Andy Steves' Account of his Semester at John Cabot University
Andy Steves – right – and fellow study abroad student Pat Carey at the June 2010 NAFSA Association of International Educators Conference, Kansas City
“My time in Rome allowed me to grow as a person and develop a unique skill set of independence and self-confidence; I learned how not only to survive, but to thrive in foreign cultures.
To this day, it’s the personal connections I made with new and old friends – American, Italian and international – that I remember most fondly. I realized that travel is all about bridging those cultural gaps. When we learn and live in a country that’s not our own, the world begins to shrink around us and the cultural differences that we initially consider inconvenient, overwhelming and confusing melt in to a fuller comprehension of the beautiful diversity on this planet.
Almost immediately, I realized that my educational experience at John Cabot was not confined to the classroom. You’re walking through it every day: from the halls of the Vatican City to the ancient Roman ruins, history is all around you. It’s a chance to live in the subject you’re studying rather than read it in a text book, and the great professors bring this fascinating history to life before your eyes.
Furthermore, Europe is your oyster and a semester at JCU is a perfect springboard to explore and pursue your passions beyond the ancient Roman walls. My friends and I made the most of every weekend and our voyages took us from Dublin to Prague, from the Swiss Alps all the way to Greece, where we chartered a sailboat for a week to cap off an incredible semester. It was on these weekend trips that the concept for Weekend Student Adventures, the student tour company I founded and now run, began to crystallize.
The application process was easy, and my semester affordable. I’m continuing to reap the benefits of my rich semester at John Cabot University. So sign up with your friends, and I’ll catch you on the other side of the pond!”
Andy Steves
JCU Study Abroad Student, Spring Semester 2008
University of Notre Dame Graduate, May 2010
