Stan and Karen Johnson
OFFICE OF GLOBAL PROGRAMS
Welcome to the newest edition of Going Global, the quarterly newsletter that provides readers with information and reflections on the international experiences of GCC students. Presented by: The Stan and Karen Johnson Office of Global Programs Director: Dr. Lois Johnson Field Director: Dr. Mark Reuber Study Abroad: Mrs. Jennifer Gilliland Global Studies Assistant: Mrs. Maria Morin Student Advisors: Emily Kruse, Cailyn Chiarello, Anna Cook, Allyson Davies, Emma Kauffman,
Margaret Hosack, Lydia Rothbard, Joy Nave
We hope you enjoy our newsletter! Find us on Instagram (gcc_ogp) Visit us anytime in HAL 319!
2
Milford Sound, New Zealand
Studying in NZ
by Emily Kruse
I’ll be honest, by the time my third year at GCC rolled around, I was a little bit tired of it. I was ready to do something different and get away from the cold rain and gray skies. While a friend was talking about studying abroad the next semester, I thought to myself, “Why don’t I do that?” The only reasons I could give myself not to were based on the fear of missing out here at Grove City. Sure, I would miss my friends and the different events and things that go on here at school – but when would I ever get the chance to live in another country for an extended amount of time? I decided last minute to apply to study abroad. It’s a big decision, and I probably spent more time applying, filling out paperwork, and researching things to do abroad than doing schoolwork for many weeks – but it was all worth it. All aspects of registering for classes, obtaining a visa, and booking flights fell into place and I was finally all set to go to New Zealand for 5 months. I chose to study in New Zealand because my mom is from there and members of her side of the family still reside in the country. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to stay with my grandma, who lives in Auckland, while attending the University of Auckland. Auckland is the largest city in NZ, with a population of just over 1.5 million. I loved the experience in the city. It had a big city feel even though it is small compared to some of the other major cities around the world. Going to a large school in the city offered a completely different experience from attending GCC. I was in a class with 500 other students, and I didn’t see many familiar faces walking between buildings on campus. New Zealand attracts a multitude of international students, whether they are there through a study abroad/exchange program or enrolled for their entire length of their degree. Because of this, I interacted with many different people from various countries around the world. NZ is very inclusive and makes anyone feel at home. The classes were fairly demanding, as UoA is the top university in NZ, and I did not have as much free time as I would have liked to travel and explore. My time at the University was not my favorite, as I missed my friends from home and found it hard to make new friends when I commuted to campus each day and was a foreign student. However, I joined a Study Abroad Society that introduced me to several other students studying abroad, many of them being American or Canadian. I was able to make friends through this group, and we would go on excursions with each other to different attractions near Auckland. However, with 4 of the students I met through the group I was able to plan a trip with them for our 2.5 week mid-semester break!
This trip was one I will never forget. The five of us travelled around the South Island of NZ, which is known for its magnificent mountains, lakes, and rolling hills. There is beautiful scenery each time you turn the corner, and I saw many cars pulled over to the side of the road to capture the beauty in a photo. We rented a car and drove around 1,500 miles in 10 days, from the bottom of the island to the top, stopping at all the “best” places along the way. This may not sound like much driving, but when you’re driving around twisty, steep mountain roads on the left side of the road, it can be a little bit slow and nerve-wracking. One of my favorite places we stopped was Lake Tekapo (pictured). There was an old stone church right on the bluest waterfront where we ate lunch on the lawn. We then went and sat on the stony shoreline where I ended up taking a nap on the sun-warmed rocks (which was more comfortable than it sounds). Another one of my favorite places was Wanaka. It is a small lake town, with a famous hike up to Roys Peak. Let me tell you—the hike up to Roys Peak was the most physically exhausting thing I have ever done, being over 10 miles. We spent 6 hours hiking uphill (sometimes having to crawl) with almost no flat parts to catch our breath. Once we finally reached the top the view took my breath away – even more so than the exhausting hike up. It was easily one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen and the hike itself was one I will never forget. While the school aspect of my study abroad experience was challenging and different than expected, I valued how it challenged me and I loved every other aspect of my time in New Zealand. I loved being independent, and many of my favorite moments were just walking around the city by myself, riding the train every day, and visiting new places. I made it a goal to do one new thing each day when I went to school. This challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and get to know the city. I truly feel like going abroad changed my outlook on certain things. I learned that there is so much in God’s beautiful Creation to explore and experience. I had the privilege to meet so many types of people and was able to make friends from different ethnicities and cultures. While I grew in appreciation for things at home, I am glad I had the chance to learn new things while in NZ. In an increasingly globalized world, I believe it is important to be able to look at things from a different perspective other than through an American “lens”. The few classes at school also helped broaden my scope such as my
international business class and my Māori cultural studies class provided a unique perspective on the often mistreatment of minority groups and how there is still unfair treatment in most cases around the world. I made some friends that I still keep up with, I got to travel around one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I got to spend meaningful time with my 91-year-old grandmother, and I came back refreshed and ready to tackle my final year at GCC. I truly believe that everyone should consider studying abroad – don’t worry about missing out, it will all be here when you get back. Traveling around the world at the college age is such a wonderful chance to grow into a wellrounded person and cultivate increased selfknowledge and self-awareness. I am so glad I decided to study abroad, and I hope you do too!
