Samantha Borys

Samantha Borys is an Ambassador who studied abroad in Italy and Greece.

Briefly describe a specific cultural experience you had on your trip that made a lasting impression.

A cultural experience I had on my trip that stays with me is when I had to make a trip to the market for the first time in Italy to buy food. It completely immersed me into the Italian culture. I had never bought food out of the grocery store before and it made me go out to stands and speak Italian in order to get the food I needed. It was truly the first time that I needed to use the local language, currency and live as Italians do every day.

Why did you choose the program in which you participated? 

I chose this program because I have always been interested in the European Culture and this program offered two places to study abroad. It also allowed me to explore two different cultures that I did not know much about before my trip.

Describe your overall study abroad experience.

This trip has truly been a life changing experience in more ways then one. I have been so lucky to have this once in a lifetime experience and it has opened my eyes up to how lucky I am to live the life I am.

How has the trip affected you? How are you different for having completed the experience?

This trip has affected me more than I would have guessed before going. I have become more confident in myself and my independence. Along those lines, I have learned more about myself then I ever thought imaginable. I learned that I can be myself and people will love me for who I am. I have made lifelong friends on this trip and that will affect me for the rest of my life. I learned that I need to give people a chance and not judge them by the way they look. I have made a 180 degree difference from when I left on the trip until now.

What advice do you have for future Study Abroad Students?

1. Eat LOTS of gelato especially at Old Bridge

2. Make friends with the Italians/ Greeks

3. Go to St. Peter’s Square every night

4. Go to Hard Rock Café... make sure you ask for the Chinese waitress

5. Go to Scholars

6. Bring more shirts and jeans and less dresses

7. Make sure you have sneakers- no heals(you won’t wear them)

8. Do NOT bring anything you like—it will just get ruined

9. Eat as many gyros as possible

10. Have a crepe

11. Do a cooking class at CYA

12. Shop in Plaka

13. 4-wheel around Santorini

14. Be yourself

15. Have fun

16. Laugh a lot

17. Take Art History with Paolo

18. Be open minded

19. Do a scavenger hunt around Athens

20. Look at the ground when you are walking because you are almost always going to trip

21. Immerse yourself in the culture

22. Enjoy every minute of it!! You will never get it back!