"Spending a year studying in Rome was the best decision I could have made in my college career. I spent two semesters walking along cobblestone streets, meeting locals, and dining on the most delicious food," said Slor, a Lesley business management and global studies graduate. Unlike most students who spend one semester abroad, Slor spent a full academic year exploring Italy and more than 10 other countries.
Immersion was key for Laura who said that she was able to have in-depth conversations in Italian within months. "By immersing myself in a foreign culture, everything that I had learned in the classroom came to life." Slor believes that taking Italian I & II at Lesley before embarking on her journey to Italy helped her better understand and appreciate the culture as well as quickly advance her language skills.
"Laura is an exemplary model of the successful student abroad. She had clear goals about where and what she wanted to study and she maintained that focus while abroad," says Claire Carroll, director of study abroad at Lesley.
"Weekly excursions to international businesses, both small and large, expanded my learning greatly. With help from my local professors, I was able to learn how a business develops from local to national to international scale."
Even though Slor was based in Italy, she spent a portion of her free time exploring other European countries, such as Greece, Spain, France, the Netherlands, England, and Germany, which enabled her to make cross-cultural observations.
"The exposure to different cultures and the knowledge I gained through this experience have surpassed my expectations. My advice for all students regardless of their major is to get a passport and go. Studying abroad will be an eye-opening and educational experience as it was for me and countless other students."
