Crossing Borders
CEE Undergraduates Experience Life Abroad Spending time in an unfamiliar country can teach us a lot—about others and ourselves. For CEE students, the opportunities to go abroad are vast, from spring break trips to summer programs to entire semesters. “Wherever they want to go, they can find a way to make it work with their studies,” says CEE Director of Undergraduate Programs Andrea Francioni Rooney.
Exploring a Newfound Independence “I always knew I wanted to study abroad,” says CEE senior Obianozo Chukwuma. “I thought it’d be exciting to go to a university in a new country with all new people and essentially re-dive into everything.” To realize this goal, Chukwuma worked closely with CEE to schedule her trip around her required courses and with the university’s study abroad coordinator to finalize her plans and paperwork.
In January 2017, she flew to London for the spring semester. “On the flight, I started getting so nervous,” she admits. “Once you’re there though, it’s absolutely worth it.” From navigating the nuances of cross-cultural communication with an international group of friends to taking weekend trips across Europe, the experience was everything Chukwuma expected and more. Challenges became valuable lessons. “I’ve gotten a lot better at not stressing when things go wrong,” she says. “It’s taught me to relax and figure it out.”
Obianozo Chukwuma with new friends
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