Submitted by Nyasha Rutanhira on the 2025 Spring program in Limerick, Ireland…
At the end of my program, I received the University of Limerick’s Presidential Volunteer Award in recognition of my work with UL AccessCampus during my time abroad. When I arrived in Limerick, I felt a strong desire to engage with the community that would be my home for the next four months. That opportunity came through volunteering at the University of Limerick’s AccessCampus, a satellite campus in the city’s Southside that promotes access to education for underrepresented groups and promotes inclusion through community-centered initiatives.
I had the privilege of volunteering with Conversation Club, a program supporting members of the displaced Ukrainian community as they learn English. The goal is to create a welcoming, participant-led space where language learning happens naturally and at each individual’s pace. This experience allowed me to build meaningful relationships, engage in cross-cultural exchange, and witness the power of language in building community.
Volunteering abroad has been one of the most rewarding parts of my study abroad experience, proving that wherever we are, community engagement truly makes a difference. (Submitted May 7, 2025)
Myself and another UD student (Sophia K) receiving an award for volunteering abroad
Submitted by Nyasha Rutanhira on the 2025 Spring program in Limerick, Ireland…
When deciding to study abroad in Ireland, it never crossed my mind that I would get to experience St. Patrick’s Day in its country of origin. At the University of Delaware, students know how to celebrate this holiday, so I was excited to compare my experiences at UD with my time in Ireland during St. Patrick’s Day.
Instead of going to Dublin, I chose to stay in Limerick to celebrate in a more intimate community setting and see how the locals marked the occasion. I attended the Limerick St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where people of all ages participated, entertaining the crowds with music, dancing, and performances. In addition to the parade, Limerick hosted other exciting events, including an International Band Parade featuring marching bands from across the United States and Ireland, who were judged based on their performances.
After the daytime festivities, the nightlife was just as lively. Every pub was open, filled with people, and playing live traditional Irish music. It was an incredible experience where I truly felt immersed in the culture, and I know I’ll never forget my St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.
P.S. I learned that the Irish don’t call it “St. Patty’s Day” — they only refer to it as St. Patrick’s Day or Paddy’s Day! (Submitted March 31, 2025)
Submitted by Nyasha Rutanhiraon the 2025 Spring program in Limerick, Ireland…
I arrived in Limerick, Ireland, almost a week ago, and I am really settling in well. I was a little nervous at first that I would have a hard time meeting new people. However, the University of Limerick ensures that its study-abroad students can acclimate quickly through orientation meetings and exciting excursion opportunities.
One of these excursions took us to the famous Cliffs of Moher, an experience I won’t soon forget. The moment we arrived, I was totally blown away—literally. The winds at the cliffs were unlike anything I had ever felt before. Just days earlier, Ireland had been hit by a countrywide red-level storm, and lingering gusts at the cliffs reached up to 50 miles per hour. While my pictures may not capture the intensity, I can assure you that we were struggling just to stay on our feet without being swept away! (Submitted January 29, 2025)
Submitted by Samantha Maddenon the 2025 Spring program in Rome, Italy…
As January comes to an end, I can already feel how much this experience is changing my life. Though I’ve only been in Rome for about two weeks, I feel like I am transforming into a new person. I arrived not knowing anyone and nervous about finding my place, but I’ve since found how warm and open both American and Italian students are. I realized that most of us are in the same boat and it is not as scary as I once imagined it would have been. I still can’t wrap my mind around the idea that I will be living in Rome for the next four months of my life and I have already seen so many amazing sights. The Pantheon, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain have been some of my favorites so far and soon I plan to visit the Spanish Steps and Vatican City. I am also excited to travel outside of Rome and visit other European countries like Hungary, Ireland and France. The first trip I took outside of Rome was Florence last weekend and it was a beautiful city but also a learning experience. Navigating a new place and figuring out transportation can be challenging, but the sense of accomplishment once I did eventually figure it out makes it worthwhile. I have already learned and experienced so much and I can’t wait to see what the coming months have in store. (Submitted January 29, 2025)
Here is a photo of me at the Colosseum in Rome at night time.
Submitted by Zeppelin Evans on the 2025 Winter program in Athens, Greece…
A photo of the Erechtheion from the gate of the Acropolis
Visiting the Acropolis has been on my bucket list for a long time, so this was an absolutely amazing experience. Being able to walk where ancient people did (albeit not very often for most people) was important to me; seeing the temples that I have been studying, in person, was almost religious. On top of all of that, Iris was an amazing guide – I am so happy that she talked about the construction of the buildings, from the orders to the flutes to the slight curve of the bases. I also learned a lot about the history of the Acropolis after the ancient period, like the conversion of temples into churches, the various wars, and the excavations. Other than the academic part of it, the views of Athens were beautiful and put into perspective its place geographically (living in Pangrati it can be hard to imagine Athens as near the sea or surrounded by mountains). The Acropolis museum was also really interesting, especially the top floor with the “reconstruction” of the Parthenon. I never would have thought of that as a concept, so as a museum worker it was important and interesting to see how the architect and conservators handled it. This site will definitely be revisited if I come back to Greece.
