Bon Voyage: All About Studying Abroad

Sumer Elsalawi Staff Writer

Have you seen young adults in TV shows excitedly pack their bags and go on journeys to other countries to pursue their academic dreams? Have you ever dreamt of studying in a foreign country during your high school or college years? Well, if you answered yes to either of these questions, then you are familiar with the idea of studying abroad which is something many teens, including myself, hope to experience someday.

As the world is reopening and finally returning to normal after the Covid-19 Pandemic, there has been an increase in students eager to study abroad. Countries are reopening international travel and are more accepting of having foreign students. This has resulted in higher participation rates and has even relieved a sense of ennui residing in students after the pandemic.

According to an article from the Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE), “What is Study Abroad?,” studying abroad is much more than simply seeking an academic goal in a foreign country. Studying internationally “opens the door to an entirely new world and new points of view that foster cross-cultural learning.” This experience allows young adults to expand their knowledge of other cultures, learn to live in new surroundings, and grow out of their comfort zone, which is beneficial in many parts of life.

One person who knows about being an exchange student firsthand is Mrs. Carolyn Kelley, a PB Spanish and Staff Development teacher who spent two summers abroad during her college years. Her first destination during the summer of her sophomore year was Sevilla, Spain, a place she recalls as “new, beautiful, and exciting.” This is also the place that sparked her love and interest for traveling abroad and learning about Spanish culture.

The following summer, Mrs. Kelley studied in Puebla, Mexico, which she enjoyed more as she had already been exposed to life abroad during her time in Spain. Mrs. Kelley recalls her experiences in these countries as “life-changing, memorable, and adventurous.” She also notes that they play a significant role in her job here at Paint Branch, as learning Spanish in another country was her starting point to fluency and eventually teaching the language. Mrs. Kelley mentions that while studying abroad was truly memorable, she got something even bigger from it: confidence. She notes, “because I studied abroad, it allowed me to be brave enough to move to Chile and teach for a year and a half and visit other Southern American countries along the way.” To this day, Mrs. Kelley is extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to study abroad as it opened the door to new opportunities and gave her endless memories to cherish.

Another PB teacher who knows what it is like to study abroad in Spain is math teacher Ms. Bailey. In fact, Ms. Bailey not only knows what studying abroad is like, she also knows what being a PB student is like, as she was a Panther herself, graduating in 2012. Ms. Bailey enjoyed her high school years and was involved within the school community as a member of the Poms team, enrolled in orchestra, and even assisted with numerous SGA events throughout the years at PB. She notes, “I never really considered studying abroad in high school; but going to Spelman College in Atlanta, an environment where they encouraged studying abroad, did it for me.”

While Ms. Bailey’s study-abroad experience was briefer than someshe was abroad for only a month - it was still a great opportunity for her. Regarding her biggest takeaway, she notes, “You really don’t have a good perspective unless you lived or experienced life somewhere else.”

This is true in many aspects of life because we as people become so accustomed to our daily routines and surroundings that we forget that lives exist outside of ours. Though she wishes her schedule in Spain had been less packed and she had been given more time to explore, she still adds that it gave her “another perspective and shined a light on life in a completely different environment.”

On the side of briefer experiences, Mr. Silsbee, an AP Psychology, World History, and Law teacher at PB, spent three weeks abroad, mostly in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany during his junior year of college at the University of Maryland. This trip was part of an education program, and knowing he wanted to become a teacher, he decided to take part in this journey to Europe. When first asked about his experiences, he responds with a memory of it being “extremely cold.” He adds that he found some clear contrasts between schools in the U.S. and those in Europe, as the program he worked with emphasized cross-cultural education. An interesting difference he pointed out was that “American schools are better at giving students options and European schools push students more than provide them with resources.” He adds that this is especially evident when having to pick jobs and even decide what school to attend. When asked if he could have a second shot at his experience abroad, he responds with “Of course. I would also opt to do a whole semester, since I wish I had more of an experience to live as an actual person.”

PB Food Trends teacher Chef Ripley also shared his unique study abroad experience, where he traveled to different parts of France for three weeks while in culinary school. His feelings about the experience were similar to those of the other teachers, as he notes that the experience taught him about an unfamiliar culture and provided “a chance to observe a culture I never really had a desire to see.” He was able to learn about and cook French cultural cuisines, experience a new country, and have a good time with friends. His biggest challenge there was knowing little to no French and having a schedule that was too packed. In fact, he recalls “it felt like we were working non-stop, which is another reason why it was so memorable.”

As each of these experiences proves, studying abroad - whether it be for a semester or something shorter - aren’t experiences that are easily forgotten. Spending time in a new country not only serves as an exhilarating getaway, but also allows one to make new memories, learn from the surroundings, and incorporate this knowledge into their lives. Personally, I’ve always liked the idea of studying internationally, as it would give me a chance to step out of my comfort zone, spend time in an unfamiliar place, and enrich my world view in an unbounded environment that is different from what I’ve grown so used to seeing. It would also force me to go out of my way to communicate with new people and converse in other languages that I haven’t thought of speaking before. When I get the chance to study abroad, I would definitely seize the opportunity and learn something new from each experience that I can take back with me in my day-to-day life.

