Study Abroad Stories
Discover stories from Washington College students who were immersed in our variety of study abroad programs!
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Joey Bonacci '25
Joey studied abroad in the Fall 2023 semester at Royal Holloway University in London!
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Esmeralda Chavez-Jimenez '24
Esme studied abroad in the Spring 2023 semester at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco, along with other short-term trips!
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Noah Gentry '25
Noah studied abroad in the Fall 2023 semester at St. Andrews University in Scotland!
Short-term Study Abroad
Joey Bonacci ‘25 and Kamden Richardson ‘24, along with a few other students, spent their spring break in Ireland!
“Dr. Wade and Dr. McCollum led a trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of their co-taught course Music, Politics, and Resistance, which focuses on music as a form of protest. This trip covered Irish Traditional or “Trad” music and protest music that addressed The Troubles, the decades-long conflict between predominantly Catholic Republicans and mostly Protestant Unionists.
It was a whirlwind itinerary of traveling on planes, trains, and buses to visit Galway, Dublin, Belfast, and Derry in nine days. We ate in local pubs, met with local musicians who play in regular trad sessions and visited notable historical music sites like the Irish Rock and Roll Museum.
Our course included visiting the Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin, the Punk Rock Walking Tour in Belfast, and a walking tour of West Belfast. In West Belfast, we explored the communities divided by the peace walls that were built during the Troubles. In Derry, we had a walking tour of The Troubles with the son of one of the victims of Bloody Sunday, which was incredibly moving.
Our trip was graciously sponsored by the Louis L. Goldstein Program in Public Affairs, which allowed us to gain firsthand experience of visiting areas impacted by the Troubles as we studied the power of the combination of music and politics.” — Joey Bonacci
Ireland, Spring Break 2024
Study Abroad and SCE Inspiration:
For Kamden Richardson, going on this short-term trip helped her get a broader sense of her Senior Capstone Experience topic. She knew she wanted to focused on something education related in Northern Ireland. For her thesis, Kamden specifically focused on integrated schools in the region. Particularly, she wanted to “talk with people firsthand, how it effected them, and how they viewed political parties after the decision to integrate”
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Czech Republic:
Before sophomore year, I went on the Prague trip with Prud’homme to learn about Czech Republic and its history.
Belize:
Before junior year, I went to Belize with Dr. Clarke De-Raza doing museum and field work. It was not any of the places I saw myself traveling to, and it was a really cool experience.
Ireland (twice!)
First at the end of junior year, with Dr. Wade and Dr. Reiling, then spring break 2024!
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Going on short-term trips opened me up to so many possibilities. My advice would be to take advantage of what is offered. You will gain so much through these trips.
“Say yes to everything and be open to opportunity. It will change your mindset.”
