Chantal Sanchez

MCAS '20

As a Monserrat student and First-Generation college student, studying abroad seemed like a far-fetched dream. Yet with the help of faculty and mentors, I discovered the Fung Scholarship and my distant dream became reality. My abroad experience, afforded to me by the Fung Foundation, has helped solidify my future academic and professional plans.

Study Abroad Location: BC in Kathmandu: Center for Buddhist Studies at RYI, Nepal

Term: Fall 2018

Scholarships: Fung Scholars Program

Hometown: Hemet, CA

Major: Theology

Minor: International Studies

Memorable Experience: During my time in Nepal, I stayed with a host family which strengthened both the immersion experience and my language acquisition. Learning Nepali five days a week in the classroom and with “language partners” I quickly gained a feel for the language. With my host family’s help, I was learning new words every day and augmenting my learning immensely. This propounded my ability to fully engage in day to day interactions with locals which gave me a real sense of welcome and community with the Nepalese people. Festival after festival I got to celebrate and enjoy the people around me, and I learned firsthand how Hinduism is practiced in the home. In fact, by the end of my stay, I felt fully absorbed into my home and my town. I was able to go to yoga every morning with my host father, talk with my host mother over masala chai before dinners, tickle and play with my host sister on Saturdays, and banter with the friendly waiters at my favorite café.

Felix Lee

MCAS '19

Studying abroad represented a life-changing moment for me because I encountered situations where I had to problem-solve, adjust to cultural differences, and expand my viewpoint outside the confines of an American perspective.

Study Abroad Location: University of Hong Kong (HKU), China

Term: Fall 2018

Scholarships: Fung Scholars Program, Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)

Hometown: Chinatown, Boston, MA

Major: History

Memorable Experience: I traveled abroad with the intention of reconnecting with my Chinese culture. As a first-generation student born in the US, I lacked a connection with my mother’s heritage. Hence, when I arrived in Hong Kong, I entered an environment, which was more reminiscent of my mother’s culture...It was an arduous task to balance both aspects of a singular identity, but I embraced this challenge. In an attempt to explore my Chinese identity, I practiced my Cantonese whenever possible, and I visited museums and cultural sites to learn about the history of Hong Kong.

Katie Oh

Lynch '19

My study abroad experience was undoubtedly a period of self-exploration, cultural reconnection, and opportunity to become more globally conscious. [As a Korean-American], I am grateful to the Fung Foundation for the time I was able to enjoy abroad in a culture that was both so familiar to me yet wholly different.

Study Abroad Location: Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea

Term: Spring 2018

Scholarships: Fung Scholars Program

Hometown: Fullerton, CA

Majors: Applied Psychology & Human Development, Political Science

Minor: Leadership in Higher Education and Community Settings

Memorable Experience: The largest factor that played into my immersion experience was SNU Buddy, which is an on campus club designed to match foreign exchange students with a SNU student “buddy” counterpart. It was a wonderful way to meet peers from all around the world and some of my most meaningful conversations about Korean society and social issues took place with my personal SNU buddy, who welcomed me wholeheartedly into her life while I was attending SNU."

Katherine (Kit) Popolo

CSOM '20

As my internship was unpaid, my grant helped me immensely during my time in Hong Kong. I was able to take advantage of the various opportunities available and fully immerse myself in the culture without having to worry about being able to afford it. I am positive that my experience would not have been nearly as rich or enlightening without [the Flood Family] gift.

Study Abroad Program: Hong Kong Internship, China

Term: Summer 2018

Scholarships: Flood Family Travel Grant

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Athlete: BC’s Women’s Varsity Rowing Team

Majors: Finance, Accounting

Minor: Art History

Memorable Experience: I spent eight weeks of my summer in Hong Kong where I participated in one of the internship abroad programs, working for a private credit firm called ADM Capital. I learned so much during my time abroad, principally my interest in a career in finance, and a new dream of living in Hong Kong for a few years after graduation. I learned a lot about embracing new and challenging situations, as well as how to use chopsticks!

Kyle Costa

MCAS '20

I expanded my understanding of Fusha and began to learn the independent complexities of the colloquial, Lebanese Arabic. My strengthened comfort with the language happened mostly...from my independent adventures with people and from the numerous excursions we made as a class throughout Lebanon.