Lan Huynh Staff Writer

As spring break ended and the final quarter of their senior year began, the members of the Class of 2023 settled into “the final stretch” of their time in high school. Now, with just days left before graduation and four years of experience coming to an end, some seniors paused to reflect and share their thoughts on the last class to enter PB before the Covid 19 pandemic was even a thought.

Bianca Adolfo, reminiscing about her time at PB says, “High school had its ups and downs.” Adding to this she says, “The friends that I have made I cherish; they are very fun, and great! “ As for college, Bianca will be attending the nationally-accredited Montgomery College, entering the MC Scholars program. “ It’s exciting as it pays for my two years,” she says with emphasis.

Pre-college, Bianca has a summer study trip to North Carolina planned. However, she notes enthusiastically that it is happening “only if I maintain my grades ya know, so I’m gonna do my best!” One thing she is looking forward to in North Carolina is sightseeing at a river she heard about from friends and adds, jokingly, “I’m very excited to go to the river!”

As a freshman, Bianca had Physics with the former teacher at PB, Mr.Jacobs, known for his infamous way of teaching. She noted, “I thought that I would pass it by not studying” In the end, that was not the case for her; but if Bianca could give some advice to her freshman self it would be to “chill, and work hard,” she says in a caring tone. She notes that she was a very outgoing person as a freshman, but also an overthinker.

Max Destouches likes looking back and describing his years at PB. “It has been wonderful,” says Max. “I did the sports and activities that were part of the fun.” Overall, Max had a great time at PB, though he does note that “it had its ups and downs. I had some great teachers and some who couldn’t really teach; but they were good people.”

With high hopes for the future, Max ends his senior year with a 4.5 GPA, which is pretty impressive. As for college, Max is attending one of the largest HBCUs, Howard University. Asked to offer his younger self some advice about his choice to attend PB, Max says, with some hesitation, “I enjoyed my time at PB. Would I do it again? Maybe.” After making this statement, Max throws some shade at the other NEC schools, remarking, “I don’t care what the other schools have to say, PB is great.”

Max was part of the College Tracks program during his time at PB and credits it, along with all of the other academic opportunities and programs PB provides, as a key to his and other student’s success. Adding one final thought to his younger self, Max says that he’d tell young Max, “you did great; I’m not gonna lie; we did everything we set out to do, But try to challenge yourself academically.”

When he looks back, Jordan Bennet can’t hide the enthusiasm he has for his time at PB saying, “My four years at PB have been nothing but amazing!” For Jordan, PB was really his only choice for an NEC school since his whole family were Panthers, and for him sports provided a lot. “Sports were amazing. Just being around people who go here and all the activities we do - - it’s a really great school to be at.”

As a student-athlete who wanted to play in college, the process of applying to and figuring out what college to attend was slightly different from other seniors. Jordan, who played football for PB, says that the process of making himself known to schools was a difficult process, “I had to send my film out to every college and hope to get an email back asking me to come for a visit.” After reaching out to schools and waiting on replies, Jordan had to process whether he received a response from colleges, if his academics met their requirements, and deal with costs. “The money side is the worst part,” he says in an assertive tone. As for what advice he’d give to his freshman self, Jordan says, “Stay out of the way and keep doing sports.”

Raheem Upshaw notes that his years at PB were good, but he keeps them in perspective. “I would say amazing, but I know it’s not the best,” he says honestly. Although freshman year was cut short due to the pandemic, Raheem still says that his first high school year was “great.” As for these last two years, he’s glad that he finally had a chance to have a full season of lacrosse. One area that he wants juniors to start thinking about is the college process. He emphasizes that “you gotta get that done at the start of senior year or at the end of junior year, ‘cause it’s a long process.” In terms of some advice for his younger self, Raheem adds, “Things start to get easier once you do all the hard work; just stay on the path.”

Stephen Le describes his years at PB as just “alright.” However, Stephen’s story is a little different from a lot of his Class of 2023 classmates, as he didn’t attend high school for a year and a half. “I admit that not being in school--at home playing video games, going out, and sleeping in– was fun at first but in the end, I came back to school.” Stephen realized that having a diploma to his name was more helpful than not having one in the real world, hence his return.

Stephen wants younger students to know that finishing high school will always be something you must do. “Stay in school kids!” he says while laughing. Stephen will graduate with his class thanks to his counselor placing him in a program that helped him make up credits that he missed and get back on track. As for life after high school, Stephen will be entering the workforce directly. To his freshmen self, Stephen says, “Stay optimistic and have fun!”