Peer Ambassadors

School: Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts 
Major: Literary Studies
Term(s) Abroad: Spring 2019
Host School/Program: King’s College London (KCL)
Host City/Country: London, United Kingdom
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
Studying abroad was the perfect opportunity to recognize the fruits of my labor in my world and as a student. It allowed me to see that my abilities were not limited to a certain setting or place, but existed within me. It was rewarding to finally say, “Look at the places I can take myself to.” I learned how to thrive outside of my comfort zone while integrating the pace and ways of life from my destination.

On certain weekends, this broadened out as I took trips to European countries I thought I’d only have the chance to go to after working for years of my life. With travel that accessible, I felt myself on the map. From an academic standpoint, this experience assured me that the tools I had been given early on in my academic life had my back in a sense. So even if the learning environments were different, I had a means of advocating for myself and seeing a way through. 

I was drawn to London’s sound system culture and the mythology surrounding the Windrush generation of the 1940s. As a Black American, I struggle with feeling both rooted and rootless in this country and often turn to Caribbean culture as a means of informing/laying claim to a history I have been otherwise denied. The various national identities of the peoples who once called England their mother country greatly inform the very fabrics that make up London and the UK today. To be amid that history and experience the diaspora from that part of the world was really enriching.

School: Parsons School of Design
Major: Product Design
Term(s) Abroad: Summer 2019
Host School/Program: Studio Art College International (SACI)
Host City/Country: Florence, Italy
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
I love the environment and location SACI provided the most. Florence is a city that is full of the Renaissance environment. Every building, street, wall, and bridge has its own history. It provided a wonderful art environment, especially for art students. In Florence, there are plenty of museums and galleries you can go to in your leisure time, and you can travel to other cities such as Rome and Venice during the weekend to feel different styles of art. When you are studying in Florence, you learn not only from your courses but more from the city and the citizens.

My study abroad experience really brought a lot to me. For my sculpture class, I learned how to mix plaster and use it to build my own sculpture and figure out a better way to express my thoughts. I learned plenty of different ways to model in not only plaster but also wax and alginate body model. I also spent a lot of time carving limestone and marble pieces. For my jewelry class, I learned the original hand-making method to join several pieces together and used different materials to make my own rings and necklaces. For my conservation class, though I had never tried ancient methods and techniques before, I cleaned ancient drawings using those original methods and learned ancient formulas such as rabbit skin glue and ox bone. All in all, these two months abroad really affected me a lot. I learned a lot of skills in Florence, and I believe they will help me a lot in the future.

School: Parsons/Lang (BA/BFA)
Major: Communication Design/Journalism + Design
Term(s) Abroad: Fall 2018 and spring 2019
Host School/Program: University of the Arts London
Host City/Country: London, United Kingdom
Email Address:[email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
The thing I loved most about study abroad is the personal and academic growth that came along with furthering my studies in a foreign country. I enjoyed the freedom of being on my own in a different place. Not only did this freedom allow me to get to know myself better, but it helped me experience new adventures as well as meet both like-minded and different people. Additionally, my study abroad experience has allowed me to work and befriend a variety of creatives, which ultimately helps me grow as a designer.

School: Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts 
Major: Anthropology
Term(s) Abroad: Spring 2019
Host School/Program: Council on International Educational Exchange
Host City/Country: Toulouse, France
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
The amount of traveling I was able to do while I was in Europe was amazing. I was able to see eight countries and too many cities to count, and create experiences that I will never forget. Being in Berlin changed my thesis topic, being in Denmark sparked political conversations I’ve never experienced, and my journey around France revolutionized my understanding of space, community, and home. It was not only a profoundly emotional experience but a brilliantly stimulating one. Being in France completely changed my experience of the language. I lived with a host family, went to a French university, and lived daily in the French language. I have come back with a confidence that I never expected to have in my second language. You don’t notice it in the moment, but coming home, I realize that I’m listening to French music, watching movies, reading books, and sending goofy messages to my French family. It’s unbelievable how much growth can happen in five months.

