Welcome to Ecuador! by Kayla Squiggins

I arrived in Quito with excitement and nervousness since this was my first ever trip outside the United States. The weather was a little chilly, but so refreshing compared to the humidity in Charleston, SC. The first excursion was a trip up to a lookout on the east side of the Pichincha Volcano via the teleférico, which is a gondola lift. After we arrived, we were able to take in…

Reflection by Allison Carter

I feel as though I really grew and learned from my four weeks in Lisbon, Portugal. This experience gave me knowledge of a different culture and healthcare system which is important for making changes and new implementations to the healthcare system at home. As a public health major, this trip also was my first interaction with research. I learned every part of the research process, from article readings to data…

“Typical” Days Abroad by Allison Carter

A typical weekday in Lisbon, Portugal consisted of school, work, and exploration. I woke up every day around 7:30 AM in order to get ready for class. I was usually downstairs at our hotel’s complimentary breakfast cafe around 8:00 AM for a meal of fruit, toast, beans, coffee, and pastries. Around 8:50 AM, I would start the five minute walk from our hotel to the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, where…

Intro by Kayla Squiggins

My name is Kayla Squiggins, and I am a third-year graduate student in the Environmental and Sustainability Master’s Program. I chose my program to learn more about water quality and sustainability in a different country and to understand how the people continue to be sustainable. I also wanted to collect water samples in different locations, such as waterfalls at higher altitudes to study the water qualities in different regions. My…

Introduction by Nick Kalyna

Hi my name is Nick Kalyna and I’m a junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Studies. For the fall semester I’ll be studying at the American College of Greece in Athens, Greece. I chose this study abroad program because the unique culture and environments of Greece have always been of interest to me. During my time in Greece I hope to immerse myself in Greek culture and explore…