Study Abroad Location: American University of Beirut, Lebanon (Summer 2018), CIEE Arabic Language Program in Amman, Jordan (Spring 2019)

Scholarships: Omar A. Aggad Fellowship, Mizna Fellowship, Benjamin A. Gilman Internstional Scholarship

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Major: Islamic Civilization and Societies, Political Science

Memorable Experience: One of my most memorable experiences was with the Jusoor language exchange program. Al-Jusoor, meaning “Bridges”, is an NGO based in Beirut that provides educational assistance to Syrians living inside and outside of Lebanon...Beyond improving my linguistic skills, Jusoor provided me with a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of the existing refugee crisis within Lebanon and the problems that these Syrian immigrants face on a day to day basis.

Ariel Lynch

Lynch '20

In Rome, I was able to interact with and view many of the works of art by the geniuses of the Renaissance and Baroque. These firsthand looks and interactions with the works of art provided me with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the art that I would never have been afforded in textbook pictures and on projector screens.

Study Abroad Location: BC in Cape Town, South Africa (Fall 2018), Art and Patronage in Renaissance and Baroque Rome (Summer 2018)

Term: Summer 2018, Fall 2018

Scholarships: McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Hometown: Maitland, FL

Major: Applied Psychology & Human Development, Art History

Minor: African Studies

Memorable Experience: While living full-time in Rome, I was able to immerse myself in Italy’s rich culture, including the language, food, customs, and most importantly, the art.

Ashish Gurung

MCAS '19

My experience in London was a truly formative experience. I believe it has helped me grow in many ways, both in and outside of the classroom. I was exposed to many different cultures and also the result of mixing different cultures. I believe that only in a city like London could I have experienced such a mixture of culture.

Study Abroad Location: BC in London: Queen Mary, United Kingdom

Term: Spring 2018

Scholarships: McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Hometown: Hooksett, NH

Major: Biology

Minor: Computer Science, History

Memorable Experience: Taking classes in a London University provided a global perspective to many subjects that I could have studied here. For example, ‘Parasites and Infectious Diseases’ was a class that I took abroad which could easily have been a class that I took at BC. However, due to the U.K.’s colonial and global history, the experience was much more enriching as we focused on parasites and diseases that have the strongest global impact and not necessarily the strongest Western (as in covering North America and Europe) impact.

Carly Sullivan

MCAS '20

Prior to leaving for Rabat, Morocco, I considered the two major academic pursuits I outlined largely as separate endeavors: studying Arabic and researching the education system. Language, however, quickly became my entry point to the country as a whole.

Study Abroad Location: Rabat, Morocco

Term: Summer 2018

Scholarships: Omar A. Aggad Fellowship, Mizna Fellowship

Hometown: South Boston, MA

Major: International Studies, Political Science

Memorable Experience: Carly volunteered with children from low-income families to learn about access to education in the country.

Colin Gallaway

MCAS '19

Without the assistance of the McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, it would not have been possible for me to study at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. The grant provided me with the financing I needed for a yearlong abroad experience.

Study Abroad Location: Waseda University, Japan

Term: Academic Year 2017-2018

Scholarships: McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant

Hometown: Auburn, MA

Major: Computer Science

Minor: Linguistics

Memorable Experience: While interning at a company for security software in Japan, I learned about the company's security software and was trained on the programming languages and libraries that were used in the development department. Not only did I have the chance to improve my programming skills, but I also learned how to work in a professional environment. I even had to send reports typed in Japanese of what I did each day and thus improved my Japanese writing skills.

Daniela Benitez

MCAS '19

I went to Oman with CLS, and after that I went to Spain and Brazil, a full year on BC programs, and this past summer I was in Jordan with a Gilman Scholarship. I got the McGillycuddy-Logue grant as well.