School: Parsons School of Design
Major: Fashion Design
Term(s) Abroad: Fall 2018 and spring 2019
Host School/Program: Shenkar College of Engineering and Design (2018), Parsons Paris (2019)
Host City/Country: Tel Aviv, Israel (2018); Paris, France (2019)
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
I was truly amazed by the culture and the people I met during my two semesters abroad. While there will always be sights to see and places to explore, it is the people you meet along the way that affect your life the most in the end. I was especially moved by the people of Israel; I remember most vividly that whenever I asked strangers for help or directions, they would always go one step further. Once I asked for directions to a store three blocks away, and a complete stranger walked me all the way down and even spoke to the store owner in Hebrew for me. During my time abroad, I had the opportunity to explore outsourcing, learn how to code in C language, and intern for Paris Fashion Week. I believe my time abroad was a very enriching experience, training under such different teaching styles and seeing how the fashion industry works in different environments. In Israel, I was shocked to see how avant-garde and well tailored all the projects were. I learned much from Shenkar in advanced patternmaking skills and stitch work. In Paris, I was glad to be back in an English-speaking classroom. The Parsons Paris campus had a small, tight-knit community in which the students would often help each other out. We were also offered many more professional opportunities, including all the Paris Men’s, Women’s, and RTW Fashion Weeks. Overall, I am extremely thankful for all the wonderful adventures studying abroad has given me.

School: Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts; Schools of Public Engagement
Major: Global Studies (undergraduate), International Affairs (graduate)
Term(s) Abroad: Fall 2017 and spring 2018
Host School/Program: CISabroad
Host City/Country: Kyoto, Japan
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
Studying abroad in Kyoto helped me change my fundamental view of our world's global society. Having majored in the Global Studies program at Lang, I learned about the different economic and political systems of governance around the world. I also heard about events and stories that took place in continents and countries that I have never traveled to before. Studying abroad in Kyoto was not only my first time in Japan but also my first time in Asia and the first time I had traveled to a place where none of my family lives. It seemed frightening at first, but in reality, it was a beautiful, unforgettable experience that was a dream come true for me. I was able to achieve a high level of proficiency in the Japanese language as well as an on-the-ground understanding of a culture that I had only read of in books and watched in movies. I also met people from all around the world and interacted with them in the Japanese language. Using a different language as the common language is an enriching experience in that it helps you understand different forms of respect and humility. You become able to express ideas in more novel and elaborate ways as well as learn about new forms of thinking.

School: Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Major: Global Studies
Term(s) Abroad: Fall 2018 and summer 2019
Host School/Program: The Education Abroad Network (2018), James Baldwin: Reading and Writing in France (2019)
Host City/Country: Chiang Mai, Thailand; Paris, France
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
I enjoyed my study abroad experience because it allowed me to immerse myself in Thai culture through language, food, academics, and culturally relevant field trips. I gained a lot of knowledge about the history of Southeast Asia, Thailand especially, and its position in global politics. There is a lot that I would not have learned about these areas if I were studying in a Western setting, due to resource accessibility and general bias in coursework.

School: Parsons/Lang (BA/BFA)
Major: Integrated Design/Global Studies 
Term(s) Abroad: Summer 2017 and spring 2019
Host School/Program: International Field Program (2017), Universitat de Pompeu Fabra (2019) 
Host City/Country: Havana, Cuba (2017); Barcelona, Spain (2019)
Email Address: [email protected]

Why I Loved Studying Abroad
As a dual-degree student at Parsons/Lang, I took the summer to rejuvenate and seek motivation. There was no lack of inspiration in Cuba, with the contagious happiness of the people, the bright colors of the landscape, and the rich history of the Revolution. Figures like Jose Marti, Camilo Cienfuegos, and Che Guevara were mentioned daily and their stories were a great reminder that age shouldn't hinder action. I ventured abroad in pursuit of studying race demographics and its function in Caribbean society. I was invited, as an undergraduate, to take part in the master's program when my (Dis)order and (In)justice professor proposed to me that race in Cuba operated differently. As someone born and raised in the American South, I took the opportunity to search for a different reality, and I found it. I was able to experience living in an alternative government structure for a prolonged period of time and learned an unprecedented amount of Spanish due to the immersion. I gained a sense of perspective and bonded with my classmates over an irreplaceable adventure that took place in a rich country for culture, Cuba. I gained résumé experience and studied at the graduate level.