A Scottish spring

Explorers Sydney Reed, '27, and Rose Schankweiler, '27, have both always dreamed of studying abroad. La Salle University helped them achieve just that.

Living on campus in Glasgow, when they're not studying, Rose Schankweiler, '27, (pictured left) and Sydney Reed, '27, have spent a lot of time exploring the city. They've also been taking advantage of further travel opportunities.

Studying abroad has always been a goal for accounting and marketing majors Rose Schankweiler, '27, and Sydney Reed, '27. Both were able to achieve that goal when they spent the Spring semester as students at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

"I always knew I wanted to study abroad in college, so I did everything I could to make this possible from my freshman year," Reed said. "I knew I wanted to be UK-based, because there's no language barrier, and Glasgow ended up being the best fit."

She credits the faculty in the School of Business with helping her coordinate her schedule for the past three years to put her in an academic position where the semester abroad was possible.

"Being confined to such a strict path because of the programs I am in makes it harder to study abroad," she said. "But the faculty were super flexible and made it possible for me."

Like Reed, Schankweiler worked with her advisor, faculty, and La Salle University's International Office, to secure her place in Scotland.

"I got a lot of guidance from the staff at La Salle when I decided I wanted to study abroad," Schankweiler said. "Even when I wasn't sure I was going to do it, I was able to talk to them and they helped me through."

Living on campus in Glasgow, when they're not studying, Schankweiler and Reed have spent a lot of time exploring the city. They've also been taking advantage of further travel opportunities.

"When I'm at my university, I hang out with friends and go to events on campus. We explore the city-there is so much to do in Glasgow and it's a really young city so it's super fun," Reed said. "On the weekends, it's go, go, go. I have been to over 10 countries since arriving here."

Between them, Reed and Schanweiler have collected new passport stamps from England, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Morocco, and other nearby countries.

"The ability to travel and have such access to affordable travel over here has been amazing," Reed said.

As well as all the new countries they've explored, the semester abroad has been incredibly beneficial for them academically.

"It has given me a new perspective and understanding of different cultures and ways of learning in different countries. It has been very beneficial to learn in a different university and see how they teach," Schankweiler said. "For a business major, it is also very interesting because my class brings in guest speakers from different areas of international business which allows more understanding of the business environment from a UK perspective."

For Reed, it's pushed her to be flexible.

"This experience has enriched my college education in ways I could've never imagined," she said. "Being in a completely different school setting has pushed me to adapt in ways I wouldn't have had to at home, especially learning how to navigate a Scottish university system. It's made me a lot more open-minded academically."

And the learning didn't stop when they left the classroom.

"Traveling and experiencing different cultures has given me a broader perspective that you just can't get from a classroom. I've learned about how people live, think, and interact in different places, which has made me more aware and understanding as a person," Reed said. "Living with people from all over the world has also been really special. I've been expanding my horizons to different cultures, and we've all gotten so close. This experience helped me grow not just as a student, but as a person too."

Schankweiler, who also spent a semester working as an intern in France, said the new people, places, and cultures she encountered were one the highlights of her semester abroad.

"Getting to meet new people and explore Scotland has truly been my favorite part. I have been able to make friendships with people from all around the world in a completely unfamiliar setting to me in the beginning, but that has now quickly become a place I love to be," she said. "Having exposure to all the new aspects of life, culture, and school I am exposed to in my daily life has made me learn new things about myself that I might not have learned otherwise."

Despite having to get used to some differences-Schankweiler noted that the much larger campus at Strathclyde was a change-both Explorers are taking away the similarities between them and their Scottish counterparts.

"This experience has taught me that no matter how different countries or cultures seem, at their root, people just want to learn, laugh, make friends, and have a good time," Reed said. "It's been a really comforting lesson to learn in a world as divided as ours is."

-Naomi Thomas