Study Abroad Location: CLS in Oman Summer 2017, BC in Rio: Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (Spring 2018), BC in Madrid: Pontificia Comillas-Sociales (Fall 2017), Jordan (Summer 2018)

Term: Summer 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Summer 2018

Scholarships: Critical Language Scholarship in Oman, McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Hometown: Westbury, NY

Major: Islamic Civilzation and Societies, Political Science

Memorable Experience: Through the Critical Language Scholarship, I was able to study Arabic at an intensive pace this past summer in Ibri, Oman. In a short two months, I took took an academic year’s worth of Arabic including Modern Standard Arabic, Omani Arabic, and Arabic Media and at by the end of the program, my OPI (oral proficiency interview) scores showed that I went from a low-intermediate level to a low-advanced level.

Amirah Orozco

MCAS '19

The McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant gave me the opportunity to study abroad at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland my entire junior year. It will forever be one of the greatest things BC has given me.

Study Abroad Location: BC in Dublin: Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Term: Academic Year 2017-2018

Scholarships: McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant

Hometown: Needham Heights, MA

Major: Philosophy, Political Science

Memorable Experience: My faith life also strengthened while I was abroad as I was able to really put a lot of my beliefs to test as I encountered what was a completely different context to being Catholic. From my peers to the priests at mass, religion (and especially Catholicism) is fundamentally different in its pervasiveness in society and the way people interact with both the church and the faith itself. Being Mexican-American, my Catholicism has always exited in a very specific context. Getting out of that paradigm where I existed quite comfortably meant really pushing the boundaries of my Catholic identity. Being Catholic in Ireland is not just a faith practice, but because of its history, is a salient identity.

Andy Towriss

MCAS '20

Study Abroad Location: Creative Writing Workshop: "Writing Out of Place", India (Summer 2017), Dublin Internship (Summer 2018)

Term: Summer 2017, Summer 2018

Major: Communications, English

Contact me about my study abroad experience: andrew.towriss@bc.edu

Topics I want to talk about: summer programs, internship, writing, India, Dublin

Brightna Hu

CSOM '24

My study abroad adventure at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was a transformative experience that transcended the confines of textbooks and lecture halls.

Study Abroad Location: China

Term: Spring 2023

Major: Management & Marketing

Scholarships: Benjamin Gilman Scholarship & Fung Scholars Program

Study Abroad Location: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), China

Memorable Experience: I am compelled to share my academic, professional, andpersonal growth, encapsulated in a photograph taken during my exploration of the Ten ThousandBuddhas Temple. This image, with its golden Buddhas that guide the way, symbolizes not onlythe rich culture and spirituality of Hong Kong but also the profound journey of self-discoveryand learning I undertook.

Leenah Mohamed

MCAS '19

I never imagined that I would be able to study abroad. My experience in the American University of Sharjah and the United Arab Emirates is one that I will never forget. As a political science major and Arab studies minor at Boston College, I felt that there was not enough classes that I could take that demonstrated my interest in both Middle East politics, and Arab culture. Additionally, there are not many Arab professors. This was one of the main reasons I chose the American University of Sharjah.

Study Abroad Location: American University of Sharjah, UAE

Term: Fall 2017

Scholarships: McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Hometown: Albany, NY

Major: Political Science, Economics

Memorable Experience: Additionally, I was around different students from diverse backgrounds in classrooms. The diversity in these classrooms sparked many discussions that I have not talked about at BC. The American University of Sharjah is known for being very diverse, so I was able to talk to students from all over the world. Just in my friend group alone, I had Sudanese friends, Iraqi friends, Palestinian friends, Indian friends, and more! They all had different ideas and saw the world very differently.

Tristar To

CSOM '19

I was lucky enough to be a recipient of the McGillycuddy-Logue Grant. My study abroad experience has easily been the best four months of my life. It allowed me to experience a different style of education and gave me a chance to see my major (finance) in a different perspective. I have also built many personal relationships with Koreans and exchange students abroad, many of whom I talk to on a regular basis.

Study Abroad Location: Sogang University, South Korea

Term: Fall 2017

Scholarships: McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Hometown: Malden, MA

Major: Finance

Memorable Experience: Coming back to the US was bittersweet. Yes, I was excited to see my family and friends again, but I was sad to be leaving the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I still think about my study abroad experience every day, but I guess that’s a good thing.