Allison Bertram
Hundreds of students at Michigan State set out on study abroad adventures across the globe every semester. They gain prestigious educational experiences inside the classroom as well as life-changing encounters outside the classroom. Two of our very own RCPD students decided to share their experiences with us as the final installment of 2016 RCPD Student Summer Stories.
Jacob, Mayen Language and Culture Program
Jacob’s experience in Germany was full of adventure. When he wasn’t attending classes with the Mayen Language and Culture program, Jacob seized the opportunity to travel.
“I embraced how spontaneous I could be while traveling. I could take advantage of Germany's extensive train system and go literally anywhere and see all I wanted to see, which for obvious reasons isn't possible in the US or Canada.”
Although he had amazing experiences traveling on his own, his most profound moment happened when he visited a long-time family friend, Friedrich. He became good friends with Jacob’s mother while she herself visited West Germany in the 1980s.
“He was [blinded] in combat during World War II,” Jacob explained. He met Friedrich three years ago on a family trip to Germany. Since then, Friedrich's wife’s health had deteriorated and he was moved to a nursing home far from where he originally lived, making it difficult for Jacob to contact him.
When Jacob and his friend arrived, Friedrich was ecstatic. “I was surprised [by] how good his memory was, because he said he recognized my voice and that I was ‘the son [of Ann] who played cello.’ I felt that I was doing a nice thing for my mom since she wasn’t there.”
Jacob (second from right) with a friend on their trip to visit Friedrich (center) and his family (left).
Mandy, Caherconnell Field School Program
Mandy, an Archaeology student, lived in Ireland this summer while she was involved in the Caherconnell Field School program. She thoroughly enjoyed learning about archaeological survey and how to catalog artifacts, but one thing that stuck out to her was spending time with her future colleagues.
“The world of Archaeology is a fairly small one and my hopes are to be able to do some work in Ireland in the future. Meeting and working with the professors on a one to one basis was important for me. The group of students that I was both learning and living with were very hard-working young adults. In all honesty, I could not be more proud to have been working with them,” Mandy stated.
Both in the Archaeology field and in their downtime, Mandy and her classmates showed what it means to have a Spartan’s Will. “My fellow students volunteered to help the hostel’s owner to clean and even pull weeds in her garden. They were also quick to help the professors clean up the site before lunch and at the end of the day. They were genuinely a great group of young adults and I was very proud to be included.”
Though the Archaeology students worked hard, they still found time to blow off steam. “I attended a traditional Irish dance night in a barn near our hostel. [The locals] were all so very nice and eager to get me on the dance floor,” Mandy explained. As they got to know the Irish locals more, they realized something very unique about them. “One thing that concerns them most is the lack of a smile. If you did not have a smile on your face, they would be quick to make sure that you had one before you left them.”
They developed friendships and had many light conversations with people from all over Europe, but with Brexit and the U.S. election heating up, politics were bound to be addressed. “They all of course wanted to discuss Trump. The more I showed interest in speaking to the locals and the people from other countries, the more the other students did too. Different perspectives help us to gain our own perspective. I learned many things in Ireland. Perspective was one of the most important.”