Trip of a Lifetime
On March 7-14 CON Faculty Member, Amber Williams, traveled to Milan, Venice, Verona, Florence, and Rome. She traveled with part of a USCL sponsored study abroad English course, Shakespeare and Italy. Williams says, “The art, the architecture, the land, the food, the accents…everything was wonderful! I really enjoyed climbing to the top of the Duomo in Florence. The artwork inside the dome was amazing and the view of Florence from the top of the dome was breathtaking.” She found herself taking pictures of all the massive wooden doors and lanterns everywhere, each one beautiful and unique. She was surprised to find art was everywhere, from the intricate tile mosaic floors to the extravagantly painted ceilings.
She recounts the historic event of Pope Francis being announced: “Everyone, everywhere talking and anticipating whether there would be white or black smoke. The square had been filling up all day, and by 7:00, it was very crowded. There were people waving their country’s flag, hoping their cardinal would be chosen; there were nuns behind us praying; a group of small children beside us who were singing; and umbrellas everywhere. At 7:00, there was silence as everyone watched the small chimney at the far right of St. Peter’s. Then all of a sudden, probably 7:10 or so, the crowd erupted….“es bianco!” “It’s white”. Everyone was cheering, hugging, or praying and moving closer to the front of the square. We were so excited to be there for this historic event.” She hopes to return one day, “That’s what you wish for when you throw a coin in the Trevi fountain….to come back to Rome,” she said. Global Exchange Program
Study Abroad with Dr. Julia Ball
Students from InHolland University in the Netherlands visited The College of Nursing March 22nd30th. The students are graduate nursing students enrolled in either a nurse practitioner or physician assistant graduate program. The students are paired with like type practitioners in their specialty for a day so they sample several practice sites within the week. The come to learn how their roles are done in the US and also share their current research. Sigma Theta Tau has been involved with the program since 2006.
A native of Great Britain, Dr. Julia Ball has a long and illustrious history of leading study abroad experiences for nursing students. Since 1998, she has taken students from universities all over South Carolina to London, England; Munich and Nuremberg in Germany; Salzburg, Austria; and Interlaken, Switzerland. Dr. Ball is a visiting lecturer at universities of applied sciences schools of nursing in Munich and Nuremberg and she will be returning to the same universities in 2013. Additionally, Dr. Ball continues as an invited moderator and presenter at the international conference Nursing Education Tomorrow held at Cambridge University, in Cambridge, England. Dr. Ball will lead a study abroad experience to the beautiful, medieval city of Nuremberg, Germany in 2014 where USC nursing students will have the opportunity to meet nursing students from the Lutheran University of Applied Sciences, learn about the German healthcare system, and visit German hospitals as a clinical experience. Additionally, students will learn to use the ultra efficient public transportation system, visit places of interest in Nuremberg, and travel by train to the historic cities of Bamberg, Ingolstadt, Regensburg, and Munich. From Munich, students will have the opportunity to visit the memorial to the Holocaust victims who died in the concentration camp at Dachau. Dr. Ball will hold a meeting for UpperDivision students interested in the nursing study abroad experience to Germany in September. The Upper Division three (3) credit hour nursing elective will be held during Maymester, 2014. Upper Division students only will be eligible for the nursing study abroad experience.
Pictured here with CON Dean Andrews are CON Faculty Sabra Smith, Gaby van Bentum, Kirsten Kooiman, CON Faculty Ellen Synovec and Anita de Vette.