Major: History and Psychology
Minor: NA
Hometown: Havertown, PA

How did you learn about this opportunity?

I attended the Education Abroad Fair in the Hub last fall. I went to the Liberal Arts table and was given a flyer about embedded courses. My course was listed on the flyer.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

My trip was part of an embedded course on the history of the Holocaust, which is why we traveled to Poland. We visited the city of Warsaw, and saw walls of the former Warsaw ghetto. We also spent two days in the Auschwitz concentration camp. We finished the week in Krakow where we visited the former ghetto and Plaszow concentration camp. Overall, it was a very informative and positive experience.

How did this experience impact you academically?

This experience benefited me greatly academically. As a Schreyer scholar, I intend to write my thesis paper on the Holocaust. Visiting former Holocaust and World War II sites and memorials helped me learn so much more about these historical events than any classroom ever has. Seeing these sites helped me understand everything I have ever learned about the Holocaust even more. This trip has not only shown and taught me history, but it has strengthened my desire to learn more about the Holocaust.

"This trip has not only shown and taught me history, but it has strengthened my desire to learn more about the Holocaust."

What are your career goals and plans?  How did this experience impact them?

I intend to go to graduate school for mental health counseling with a specialty in addiction counseling immediately after graduating from Penn State. My goal is to work in either an inpatient or outpatient clinic as a drug and alcohol counselor. I plan to eventually go back to school to get my doctorate. This trip did not impact my future goals.

Would you recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students?

Yes, absolutely. The course itself is very informative and interesting. The trip was amazing. I was able to experience a different culture and essentially walk through history. This trip allowed me to see historical sites first hand, sites that otherwise I might never have seen. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in 20th century history.