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Schell explores 5 countries in semester abroad Cypriots speak and the American English of the United States.
Lora Schell ’13 has come a long way from MMI, quite literally, not only by studying abroad on the island country of Cyprus, but also touring England, Ireland, France and Hungary during a European spring break.
Schell said you can’t understand what it’s like to live in another country until you actually do it, but she adapted quickly to the local culture in Cyprus. That included trying traditional Greek foods. Her favorite dish was souvlaki, which is small pieces of grilled meat and vegetables served in a pita sandwich. Cyprus imports very little food. All of their fruits and vegetables are grown on the island and the seafood is caught fresh. The University of Nicosia is located in Cyprus’ capital city (Nicosia) and 20 percent of its 5,000 students come from abroad. Schell said the Cypriots lived up to their reputation of being very welcoming and open to foreign students. The biology major, who is minoring in chemistry and mathematics, took the same courses the university offers its native students and also had a chance to take photography and ethics classes.
er she spent a semest with Cyprus when a earlier this year. right, fell in love osi top , Nic of ’13 y ell rsit Sch ive a Lor abroad at the Un
The Susquehanna University junior began her travels in the spring semester of her sophomore year at the University of Nicosia on Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Schell called the experience “mind changing” and said it had such a profound impact on her that she didn’t want to leave the island. “I made many friends and fell in love with the island. Those friends became just like family and it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” she said. “It was so amazing there that I didn’t want to come home. I met many people who were openminded and accepting of foreign visitors. The entire trip was something that I never thought I’d get to experience.” Being unfamiliar with Cyprus, she saw Susquehanna University’s Global Opportunities program as the perfect opportunity to explore the Mediterranean island Susquehanna’s award-winning program encourages students to “challenge themselves, to embrace the unfamiliar, and to navigate new worlds, whether near or far.” Schell definitely took all three of those suggestions to heart. Although Cyprus is more than 3,500 square miles, she managed to travel by bus around the entire island during her four-month stay. Fortunately, the biggest challenge she faced was mastering the difference between the British English the
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Schell is studying to be a doctor and has already seen the benefits of an MMI education just two years into college. She felt the classes she took in Cyprus were not as difficult as the ones she has taken in the states and said they were essentially a refresher of courses she had at MMI. Schell said MMI’s rigorous classes prepared her for college-level courses and put her a step ahead of her peers. She also has more confidence when making presentations compared to her college classmates because of what she experienced through MMI’s assembly program. “The classes were easy because I already had an idea of what I was doing. MMI offered many classes that other high schools don’t. For example, we had organic chemistry at MMI, so I knew what I was doing in that class, but many of my friends didn’t have organic chemistry in high school,” she said. Schell liked travelling so much that she returned to Cyprus for several weeks this past summer, adding the time onto a trip to Spain where she attended a conference. Schell eventually wants to explore other parts of the world, but right now her heart is filled with her newfound love for Cyprus.
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