“I truly believe that everyone should consider studying abroad – don’t worry about missing out, it will all be here when you get back.”
Veritas in Seville:
Grovers’ perspectives by Lydia Rothbard
Community is an unmistakable theme here at Grove City College. We pursue “intentionality” and “growth” with each other. From studying abroad with Americans from various universities around America, I realized these are concepts quite common in a Christian atmosphere. This is something I hear from students nervous about missing when considering studying abroad – missing the growth that comes from intentional friends who push you closer to Christ. I have a solution for this. The Office of Global Programs sponsors ISA Veritas in Sevilla, a Christian program that allows students to experience their host city with the support of a strong community facilitated by Christian mentors. This semester, juniors Alyssa Ward, Alli Zeilstra, Kate Claffey, Liz Finnegan, & Lizzy Higgins chose to study in this charming city through Veritas. I had the privilege to get their perspectives. Why Seville? The first question I asked the girls was why they chose Seville and what their favorite part of the city is. Lizzy told me that she chose Seville because she knew she wanted to go somewhere in Spain, while also desiring a city with a lot of culture and one that isn’t too “touristy”. Alli described her favorite part of the city explaining how it is big enough to continue exploring all semester, but also small enough to walk or bike wherever you want to go! Liz explained how the city is just so charming and quaint - walking through Plaza de España, strolling through the park, listening to musicians playing and watching horse drawn carriages go by.
Participating in Veritas I then asked them how participating in Veritas has affected their overall study abroad experience. The responses mostly consisted on the idea of community. Liz explained how all the students in the Veritas program have become really close friends this semester, and since they have time built in every week to catch up with each other and study the Bible, it really helps them to find their place there socially, “knowing you have this group of likeminded believers who likely have similar goals in studying abroad that you do.” Alli also described the community aspect: “Veritas has provided me with a Christian community and Christian mentors during my experience abroad. There are so many new changes that you experience when you study abroad (new language, culture, host parents, school, friends) and I think that makes having a community of believers as a constant in the midst of so much change even more important and meaningful.” Another aspect the girls pointed out was the continuous call to Christ. Lizzy touched on the often-self-motivated goals of studying abroad and how Veritas helped with this: “I think participating in the Veritas program helped with keeping my focus on what I was truly there for! Study abroad can easily turn into a selfish ‘me having a good time here’ thing, instead of grounding yourself there in the community and actually taking time to invest in the people there.” Kate added to this thought by explaining how it has reminded her to place Christ at the center of the experience. Through the retreat at the beginning of the semester and weekly Bible studies, she was able to develop a Christian community in a very secular place, “which was huge”.
Why would you recommend Veritas? Finally, I asked the girls why they would recommend Veritas to other students considering studying abroad. Alli summed it up well with three points: “It provides a constant Christian community to learn and grow in. It provides you with mentors who are there for you if you need anything and want to help you grow. It provides opportunities to learn about ministry and to do outreach to locals.” Kate expressed that “being surrounded by even a small Christian community when everything else was so different and foreign was such a breath of fresh air and I would highly recommend it.” Although living and studying in a completely different culture is scary and challenging, Veritas provides the comfort of a miniChristian community like Grove City while also providing the amazing opportunity to experience new people, views, foods, and culture unlike ever before! As I stated before, it is common to have hesitations of leaving this abundant community here at Grove. Through Veritas, you will continue to be enriched by the community. Liz made this clear when expressing that “going from a school where you are surrounded almost entirely by Christians to a new city and a new school where very few people are Christians, it is so comforting to have a group of likeminded people you can hang out with and travel with.” Continue to grow deeply in your faith through a rich community of believers while also challenging yourself to experience new, exciting adventures in Spain through Veritas. You won’t regret it!
