SUMMER 2022 SEO ALUMNI

NATHALIE MOREL

How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?

My EP was a travel one, I did CIEE Italian Language and Culture in Rome. Most of CIEE’s locations are homestays, which means you stay with a host family, but Italy was one of the few that didn’t. This meant I stayed at a hotel for my entire stay, everyone had 1-2 roommates, with some exceptions. The program consists of language classes every weekday and cultural activities every day. We were split into morning and afternoon sessions, so one group of us had class in the morning and our activity in the afternoon and vice versa. On the weekends we still had activities but no class.

What is a typical day like during your EP?

Although I studied abroad, I didn't have the typical host family experience , but was in a hotel. The groups had to meet in the lobby every morning at 8:30 so that we could commute (we took the bus) to class by 9:15. Class was over by 12 and we had lunch straight after. The rest of the day depended on the activity planned, if it was less time consuming then we would be given free time in between. Free time could be by the hotel, or we would be taken to different parts of the city and have free time to explore there. Our activities of the day were museums, visits to famous locations/landmarks/attractions, and we also went on day trips to other parts of the country during our stay. We went to Florence and Tivoli. Dinner was at 7 every night. At first, we went right back to the hotel after dinner, but once the staff got to know us and trusted us, we got free time after and could return to the hotel on our own by 10-11. There were a few occasions where they had planned activities for us after dinner. We went to the same restaurants throughout our stay. We had one designated lunch place by our school, and two alternating dinner restaurants.

What was the biggest challenge of your EP?

I cannot stress this enough, getting used to the new people around me was the hardest part for me. You would imagine that struggling from homesickness would be the biggest challenge, but personally, that was the least of my worries. Yes, while there will be students like you, who come from different backgrounds, who are supported by scholarships to the EP or other programs like SEO, there are still going to be some obnoxious students who probably didn't have to put so much effort into this opportunity. There are students who paid in full to be there, some students were ungrateful. Some students treated the program as if it were a vacation, and not the language and culture STUDY program we signed up for. Having to deal with people who felt they were above others, who constantly complained, or who didn’t act like mature students was difficult.

What was the biggest reward of your EP?

The entire experience was rewarding to me. I always wanted to vacation in Italy because of the history and culture, and so I feel like this was a 2 in 1 experience because I got to do all the attractions that any tourist would do, while also immersing myself in language and culture classes, developing more independence, and navigating what it's like to be far from home, having roommates, and other things that could be applied to preparation for college experiences.

What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?

I wish I would’ve known how much time flies while you’re on the program. By the time I finally got comfortable, it was time to return home. I would’ve taken advantage of my free time so much more. Also, EXCHANGE MONEY AT HOME. Exchange agencies took a big percentage of my money, so I didn’t actually get all the euros I paid for, because of course the agencies need to profit too. If I would’ve just ordered the currency at my own bank here in the U.S, I would’ve saved so much.

What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?

100% go for it!! The experience is so worth it and to have that entire trip paid for is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I felt like the application for CIEE was fairly simple and the prompts were easy to answer, and with SEO’s help, it is practically guaranteed that you will go on your trip if you apply, so if you’re really interested, you should apply.

ABIGAIL PEREZ

How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?

The travel EP I went on was for Berlin, Germany; therefore, we had German language classes. I thankfully ended up with a great host family, who lived a little further away from the city. The purpose of this EP is to be adventurous and learn about the culture of a beautiful place like Berlin. At first the program might sound strange to you living with strangers and taking classes with no one you know, but honestly it is all built on trust and communication. You get to meet some pretty cool people on this trip, so I would say if you have reasons to not join CIEE don’t let it be out of fear :).

What is a typical day like during your EP?

We start the days with three hour language classes, with breaks of course. Then, we have lunch which changes almost every day because of our excursions, so there's no specific time; it is usually at least an hour, but it could be cut short. After lunch we have our daily excursions! These were one of my favorite times of the trip because you really get to see everything and learn about Germany. Everyday is different so you can’t expect the timing to be the same, but you do get a really good amount of time of freedom after the daily trips. Due to being in a foreign country you do have to be responsible so there is a curfew and you will have to let your program leader know when you are home. However, the program leaders are flexible with curfew depending on good behavior so don’t get your hopes up. The long days can be tiring, but overall very interesting.

