Many Ferris students decided to study abroad this summer, traveling all over Europe. We caught up with four girls who shared with us their stories of being abroad in France, Germany, Italy and England. From great food to historical sights and beautiful beaches, it was a summer they’ll be remembering fondly for the rest of their lives.
Ferris junior in criminal justice law enforcement Jessica Micakovic decided to study abroad with Ferris’ Austria/Germany program. For 15 days, she spent time in Vienna, Munich and Berlin. While there, she saw historically famous places such as the Berlin Wall and the Dachau Concentration Camp – the very first concentration camp.
In Vienna she visited Schönbrunn Palace, which houses the world’s oldest zoo. In Munich, Micakovic visited Neuschwanstein Castle, which happens to be the very castle after which Cinderalla’s was modeled. While visiting the castle, Micakovic fell and dislocated her knee; not wanting to return home early, she opted to travel around Berlin in a wheelchair.
She enjoyed her study abroad experience so much that she’s looking to head out again and is considering a one year program.
Before graduation from the pharmacy program in May, Sara Galdys spent eight weeks in Bath, England, through the International Pharmacy Exchange Program. Galdys worked in an England hospital and community pharmacy and enjoyed being able to learn about their healthcare system.
During her stay, she traveled to Trafalgar Square and fell in love with London while gazing at Big Ben, Parliament and the London Eye. Galdys also traveled to Ireland, France and Italy for the amazing sights and delicious food. She even got engaged while vacationing in Italy.
Galdys hopes to someday return, preferably when there is warmer weather. Overall, she enjoyed the different viewpoints this experience gave her into pharmacy and healthcare practices.
Amanda Thomas roamed Italy for 14 days this summer. The Ferris sophomore in pre-pharmacy spent her days visiting famous sights such as the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps and Ponte Vecchio. In Rome, her favorite moment was climbing the cupola of the Sistine Chapel to get the entire panoramic view of the beautiful city.
When spending time in Florence, she and her fellow travelers often went in search of street musicians, and they even found a lively bunch of older folks with birthday hats dancing to one spectacular musician.
Overall, one of the major highlights of her trip was visiting Capri Island, where she hiked the Villa Jovis ruins and took a chairlift up to Mount Solaro.
“The cultural awareness I gained was something that can’t be taught in a classroom in Big Rapids,” Thomas said.
Samantha Wingerter, a Ferris sophomore in pre-nursing and respiratory health, studied abroad with Ferris’ French study away program for 16 days. She visited France, Monaco and Switzerland. In Paris, she was awed by the Eiffel Tower and visited it three times. Her other favorite place was the beach at Cap d’Ail, which she describes as breathtaking with aqua blue water and surrounding mountains.
Another of the many unique stops on the trip was an annual gypsy festival, where they witnessed wild white horses running around, women in extravagant skirts with lots of jewelry, and even old wood wagons.
“This experience was definitely one of the more prominent ones of my trip just because of how much culture we were thrown into,” Wingerter said.
The rest of the trip was spent visiting sites renowned throughout the world – such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre – and eating lots of cheese. ///
Isn’t it supposed to be called “study away”?
Isn’t it supposed to be called “study away”?