Study Abroad Alumni Study Abroad Stories

Stefani Nieves

University of Evansville Harlaxton Program, England

Fall 2012

I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Grantham, England at Harlaxton College in the fall of 2012. This happened to be my last semester at LTU before I graduated and it was absolutely one of the best semesters I had while attending LTU. Although only two of the courses I took at Harlaxton were needed to complete my degree I took an extra six credits just so I could go to Harlaxton. There are few words that can truly capture the beauty of the rolling English hills or the kindness that was bestowed upon me during my trip by the locals. When I arrived we were given our introductory course on how to assimilate into life in Britain and how in the past, the locals have embraced the students.

While passing out surveys in the village of Harlaxton for a course assignment I had the pleasure of meeting an older woman who had just lost her husband and had no family in the area. Immediately she invited me for tea and our friendship was instant. Sadly it was already halfway through the semester when we met, but I made sure to call and meet her for tea every week until I was to return home. During my final week at Harlaxton, I made my way through the village and to her home where I was lovingly welcomed. Before I left that day, with a heavy heart, she gave me an address book and a photo that I was to remember her by. It brought tears to my eyes and to hers. To this day we continue to write and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her and our afternoon tea. I plan to go back to England this fall and see my dear friend Marion once again.

Never in a million years did I think that I would find a friendship like this across the world. Marion gave me an appreciation for life in other places and showed me the importance of understanding and embracing other cultures, which has played a huge role in my job today. I deal with customers and our subsidiaries located in countries such as Korea, China, Australia, Brazil and The Netherlands every day. Thanks to Marion and my experience at Harlaxton, I am far better equipped to handle the world of business.

Jake Lefebvre

University of Hertfordshire, England

Fall 2011

In the fall of my junior year at Lawrence Tech, I had the fortune of being able to study abroad at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, England (about 20 minutes by train from London). The University has roughly 30,000 students, so it was a completely different experience from Lawrence Tech even after negating the fact that it is in a different country. It gave me the experience of a large university, which I think was crucial for my comfort at Michigan State where I am now for graduate school. Studying abroad was one of my favorite experiences. It was so fun to meet people from all over the world and to experience how people from another culture learn and socialize. I'd highly recommend studying abroad, and if you are looking into studying abroad in the UK, I'd highly recommend the University of Hertfordshire.