From climbing volcanoes to learning foreign healthcare systems, some Lafayette College students got the opportunity to experience something new by living and studying abroad during the summer.
Plate to Plate, Italy
Imani Elson ‘25 was drawn to the Plate to Plate Italy program because it took students to several cities around the country, such as Naples and Rome. She immersed herself in Italian culture by regularly eating local cuisine and climbing volcanoes, including Mount Vesuvius, famed for its destruction and preservation of the city of Pompeii in 79 A.D.
Some of Elson’s favorite memories from the trip were hiking these mountains.
“As we climbed the volcanoes, Dr. Tamara Carley would be in tears from pure joy and happiness to be atop a volcano and be in her element,” she said of the associate professor of geology. “It was really cool seeing her passion for what she does.”
While Elson loves traveling, a full semester abroad felt too long, so the summer program offered her an alternative way to study while seeing the world.
“I knew I wouldn’t like a full semester-long program just because I do a lot on campus and I know myself,” Elson said. ”The longest I’ve ever been away was this trip, three weeks, and that felt like a perfect amount of time because I was so ready to get home, but now I’m so ready to go back.”
Through her travels, Elson learned not just about Italy and its culture, but also about herself.
“The biggest lesson I learned was you’ll never know how something is until you try it,” she said. “I was super nervous about going to Europe because I know recent history has meant that, especially for people of color and women, it’s not necessarily the friendliest place to go.”
“I was scared how, being Black, I would be able to interact with European culture, but I was completely fine,” Elson said. “It’s not to say nothing happened, but I was a lot more equipped to deal with those uncomfortable moments … so just do it. Nike was pretty head-on when they made that slogan.”
Florence, Italy
Emma Li ‘27 also traveled to Italy, on a program to Florence to study the Italian language. As part of the course, Li spoke Italian in class and went on several tours to visit museums and churches.
“I just kept going to museums, because in Florence, it’s so old, there’s a museum literally every corner,” she said.
Li’s favorite attraction was the Boboli Gardens and its historical statues, finding the high altitude of the garden a pleasant contrast to the city.
“Just being up high is always really fun when you’re in a new city and it’s really nice and quiet when there aren’t tourists around,” she said. “It was really nice to find some peace and quiet because studying abroad is an overwhelming experience.”
Li’s Italy experience has inspired her to travel more.
“I really want to keep going more places,” she said. “I want to keep seeing more of the world.”
“People aren’t kidding when they say studying abroad is really special and you should take advantage of it when you have the free time,” Li continued.
London, United Kingdom
Brooke Lippe ‘25 was attracted to a summer spent studying in the United Kingdom due to the program’s unique opportunity to intern in London and her close familial connection to the country.
Lippe’s classes were focused on comparing healthcare systems in the United States and United Kingdom. The program, led by biology professor Laurie Caslake and economics professor Christopher Ruebeck, also allowed the students to experience the city through tours.
Lippe referenced a series of visits to different hospitals as being one of her favorite tour experiences on the trip.
“One of my favorites was a medieval hospital,” Lippe said. “We were going around to different hospitals and learning things about how they formed, what they were meant for back in the day and just kind of that healthcare component.”
Lippe said that in addition to learning about healthcare history, students participating in the program were able to experience iconic British landmarks, learning more about each other in the process.
“We got to go inside Stonehenge, which is not something that most people would be able to do,” Lippe said. “And then on the train ride home, we all just kind of bonded.”
Seoul, South Korea
Kira Baker ‘27 expressed enjoyment but also frustration with her experience studying abroad in South Korea. She participated in an external program at Yonsei University in Seoul where she met international students from various institutions.
“I would say a very interesting part, for me at least, was kind of figuring out where I fit in, being part Korean, I am more of a Korean American,” Baker said. “I was very much treated as a foreigner, which I actually very much liked, because I was a foreigner and I was learning the culture. So just the hospitality that I got and people that were just trying to be friendly with me made my experience very heartwarming.”
The language barrier was relatively easy for her to navigate with the help of Google Translate. The cultural differences, however, proved to be more challenging.
“I guess in Korea saying the words ‘I love you’ is a very easy thing to do. It’s usually on the first date, but for Americans, saying ‘I love you’ is a very, very big thing,” she explained. “One of my friends went on a date with someone she had met in Korea, and when he said ‘I love you’ on the first date, that was very uncomfortable for her, so she had to explain what that was like.”
That said, Baker plans to go back to South Korea and if able, to study abroad again.
“One of the highlights was going there on my own,” Baker said. “I hope that the next time I go to Korea my Korean will be a little better and I’ll get to know more locals.”
