Peter Mate

Set Sail

Posted by BCSAadmin on 05/29/2017

By Peter Mate, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver Campus, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

I’m nervous – my hands tremble. I fly home bearing more questions than I can answer. 

My semester, academically, is a success – I have a basic grasp of refugee law and contemporary citizenship; I’ve walked along the Danube, Siene and Thames; I’ve marched to Hungary’s parliament and climbed the Buda Hills; I’ve sat in wonderment at the Big Ben and the Eiffel tower. Yet, I’m restless. 

I’m restless because of the world I leave behind. In a Hungarian refugee reception center, I saw people living in shipping containers. Surrounded by razor wire and isolated, many were idle, hoping to be granted Asylum. In mass demonstrations in Budapest, threats ag...

Tags: Stories from Abroad Study Abroad life abroad Scholarship Winner FDU Fairleigh Dickinson University Budapest
Category: Student Blog
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Janna Wale with host mom and dad

Benefits of a Homestay

Posted by BCSAadmin on 05/22/2017

By Janna Wale, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

It’s another quiet evening in the house that has become my home over the months of my exchange in Inverness, Scotland. My host mother is probably downstairs obsessively cleaning something or spoiling her ‘wee dog’ Millie, while my host father watches the documentary channel while taking trips to the kitchen for chocolate. Even though I am so far away from my family, studying abroad has taught me that ‘home’ is more than the house you are living in.

Most of you have probably experienced uprooting at some point – whether moving neighborhoods yourselves or having friends and family that are beginning a new chapter in their lives. The process, while leading to all kinds of gro...

Tags: 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship Scotland Stories from Abroad Winner Study Abroad exchange culture Inverness Thompson Rivers University
Category: Student Blog
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Kathleen Megan Harfman, College of New Caledonia

Countdown to Ecuador!

Posted by BCSAadmin on 05/15/2017

By Kathleen Megan Harfman, College of New Caledonia, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

Well, the bags are packed and ready to go. In less than 24 hours we will be off to South America! Eight of us from the College of New Caledonia will be flying out tomorrow morning; destination: Ecuador. We will arrive in Guayaquil and from there will meet Claudia, who, for the next three weeks, will be guiding us around the country as we explore the unique ecosystems, environments, and resource management issues of the area, as well as experiencing the culture.

Our adventure will begin at the Ecotec University in Guayaquil where we will attend a couple days of lectures. After finishing at the university, we will tour an organic shrimp farm. Shrimp production is a...

Tags: Science and Technology Stories from Abroad Scholarship Ecuador Study Abroad Adventure 2017 scholarship winner College of New Caledonia
Category: Student Blog
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Gigi Lin, Simon Fraser University

12 Cities and Counting

Posted by BCSAadmin on 05/08/2017

By Gigi Lin, Simon Fraser University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

Where do I even begin? It seems that the last breath I took was at the airport, waiting for my flight information to appear, directing me to my gate. When I look down at my feet now, I think about the different cities I have been to, the many restaurants where I’ve reveled in a new cuisine, and the never-ending list of monuments I’ve had the opportunity to see. 

Though I am technically an exchange student, I’ve spent a considerable chunk of time planning trips, buying tickets and revising travel itineraries- than I have reading textbooks or lecture slides. It is not to say that I have neglected my studies; but rather, I work hard so that I can truly relax when...

Tags: Scholarship Stories from Abroad 2017 scholarship winner Study Abroad student blog Travel Europe Adventure
Category: Student Blog
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