Having this kind of deep, immersive engagement with a foreign culture is at the heart of what the liberal studies component of a university is about,” Katz said.
Students who stayed in the U.S. and traveled to LA said they found their experiences just as enriching. They met various professionals within fields such as marketing, news and entertainment.
Junior journalism major Melody Mercado said she found her experience in LA to be rewarding and that it provided her with many connections within her major.
“Each place that we visited had something unique to bring to the table,” Mercado said. “We met with producers, animators, a reporter for CNN and public relations professionals.”
Mercado said she was able to learn something from every professional that she met, even if they were in a career field she doesn’t expect to go into.
Iglesias said studying abroad has given him the opportunity to discover new places and enhance his time in college.
“It is nice to get out of your comfort zone and see what it is like in other places,” Iglesias said. “I would tell anyone to embrace it. Go out there and travel.”