What was the biggest challenge of your EP?

It would probably be community conversations. During the program, we do community conversation which is going out to the community and asking people questions about what we learned in class that day. It can be a little overwhelming because not everyone is going to want to talk to you, so be patient. However, most of the people I talked to were really nice and patient so I would just advise whoever is reading to not to give up. It is a good way to practice the language after all.

What was the biggest reward of your EP?

Definitely the experience and the people I met. Can you imagine going to Germany at 16. My five-year-old self would think I am pretty awesome right now. I have always wanted to travel the world as much as possible and this was the biggest step I have taken. I am glad that I was brave enough to go almost across the world and make friends! I will never forget this experience and the pictures I have are even better. Pictures of a lifetime.

What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?

I wish I knew that we would get mini stipends for lunch for three weeks out of four (in CIEE). Although they were small stipends and you had to ration them wisely, they were very helpful. I really advise you to spend your money wisely, but also don’t regret leaving something behind; you never know when you will be at that location again (don’t let it be too pricey though). It is a very good idea to bring cash, $200 sounds good if you ration well enough, but also bring a card just be aware of the fee. You can always exchange money, but it is much easier to do it here in the US so plan accordingly! Something else to keep in mind is the food difference. It will most likely be different than what you are used to, but it is okay to not like something. Don’t force yourself to eat something you don’t like because it may be rude, I’m sure they will understand because it could be your first time.

What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?

I say go for it! I really liked my EP and I’m glad I chose CIEE. Even though I went to Berlin, I am sure wherever else you go it should be equally as fun. If you think a month is a little long, it does sound long, but it goes by really fast in the end. We’re young and these moments are what count. So whether it is a parent, fear, or money that is stopping you from doing a travel EP, keep thinking about it and don’t turn it down right away. SEO provides great support financially and could help with any parent situations. Of course it is okay to not do a travel EP, but if you did think about it more than once, maybe it’s a sign :).

KHYARA PEREZ

How would you describe your EP to someone who has never heard of it before?

I traveled to France with CIEE to learn about the French language and culture by immersing myself in it. I lived with a host mom and another student from the CIEE program. It was a great experience and a good opportunity to practice my French. We would have language classes from Monday through Friday for three hours everyday. Each week would be dedicated to a certain theme and we would have to create a slideshow that corresponded to it. After classes the program would take us on excursions that related to what we have been learning which gave us more opportunities to use our French skills. We would visit famous monuments and walk around the city to familiarize ourselves with it. After those excursions we would have free time to ourselves to have fun in Paris as long as we followed the rules.

What is a typical day like during your EP?

My roommate and I would wake up and get ready for school. We would take the metro to get to language classes, which was a 35 minute ride. Class was from 9-12 with a 20 minute break in between. We had an hour for lunch and everyone loved going to this food spot called Paul because it was delicious. After lunch we would have “Ozlefrancais” for half an hour which is a group talk to prepare us for our excursions. We would be released from our excursion at around 4. Afterward my friends and I would meet up, go out to eat and explore the city. My roommate and I would be back at home at around 7 because curfew was at 8 on school nights. We’d have dinner and talk with our host mom. We often went out to eat at this restaurant called L’Office right around our homestay. My roommate and I would eat mochi and watch Netflix together while doing our homework, then we’d get ready for bed.

What was the biggest challenge of your EP?

The biggest challenge of my EP was getting out of being nervous to speak French to locals. At the beginning of the program I would rely on my friends who knew more French than me to do things like order food for me because I was shy about my pronunciation. However, Parisians were really kind about helping me practice my French and were very patient. They would help me with my French and I would help them with their English.

What was the biggest reward of your EP?

Having such memorable experiences and meeting new people. I don’t think any day I spent in Paris went to waste and I really appreciated the people I spent them with. I also gained a lot of things that come with doing EPs like this. For example independence and knowledge about a new culture.

What do you wish you had known before you went on your EP?

Don’t be afraid to go out and explore (especially the first week)! Be mindful of safety of course, but it's easier than you think to see some really amazing places in the city whether it's a restaurant, famous monument or gorgeous park.

What advice do you have for future SEO scholars who are considering your EP?

When you’re applying, make sure you are showing a genuine interest in learning about a new culture and being able to step out of your comfort zone to do that.

FARYAL SHABIR

The EP that I did was called CIEE - Women in STEM that was located in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The place where we were in was up in the cloud forests, which was really REALLY far up and a 3 hour drive from the capital San Jose. It was a steep drive, but you don’t have to worry because you are driven and accompanied everywhere. It was a 3 week long program with each day filled with something new to do or down time for you to use to explore.

However, this was not a language EP, we did have 2 hour Spanish classes where we learned new words and about the culture. The fun part about this was the professors did not know English (understood it) so they communicated in English, whereas for my class we did not speak Spanish (understood it) but attempted to communicate. There were 3 classes from easy-hard, depending on your language experience, which is not taken from a written exam. We were tested verbally where everyone was in the room and asked questions in Spanish, which we would have to fluently answer back. Other things is a supermarket run at the end of the week to buy snacks (I suggest buying a ton and splitting with your roommates, it’s actually really cheap!!) and laundry for free.

Moving on, rooming was with 3 other students. This was an all girls program, so it was 3 other girls from different parts of the USA (or even country) rooming together. We had 2 bunk beds, our own desks, our own space to lay out our clothes, but one bathroom. For me, rooming was really easy because I had very nice roommates and we got along. Plus, if you become good friends, you wouldn’t be alone in class either. The campus is pretty huge that you share with another CIEE program called Climate Mitigation who have the first two bungalows, while our program had the other two. There are college students as well, but we never come in contact with them and are never allowed to either. As for dining, both programs eat together for 3 meals a day. The times are strict and you have 35-minute periods to eat (breakfast - 7:00 pm, lunch - 11:00 pm, dinner - 5:00 pm), since the college students eat after cleaning. There are vegan and vegetarian options, going for seconds-however many you want, a new juice everyday, and desert after dinner. Only issue is, there is rice and beans almost every day and it may be a bit hard to communicate if you want something specific and don’t know Spanish. There’s also no phones allowed in the dining area and you can purchase snacks.

For the program idea itself - Women in STEM - it was actually very hands-on and fun. We helped on farms to clean (sugar cane weeds, the campus farm where we planted and removed dead grass, etc which is for 12 service hours), built model electric power plants (like legos, but they actually can be tested to work!), talking to women who own businesses or work with biology, and a lot. A downside for me though was that it was more intensive with marine or plant biology, where you learn about bugs or plants, not so much math/engineering like I wanted it to be. I still believe it’s a good experience. From what you learn in a day, you have a journal entry at the end of the day just reflecting and discussing your thoughts. That is graded by your program leaders who also are new to the program with you, but they have more of a overlooking things role and helping role. There is also an end of the year project which might give you anxiety, but with groups it’s so much easier and fun to do because it’s hands-on. Personally, me and my group had to see how to grow mushrooms cheaply while reforming an old chicken coop on campus into a mushroom farming building.

Second to last is the fun part like excursions and hikes. This consisted of tubing, night hikes, hikes to see hanging bridges really high up, zip-lining, blind folding to make a circle with communication, microorganisms in water under a microscope, scavenger hunt, etc. Everything is free except for the things you want to buy at shops like the waterfall place and supermarkets. Plus, going on hikes around the campus or to go see the sunset at the old water tank is really pretty too.

Lastly, a day in the EP is waking up to get ready, eating breakfast, having class (sadly the seats don’t have a back so your back may hurt, but you get breaks), a fun activity, lunch, break, Spanish class, soccer or something else, dinner, and free time where you can just chill or do whatever until your 9 pm curfew. It’s also good to know that it gets dark around 6 pm and you necessarily NEED a flashlight or it will be hard to see. You can also go to the Rec Room to watch a movie. On the weekends you eat breakfast and leave for your excursions where the food and places to sleep is managed.

Overall, I loved having this experience and it was really fun. I would honestly do it again, but I did get homesick because I missed my mom’s cooking or even being able to make food on my own. Plus as a clean freak, it was hard to keep the dorm as tidy because you room with others and it’s really muddy since it always rains. Language barriers may also be an issue for some. And a rain jacket, mosquito repellent, flash light, hiking shoe, etc is all NEEDED. I will, from my personal experience, say if you are looking for something hands-on and are fine with meeting different types of people, then go for this EP. I made some great memories and friends.