Meghan Dutchyshyn and Jennifer Lacroix Study Abroad In Ireland

BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott women's lacrosse rising juniors Meghan Dutchyshyn (Cheshire, Conn.) and Jennifer Lacroix (Wrentham, Mass.) recently studied abroad in Ireland. Lacroix, who is majoring in Elementary Education, and Dutchyshyn, who is majoring in Biology/Biotechnology, caught ECGulls up on their trip to Cork.

February 28, 2019

STUDY ABROAD AT ENDICOTT - DEADLINE MARCH 8, 2019

MEGHAN DUTCHYSHYN/JENNIFER LACROIX STUDY ABROAD PHOTO ALBUM

BEVERLY, Mass. — Endicott women's lacrosse rising juniors Meghan Dutchyshyn (Cheshire, Conn.) and Jennifer Lacroix (Wrentham, Mass.) recently studied abroad in Ireland. Lacroix, who is majoring in Elementary Education, and Dutchyshyn, who is majoring in Biology/Biotechnology, caught ECGulls up on their trip to Cork.

ECGulls: Give us an overall description of your trip.

DUTCHYSHYN: I studied abroad in Cork, Ireland for the entire fall semester of 2018. However, I was lucky enough to travel to many different countries in Europe during my visit including the UK, Germany, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Iceland.

LACROIX: I studied abroad in Cork City, Ireland in the fall semester of my junior year. I began my trip at the beginning of September and came home at the end of December. During my time abroad I had the opportunity to travel to most of the major cities in Ireland as well as many different countries in Europe. I visited Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, England, Northern Ireland, and Iceland. Out of all of the countries that I got to experience, Ireland was my favorite.

ECGulls: Describe your overall study abroad experience.

DUTCHYSHYN: Studying abroad taught me so much about personal responsibility and really allowed me to figure out how to be truly independent while being so far away from everything and everyone I know. It was an amazing experience and I would and do recommend it to everyone I talk to. Whether or not they want to go to Cork as I did, I believe everyone should try to take the opportunity to go somewhere.

LACROIX: My overall study abroad experience was amazing. I could not say more great things about my time spent. Going into the trip, I only was friends with one of the people going with me. There were 18 Endicott students who studied and lived with me, and I am now so close to them all. It was so cool to make so many new Endicott friends who I would not have necessarily had the opportunity to meet before. I really enjoyed getting to experience and embrace a new culture while I was there as well. It was so interesting to be the only American student in a classroom and have a different perspective on things. I am an elementary education major, so it was a unique opportunity to learn about the Irish education systems and compare them to what I am studying here at Endicott. I think that it really expanded my knowledge of the classroom and bettered me both as a future teacher as well as a person! The entire experience made me more independent and mature. It was awesome to push my boundaries and step outside my comfort zone.

ECGulls: Why would you recommend studying abroad to other students?

DUTCHYSHYN: I would recommend studying abroad to other students because although I love Endicott and our beautiful campus there is so much to learn about the world which can almost only be understood if you leave and experience it. I learned more in one semester abroad about myself and the world then I could have learned in any classroom regardless of the institution.

LACROIX: I would absolutely recommend studying abroad to anyone who is interested in going. I think that there are only so many times in life where you can take four months to continue your education in a new place and learn so much, including more than just academics. I think that if someone is interested, then they should take the chance while they can. It is a great opportunity to step outside one's comfort zone and learn something new about yourself and a new place.

ECGulls: What was the biggest lesson you learned?

DUTCHYSHYN: The biggest lesson I learned was probably how important it is to truly take the time to understand other people and their lifestyles because the more you learn about people and cultures the more you will be able to connect with the people you meet in the future. Networking is a huge part of being successful in today's world and the better you can connect and communicate with people the more likely you are to be better at your job in the future no matter what field you are in.

LACROIX: One of the most important lessons I learned while I was abroad was to step into someone else's shoes and understand their story before making a judgment. Going abroad made me appreciate other cultures and lifestyles in order to develop a better understanding of the world around me. Going along with this theme, it made me really appreciate the life that I am lucky enough to live!

ECGulls: What was your favorite experience?

DUTCHYSHYN: It is extremely hard to pick just one experience, however traveling around Ireland whether it was the west coast or the east coast was an amazing experience it was truly beautiful everywhere we went.

