For some 星空传媒 students, last week鈥檚 spring break wasn鈥檛 a pause in their studies, but an opportunity to continue their educational pursuits in new settings. Over 120 of them visited seven countries across the globe鈥攆rom Poland to Taiwan to Dominican Republic鈥攖hrough academic offerings from the Office of Education Abroad.
Though their areas of study were varied, each student had the chance to explore their coursework from new viewpoints and immerse themselves in different cultures. The Daily spoke with four participants to learn more about their experiences.
Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Shyanne Urban
Shyanne Urban, a second-year student from Painesville in the Mandel School's Master of Social Work program, is pursuing a concentration in substance use disorders and recovery. To augment her studies, she traveled to Poland with the Invisible Groups in a New Poland course offered through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
1. Why did you decide to study abroad over spring break?
Increasing my cultural competence and getting a new experience was really appealing to me. I had also never left the country before, so it was a lot of firsts for me! And, I knew I鈥檇 be surrounded by my peers with similar interests and could make new connections.
2. What about this program appealed to you?
I鈥檓 very interested in improving the care of 鈥渋nvisible groups鈥濃攕pecifically the homeless population, and those with mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs). I also love the faculty members who host this trip鈥Kathy Farkas and Richard Romaniuk.
3. What鈥檚 the most interesting thing you learned during your time abroad so far?
I learned way more in this short trip than I ever expected. I was able to give a presentation with another member of my cohort at a Polish university in Pozna艅, where we discussed with other social workers how access to care and discrimination/stigma looks in Poland. This was after we were able to engage with other social workers and visit a shelter and SUD facility, so we had some personal experiences to apply to our discussions.
4. What was the most memorable moment from the trip?
This question is incredibly hard since I鈥檝e had more core memories than I can count! The most memorable moment, I think, was the opportunity to visit Molnar, a substance use facility. We were able to hear stories from participants of Molnar as well as the counselors/staff, see the uniqueness of the facility, and to learn about SUD care in Poland. I will never forget some of the participants鈥 stories and how this program changed the trajectory of their lives. It was a privilege to be present for this.