To begin, I LOVED taking the ferry to Aegina. This was a part of the water that I had never been on before and the views were immaculate as well. As for the site, the temple of Aphaia and the archeological remains were really interesting – this was another site / part of Greece that I had not really heard of before. It was also a really cute little town to explore with amazing food. My favorite part (other than the ferry) was the temple and how it offered a clear view of the intricacies of construction with the U-shaped divots for lifting the gigantic pieces of rock. I also found the inscriptions on the wall interesting, as they were really well preserved and if they weren’t pointed out I would have walked right past them. I also liked seeing Athens from Aegina’s point of view, and talking about how the city-states would have seen each other in antiquity with both fighting to be seen as powerful and wealthy.
I think these sites were the absolute highlight of the trip for me. The tomb of Atreus was really cool to see, since most similar constructions are not preserved in that way. Seeing the Mycenaean Lion’s Gate in person was like a religious experience for me, since I have been studying it for so long. I also really enjoyed how Alice and David brought the story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra into what we were seeing and standing on – most people do not realize that mythology and theater are steeped in reality. The grave circles were also really interesting because we saw the finds in the Archeological Museum before and then where they were found. I liked seeing the fragments of Linear B in the museum as well. Epidaurus was another really cool site – as a theater nerd seeing the best preserved ancient theater was amazing to see. The history of the site as a sanctuary of Asclepius was also interesting, especially learning about the healing practices. The stadium was beautiful as well. Epidaurus had something from every one of my interests – medical history, theater, and sport. I would come back to Greece just to see these two sites again.
Submitted by Tori Binder on the 2025 Winter program in Australia…
We spent the last week of our Australia trip in the Barossa Valley and Adelaide! We got the chance to explore and enjoy tastings at some of the most famous wineries in the world, as well as explore the city of Adelaide and all that it has to offer. It was a wonderful last week to a great trip, and I’m glad I got to enjoy these activities with the new friends I’ve made! (Submitted January 30, 2025)
Wine Barrels at Pennfolds Winery outside of Adelaide
Submitted by Anna Sherr on the 2025 Winter program in Barcelona, Spain…
As an Elementary Education major at UD, I have been able to experience in-person field placements since my very first semester of college. The education program at UD is full of incredible professors and mentors that have ultimately helped me achieve my goal of getting accepted into a study abroad opportunity! During January of 2025 I was able to spend three weeks of my life in Barcelona, Spain where I was placed in a private elementary school, St. Peter’s School. I took EDUC390 Classroom Management with Dr. William Lewis who provided us with amazing support throughout our experience in both the school and the city. During my mini-mester I was welcomed into this school with open arms and was instantly able to immerse myself into their curriculum and classrooms. Due to St. Peter’s being an international school, the student population was extremely diverse. The instruction and everyday interactions in the school were spoken in English, but as I walked the halls I was exposed to Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Russian, and more languages from around the world. This lingual diversity at St. Peter’s School causes them to heavily focus on phonics and the English language. This educational experience is one that I will never forget, especially throughout my career in education. St. Peter’s taught me so much about the importance of creating a teacher-student relationship built on trust and respect. I cannot wait to implement these teaching strategies in my future career with my students.
Submitted by Olivia Chamberlin on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…
After coming home from this study abroad program and reflecting back on the incredible month I just had has left me speechless. All of the excursions and experiences I have been able to make throughout this past month will be lifelong memories that I hope to share many times in the future. Many people have asked me what my favorite part about the trip was and I never had just one answer to that question, but now that I have had time to look back on everything, I came up with an answer. My favorite part about the trip was that everything has a meaning in NZ, whether it’s the way something’s built, or a symbol on a wall, or someone’s jewelry. Everyone cared so much for one another and for their beautiful country it was very moving to see. This trip has taught me a lot about myself and how much I can push myself to do something, especially when it came to the hikes. I learned things about myself that I don’t think I would have learned without this trip. Overall, I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate to be able to have gone on this trip and I can’t wait to share my stories to others in the future. (Submitted February 1, 2025)
Submitted by Olivia Chamberlin on the 2025 Winter program in New Zealand…
After spending some time in NZ and getting used to the adjustment, it was really nice to pay attention to the details about what makes NZ unique. One of the experiences that stuck out to me the most was staying at the Marae, a sacred and communal place for the Māori people. Having the privilege to learn such a beautiful culture in such a personal way really opened my eyes and my perspective on things. It allowed me to learn their values and appreciate a culture that does things very differently than others. It was a once and a lifetime experience that I will cherish forever. The rest of the trip so far has been amazing as well. All of the hikes and excursions we have done were incredible and I feel extremely lucky to be able to do all this. (Submitted February 1, 2025)
A photo of the members of Māori culture cooking our dinner in the ground
Submitted by Alania Mariano on the 2025 Winter program in Tanzania…
During my Winter 2025 study abroad I was accepted into the Tanzania Documentary Photography trip with Professor Jon Cox. Throughout this trip I was lucky enough to join 8 other students in learning about tribes, such as the Hadzabe, Iraqwi, and Maasai, as well as going on safari’s to see some of the most amazing animals! One of my favorite moments abroad was talking to the Datoga tribe about their clothing. I learned how important their use of beading and animal hide is to ceremonial dress. During this visit we were also able to see the men working as blacksmiths creating brass bracelets we later could buy. I am so grateful for the people I met and the memories shared. This trip will forever change my perspective on life moving forward! (Submitted January 31, 2025)
Standing in Yaeda Valley located where the Hadzabe tribe lives.