LACROIX: I have so many favorite experiences from abroad that it is hard to choose just one. I really enjoyed paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland as well as swimming in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Both activities were opportunities that I never would have had the chance to do if I did not go on this trip. I was also lucky enough to have friends from Endicott come and visit, and that was also a really memorable experience.

ECGulls: Describe the educational side of the program.

DUTCHYSHYN: The educational side of the program is definitely different compared to Endicott, because of the different culture in Ireland, however, it wasn't necessarily the classroom setting that taught me the most on my four-month trip.

LACROIX: The school that I attended in Ireland was the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT.) The way my schedule worked out was so that I could take two elective courses and two required courses. My first required course was Ethics in Education. This was the only class where I was the only American. It was really cool to talk to the aspiring educators from this program and compare how their school systems worked to ours. I think that it really expanded my knowledge about my profession and really inspired me. This class gave me a new perspective that will be very beneficial for me. The next required class for my major was geography. My first elective course was an art class. The first half of the semester was photography and the second half was ceramics. These classes were so different than any class I would typically take at Endicott, so it was awesome to be able to take them abroad. I have always had an interest in photography, so that portion of the class was my favorite. Finally, my last class was in the Hospitality and Tourism program. The school that we attended had a restaurant on campus, so as one of my classes I worked in the restaurant as the lab portion and then had a classroom session afterward. There were a lot of students from Endicott in this class with me, so our teacher was just as excited to show us about Irish restaurants as he was to learn about American ones. I think I learned the most from this class about Irish culture because every person that I served would talk to me about different Irish traditions. I think that food is such a big part of a culture, so this was a really cool class for me to take. It was also really awesome to get to experience this all with the close friends I made while abroad.

ECGulls: Were there any funny stories from your trip?

LACROIX: One reoccurring experience that my friends and I found to happen a lot was most people we met in Ireland during our travels somehow had a family member from Boston. It was crazy how many people there had such close ties to Massachusetts. It made home seem not so far away!

WHY STUDY ABROAD? – (ENDICOTT STUDY ABROAD WEBSITE)

Following the College's philosophy to "learn by doing" through experiential learning, the study abroad program & its international internships prepare students at Endicott for success by offering alternative academic understanding, social & cultural literacy and life-changing experiences. Through semester-long academic study, faculty-led trips, and/or 3-to-15 week internships abroad, students gain new confidence and self-awareness, and obtain the skills necessary for success in today's economy.

"Globalization is here to stay, and students who want to work in our interconnected global world should study or intern abroad.

Despite the inevitable increasing global competition for jobs, American graduates lack the international experience, language capabilities and cross-cultural communication skills necessary to succeed in the global economy.

Making education abroad a part of their college education is the most effective and accessible means for students to develop needed skills because it pushes a student to get out of her comfort zone to experience another culture, language, environment and education system. It teaches students to appreciate difference and diversity firsthand and enables them to recognize — and then dismiss — stereotypes they may have held about people they had never met.

Learning how to interact with people from other countries and cultures equips future leaders in all sectors to address urgent issues — from curing diseases and finding energy solutions, to fighting terrorism and hunger — shared across borders."

The Endicott Experience feature aims to highlight the entirety of the student-athletes' experiential learning journey throughout their academic careers. The student-athlete at Endicott is afforded the same opportunities as the general student population at the College as it relates to internships, study abroad, and postgraduate career pursuits. This philosophy mirrors the mission statement of the College which every student is encouraged to take intellectual risks, pursue scholarly and creative interests, contribute to the community, and explore diverse career paths. Read more Endicott Experience features by navigating the links below.

STUDY ABROAD: Margot Andreasen Learns Valuable Life Lessons Abroad | Ryan Healy Studies Abroad In Europe | KK Palmerino Studies Abroad In Denmark | Balboni, Campbell Get Out Of Their Comfort Zones in Study Abroad Trip To Australia | Patrick Finocchiaro Studies Abroad In Switzerland | Bridget Cott Grasps The Power Of Self-Reliance While Abroad In New Zealand | Hannah Mason Embraces Challenges, Finds Study Abroad Trip To Ireland Rewarding | Alex Dippel Expands Horizons While Studying Abroad In Ireland

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