Megan Acree
General Education in Spain and Greece, 2011

My name is Megan Acree. I am currently a junior studying history and secondary education. I have been a study abroad ambassador since the fall of 2011. I studied abroad on a short-term, faculty led program, to Spain and Greece, in the summer of 2011. This trip was four weeks long; while in Spain, I lived with a Spanish-speaking host family and took two classes with Longwood professors. This trip was one of the best experiences of my life. It taught me about independence, gave me confidence, showed me how to interact with different cultures, and increased my fluency in Spanish. I became a Study Abroad Ambassador so I could help students understand the power and advantages of studying abroad. There is nothing like learning in another country, you will never forget the experience.  

Jamie Clift
Semester in Valencia, Spain, 2012

I went to Valencia on a whim. I had always wanted to study abroad, and I had a serious fascination with the Spanish language, so when my roommate told me that she was heading to Spain, I decided to go too. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. As someone who had never left the country before, or even been to a city larger than Washington D.C., I was really nervous about going to a foreign place, full of people who didn't speak my language and living among them in a city of about 1 million people. But I knew that this was something that I had to do. I made it my goal to go out and make Spanish friends, try all of the Spanish food, and see all of the sights that Valencia had to offer. I was rewarded with a deep understanding of Spanish culture, amazing memories, and incredible friendships. Yes, I learned to speak better Spanish, and I learned about Spanish culture, history, food, architecture, and politics. But the most important things I leaned were quite different from what I had expected. I learned to be confident in myself, to live with relative independence, to navigate a city. I grew up a lot. Studying abroad changed my life, and it's something that I think everyone should experience.

Mandy McPherson
Malaysia, 2010 & student teaching in Costa Rica, 2012

‘This world could not have been created for me to simply stay in one place.' My name is Mandy McPherson, and I am currently a graduate student at Longwood University. As a part of the five-year Master's Degree program for Special Education, I have been attending Longwood since my freshman year. In May 2010, and after much going back and forth on the thought, I embarked on my first trip abroad to Malaysia. This two-week excursion changed my entire view on life and caused me to start thinking like the previous quote. I guess it took more of a toll on me than I understood because two short years later I completed the second half of my student teaching in Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica- which lasted close to two months. Both of my trips were similar in a few ways. The food was amazing, testing my physical limits was challenging, living like the locals was humbling, and dealing with language barriers was sometimes frustrating... but I would not take it back for all the money in the world. In fact, I would relive those experiences again any day. It's like someone once told me, travelling is the only thing you can spend money on and come back richer than before.

Caroline Nye
Semester in Limerick, Ireland, 2012

I am a senior and Communications major at Longwood University. During the spring 2012 semester, I participated in the semester long exchange program in Limerick, Ireland. I attended Mary Immaculate College and studied Mass Media. During my five month stay abroad I was forunate enough to travel to eight different countries: Ireland, England, France, Germany, Wales, Scotland, Spain, and Holland. Studying abroad was such an amazing opportunity for me. Not only did I learn about other cultures but I learned a lot about myself as an individual. My experiences abroad will definitely be beneficial when searching for careers in law enforcement because I have experienced communicating with people from all over the world. I also made friends from several different countries and was able to expand my time abroad by staying with a friend in Holland once the semester was finished. My experience abroad was amazing and truly an experience of a lifetime.

Stephanie Peterson
General Education in Spain and Greece, 2012

If I were to name my greatest experience from my three already amazing years at Longwood University, I'd talk about the summer that I lived in Spain. When people ask me how I enjoyed the trip, I know that they're looking for a brief synopsis of my experience. But how can I describe that month to them in a few short words? No, this trip meant so much more to me than that. I would have to show them all the pictures, explain all the lasting friendships I made, and let them look at all the emails my host family has sent me since I left. If my study abroad experience had to be summed up in just a few short words, I would say that it was life changing.
I had always wanted to study abroad, and I definitely was not disappointed by this opportunity. Just getting to live in a different country and to be thoroughly immersed in the culture was an amazing learning experience for me. If that wasn't perfect enough, we also took a trip each weekend, including a trip to Athens, Greece. In that month, I learned so much more than I could have learned by just sitting in class. Being able to actually go to the places that I've seen in books was so incredible. I think that everyone would benefit greatly from this opportunity. Not only do your Spanish skills improve, but you also gain so many unforgettable life experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything. Given the chance, I'd do this program all over again.
Studying abroad was truly one of the best choices I have ever made and I hope that others will take advantage of this opportunity as well.