Eyes open
St. Michael's students share their abroad experiences

Cameron Dexter | staff editor
cdexter@smcvt.edu

As a part of the St. Michael's College parents and alumni weekend, a panel discussion was held in Cheray Hall on Sept. 28 to inform students about the study abroad program led by Peggy Imai, director of study abroad, along with four St. Michael's students.

Seniors Jack Bates, Matthew Brown, Elisabeth Steward, and Johanna Wildnauer spoke at the panel to share their experiences from around the world.

Bates skates the cold

Peggy Imai (right), director of the study abroad office, speaks with parents after the panel discussion. Cameron Dexter, photo

Bates studied in Rome, Italy and says that he wanted to get away from the brutal cold weather in Vermont. He also says he went for the Catholic culture in Rome.

"It’s important to study abroad because of the communication skills you earn while being abroad," he says.

Bates says the experience really opened his eyes, adding that its important to realize that in America we do a lot of things well, but other countries do it well too, just in different ways.

Bates liked the on-site classes he was able to take while being abroad, he says.

“I was learning history at the Vatican,” he says.

Bates gave some tips for those planning to go abroad at the panel discussion.

“Be independent, but stay in touch with your parents. Don’t bring too much," he says. "The adjustment will be tough. Bring more money than you think you’ll need. Keep a journal, and stay humble— always remember you’re a guest there.”

A different perspective

 Brown went to Tokyo, Japan to retrace steps he made there as a young child when his father worked briefly in the country. His experience was a bit different than Bates, he says.

Even though it was hard for him to do, Brown encourages everyone to make language mistakes in countries where students are working on a second language, he says.

“People will stop and look at you funny, and you’ll be like, 'Wait, what did I say?" he says.

This is part of the process of studying abroad, and Brown says he couldn’t be more grateful that he made mistakes and learned from them.

Brown liked seeing another way of life, he says.

“We grow up with the American dream; they grow up with family traditions,” Brown says.

Johanna Wildnauer (right) speaks about her experiences in Australia. Cameron Dexter, photo

Outback America

Elisabeth Steward studied in Australia and says it was great to experience the difference between traveling somewhere and actually living there.

“I had to find the supermarket, figure out transportation, and do things you don’t need to worry about doing when you're just visiting somewhere,” Steward says.

She encourages people to study abroad because it’s a once in a life time opportunity.

Senior Johanna Wildnauer also studied in Australia, but had a very different abroad experience.

Wildnauer went through a program called SIT, School for International Training, which focuses on students conducting field studies as their curriculem, instead of being in a classroom.

Wildnauer’s studies focused on the environment and sustainability and she says she's now much more aware of the current global environmental crisis.

Wildnauer traveled throughout Australia interviewing 15 businesses about their environmental policies.

“It was the most academically challenging thing I’ve ever done,” she says.

Wildnauer was happy with the turnout on Saturday, she says.

“There were a lot of people here interested in our trips, and I liked the chance to talk about the academic side of my study abroad experience in front of a large audience like the one today,” Wildnauer says.

Laura Gilmartin, mother of St. Michael’s sophomore Erin Gilmartin, thought that the discussion panel was very helpful.

“As a parent I had a lot of questions answered and I thought everyone spoke very well and provided the audience with a lot of information,” she says.