2019
Photo Contest Winners
by Margaret Hosack
In November, the OGP held its Annual Study Abroad Photo Contest. Any Grove City College student who had studied or spent time abroad during the 2018-2019 academic year or Summer 2019 were asked to submit their best photo from their time abroad. Many submissions were received from students that had spent a whole semester or summer abroad, participated in an ICO trip, went on a faculty-led travel intersession, or went on a Redbox mission. Photos were split up into Long-Term and Short-Term categories to accommodate our various types of international experiences. During International Education Week, the OGP hosted an open house where students and faculty could see all the submitted photos and vote for their favorites from each category. Without further ado, we present the winners of the OGP’s 2019 Study Abroad Photo Contest!
1st Place:
Emily Kruse
Long-Term Category Tongaporutu, New Zealand “Two of my friends and I went on a weekend trip and we decided to stop at a beach that was along the side of the road to watch the sunset while en route to our hostel for the night. The issue was that to walk to the beach it had to be low tide. While we were there the tide was still high, but it was on its way out. We decided to wade in the freezing thigh-high ocean water and climb across slippery rocks in order to get to the beach cove. We ended up getting there right at sunset and it was worth it!� - Emily Kruse
2nd Place:
Jordan Ahlquist & Jacob Eisenhart Cinque Terre, Italy “My friends and I decided to hike the trails along the coast when we came to this town called Manarola. We decided to eat at a restaurant called Nessun Dorma and this was our view!” – Jordan Ahlquist
Zematt, Switzerland “I had taken a lift up to Gornergrat to get a view of the Matterhorn and we decided to hike back down to the town of Zermatt. We stopped for lunch at a small restaurant off the trail for a traditional Swiss meal called Rosti. As we continued on our hike, I looked up and stopped to admire the fall colors with the Matterhorn in the background. I had to pull out my camera and capture the moment.” – Jacob Eisenhart
3rd Place:
Austen Krause, Ally Davies & Caroline Parker Chamonix, France
Chefchauen, Morocco
“This photo was taken on a bridge over a creek flowing with snow and glacier run-off that goes right through the heart of Chamonix. This was after a long day of hiking a couple thousand feet up the side of the mountain pictured, Mont Blanc, the highest in the Alps. My trip to the Alps included tightwinding cliff side roads that brought us through Italy, Switzerland, and France and led us to some incredible adrenaline-packed moments as well as some of the most quiet and peaceful places I’ve ever experienced. God’s magnificence evident everywhere.” – Austen Krause
“I toured three different cities in Morocco with a group of friends and Chefchauen was my favorite. It was interesting to learn that the city is painted blue to attract tourists.” – Ally Davies
Lephalale, South Africa – Caroline Parker
1st Place:
Short-Term
Amber Leston
Category Ecuador
“This photo is of the Pailon Del Diablo waterfall situated in the western foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes near Banos, Ecuador. I took this on our last day in Ecuador while standing on a swinging bridge that went across the ravine. To get to the waterfall we had to hike down from the top of a cliff and follow a winding, stone path to get to the bridge and lookout areas. It was a hike, but well worth the effort!” — Amber Leston
2nd Place:
Jonathan McCaslin, Emily Wasylenko & Olivia Alexander Giverny, France
“This photo was taken in Monet's garden at his house in Giverny. This part of Monet's garden was inspiration for many of his famous paintings, including Water Lilies and Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies. I found this view to be intriguing because of the beauty, how calm the scene is, and because of it was cool to see the real version behind Monet's famous paintings. This picture does not do justice to how cool Monet’s garden was to visit!” – Jonathan McCaslin
Paris, France
“In Paris, a friend and I went past The Centre Pompidou, a modern art museum. Sitting outside it was a homeless man, feeding a huge flock of birds. We asked a waiter at a nearby restaurant about the man’s identity. The waiter replied that the man was there every day, but nobody knew who he was.” – Emily Wasylenko
Hydra, Greece
“This picture was taken on about a mile walk from the main shipping port in Hydra to a private beach on the other side of the island. During this moment, I was reminded that even though I was thousands of miles away from anything I have ever known, that Christ was still all around me.” – Olivia Alexander
3rd Place:
Tony LaRosa & Alexander Wirth Odawara, Japan “The photo is of the Torri (Gate) to a Shinto Shrine in Odawara, Japan. This area sits beneath Mt. Fuji and is covered in rhododendron forests, which can be seen as the green background for the picture. The picture is one of my favorite types of shots in photography and that is getting up close with the subject or the picture and being able to picture of small details and textures of the subject.” – Tony LaRosa
Nafplio, Greece – Alexander Wirth
SOCIAL WORK | MICROFINANCE | EDUCATION | SPORTS | FITNESS | WOMEN’S HEALTH