Throughout my college career, I’ve had the pleasure of attending four different schools. I have attended the American College of Thessaloniki in Greece, Northeastern University, UCLA, and I currently am a 4th year student at SUNY Stony Brook in Long Island, New York. I am a candidate for a B.S. in Biology and am on the pre-dental track here.

Studying abroad at ACT: Studying at Thessaloniki, Greece has added a cultural dimension to my education as well as provided me with leadership opportunities. I overcame the language barrier there by learning basics of the Greek language and striking conversations with the natives in their language out of leisure. In addition, I showed my respect to the culture by cleaning up graffiti tags on the White Tower, a monument of cultural significance to the natives. I learned to set aside any cultural differences to positively impact the community. Breaking these cultural boundaries felt rewarding and fulfilling, and I believe my experiences will help me connect with a wide variety of cultures. Within my first week at ACT, I initiated a dance club. Gathering dance enthusiasts was difficult because I was not acquainted with anyone in the program yet, but through an icebreaker, I found dancing to be a shared passion among many of my peers, whom I managed to recruit. The success of my recruitment brought together a group of people who shared a common hobby. Coming all the way to Greece with people I never socialized with was a challenge, but I managed to make new connections and adapt to the community by leading an organization that I loved.

 

Check out my digital storytelling project which summarizes my trip in Greece: