Alumni tell their stories...

 

	Leslie Gerson- Bordeaux, France 1968-69 continued
		My EAP year gave me the courage I might never have had to tackle new things in unfamiliar surroundings, not to mention language skills I used at several assignments overseas. But most of all, it gave me an enthusiasm for life—not a life of predictability but a life of challenge and change. Since 1976 I have served at diplomatic posts in London, Belgrade, Haiti, Antigua, El Salvador, Geneva, and Ottawa. I have been a Consul General, a Deputy Chief of Mission, a Chargé d’Affaires, and a Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. My photo albums include shots with people we see on the news regularly. But even more important, I have been able to help so many Americans as well as foreign citizens who have found themselves in distress at a time and in a place where I was their only recourse. Even now—in retirement—the State Department keeps me going in this life of adventure as an inspector. I write this from the U.S. Embassy in Dublin where I am wrapping up three weeks of work that parallels what management consultants do in the private sector. Two months ago I was in Nigeria. Who knows where the next assignment will take me? Thanks to the joie de vivre I gained from my year with EAP in Bordeaux, I will not worry about the next stop on the international road of life—I’ll be ready.

	Barbara and Donald Reis and son Mike in Italy
		A big part of Mike's excitement about studying in Italy was rooted in the general enthusiasm in our household for all things Italian. As you  know, we have not raised scientists here. All three kids are creative  types who genuinely appreciate fine art, art history and contemporary  design There is no better place to study all three than Roma.. Add to  that the fact that the kids are half Italian and have fond memories of  their grandparents and their Italian food, language, holiday  traditions, Catholic faith, sense of style and appreciation of music  and --and there you have it. Mike happily anticipated the semester abroad with no worries because he trusted that the UC would provide a quality education worth leaving  beautiful Santa Barbara. We trusted his ability to live independently,  make sound choices and stay in touch. Through Skype and his detailed  blog (www.mikereis.com), we felt more in touch with his life that we  did when he was at UCSB. He gave us regular updates on classes (some  of which were held at places like the Vatican, Villa Borghese and the  many churches in Rome). He found the coursework to be challenging and  very worthwhile. On his return home, four and a half months later, he  seemed personally amazed at what he had seen and done. His nightstand  is piled high with museum books, his Italian language software program  and small trinkets he purchased as mementos. He also now has no  tolerance for weak coffee, chain store pizza, ice cream (no gelato?)  and evening meals before 9pm. Our favorite picture of his sojourn is  one taken as soon as he arrived. He snapped a shot of his luggage on  the sidewalk outside his apartment with the Colosseum clearly visible  in the background. Mike seemed so immersed in his life there that we began to worry if he  would return! He now tells us that the semester was the perfect length  of time to be there. He experienced both winter and spring ala Rome,  and had two breaks from classes to explore outside of the Eternal  City. He learned to navigate all public transportation and to  formulate alternate plans when the buses or trains were on strike,  make a simply delicious dish of pasta and became rather an expert on  Caravaggio. He also now appreciates his queen-size bed at home having  stretched out his 6' 2" + frame on what amounted to a cot for nearly  four months. We were fortunate to be able to provide this opportunity for Mike, who  considered his EAP study to be a life-changing experience. His world  is suddenly much broader, and discussions of the world economy,  history, the arts and global politics now have relative, enhanced  meaning. A gift of support for such reality-based rather than  conventional theoretical education is just that--a gift.

Marilynn C. Mathews, Ph.D.- Beirut, 1975 I was thinking about my experiences as an Education Abroad Program participant in 1975 and decided to share my thoughts with you.  I was part of the American University in Beirut (Lebanon) group in 1975.  While we were not able to complete or even start our year at AUB, the experiences I had are some of the best I’ve ever had.  The civil war started a few days after we arrived.  We were taken to stay with local families in Chemlane in the mountains.  We stayed for three weeks hoping the hostilities would cease.  They did not.  We were then brought to the AUB campus/dormitories to wait it out.  While waiting, some of us traveled – Cyprus, Jordan, Syria, Israel, and Egypt.  After receiving the call to evacuate the country, we returned to UCSB.  Even though some of the experiences were a bit harrowing during the few months in the Middle East, I still had a great time. Because of my experiences in the Middle East, I was eager to return.  In 1983, I jumped at the chance to participate in a five week conference in Cairo, Egypt on Law and Social Structure in the Middle East.  Once again, I had a great time.  I learned a lot, met some wonderful people, and had a chance to travel a bit in Egypt. By the way, I received my BA in 1977, MA in 1979 and Ph.D. in 1984 from UCSB.		Marilynn seeing off a fellow EAPer at the Santa Barbara airport in 1976.

Megan Bean- Birmingham, England 1991-92 My year abroad shaped my life in just about every way. I’m now happily married to an Englishman I met in the first week in Birmingham and my year there at the School of Law was great preparation for my subsequent JD from Duke and career at one of the top 10 US law firms.

Allegra O'Donoghue - Cairo, Egypt 2007-08 Summarizing a year in Egypt, I can easily recount for you an endless list of sensory experiences: climbing to the top of Mount Sinai, diving to the bottom of the Red Sea, seeking refuge from Cairo’s chaotic streets in one of her many breathtaking mosques, engaging in conversations with my Egyptian and American peers about religion, culture and politics, forming what I hope are life-long friendships with people I never imagined I’d meet.  Egyptians will tell you “Masr om ad-dunya.” Egypt is the mother of the world. She is. The ancient wonder of the pyramids and temples, the modern shadow of dilapidated apartments teeming with cousins and uncles, the extreme poverty and unbelievable wealth, nearly collide like the 5 lanes of fiat taxis and the donkey pulling a wagon of melons below a skyline of billboards for cell phones and processed cheese.  But I lived there for a year and never once saw a car accident.  Some mysterious power, perhaps the gravitational force of the ezan paralleled with that of the desert sun forms the delicate balance that prevents it all from simply imploding.		Living in Cairo for a year proved to be very frustrating and overwhelming. The culture, crowdedness, pollution, and language were all hurdles I faced everyday.  For every step forward it felt like I took two steps backward (walk like a study abroad in Egypt!).  However it was these very challenges, paired with many delights, which TRULY enriched my experience.  They proved a difficult test, one of patience.  Patience with this bureaucratic, stratified society, and patience with myself and my clumsy progress trying to absorb and respect everything around me, letting it change me inevitably, and yet retaining my values and sense of self.  Tears formed in my eyes when the plane took off from San Francisco.  They were rolling down my cheeks when I left Egypt.

 

Tell us how your study abroad experience has shaped your life! Send your story and photo to eapucsb@eap.ucsb.edu.