Sometimes, the impact of studying abroad reaches much further into a student’s future than they might think. Liberal Arts Alumna Katherine Burlingame graduated with a degree in Classical and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and History; studied abroad as part of the Athens Spring Semester Program, and has gone on to pursue advanced degrees in Germany and Sweden. Read more about Katherine’s story below.
Content and Photos contributed by, Katherine Burlingame, Athens Study Abroad Program 2011
From the very beginning of my undergraduate studies in CAMS and History at Penn State I always knew I wanted to study abroad. Learning about ancient cultures in the quiet of a classroom is one thing, but having the chance to travel with academic experts to the ancient sites themselves is an invaluable experience. Imagine learning about the architectural grandeur of the Parthenon while standing atop the Acropolis or discussing the mysterious oracle of Delphi while sitting within the crumbled columns of the Temple of Apollo.
The constant travel and on-site lessons helped me and my fellow study abroad students embrace Greek culture and develop strong friendships within our group. Every night was a different restaurant boasting new music, new food, and incredibly curious and hospitable locals. I learned to respect the simple lifestyle of the smaller villages we visited and grew to love the kindness of strangers and the surprises that occurred on a daily basis while living like a local in a different country.
My time in Greece led to a greater understanding of the intricacies of world cultures and to my realization that travel not only made me more culturally aware, but also more appreciative of my upbringing and social background. A few years after studying abroad I returned to Greece to work on an archaeological dig (with the Bucknell professors who currently run the Athens study abroad program). I then completed my masters degree in world heritage studies in Germany. For my masters thesis I worked with a Greek NGO studying intangible heritage of Greek and Turkish refugee descendants from the 1922 population exchange. I was able to spend a lot more time in Athens and ultimately present my research at a cultural organization close to the Acropolis.
I am now working on my PhD in Human Geography at Lund University in Sweden. I still keep in touch with many of the close friends I made in Greece during my study abroad and my later travels there. The path I am on today would never have been possible had I not personally experienced the benefits and possibilities of studying and living abroad.