How can you make studying abroad an even more meaningful and complete experience? For many CYAers, the answer is clear: volunteering with refugee children. Over the Fall ’18 semester, Nadia Meliniotis, our Executive Director of Student Affairs, helped CYA students find the volunteer organization with the right fit for them. We asked a handful of them to share their stories to get a sense of what this experience meant to them.

Ioan Bolohan attended The Archaeology of Greece: From Palace to City-State, study travel course in summer 2013. He came to CYA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he was majoring in Business Administration and Political Science. In this touching post he wrote right after graduating in 2013, he reflected on his CYA experience:

As the semester winds down, we take a look at some of its highlights through the lens of CYA students. Enjoy the beautiful photos that offer an insight into the CYA experience!

This semester at CYA, I have done a fair amount of travel, but I am one of the few people I know that has not yet left the country. The main reason for this is simply that I love Greece. I love the food, the people, the ease of travel, the sights, and the history! Staying in Greece has allowed me to see six Greek islands, three places in northern Greece, and the peninsula of the Peloponnese.

Emily Howard: Student, Traveler and Intern, Oh My!

Here at CYA, you’ll find that students are always going the extra mile. Whether it’s walking through Psyrri in search of the best souvlaki or exploring the corners of the ancient Agora for hours, CYAers rarely stay indoors. So it makes sense that on top of studying abroad, CYA students find opportunities to hone their skills and follow their passions both inside and outside of the classroom. Emily Howard, a junior from Reed College, is one of our students doing an internship in Athenian journalism, and we took a look at what she’s done so far.

One of the biggest perks of studying abroad in a European country is that there are so many different cultures just a short plane ride away! While I’ve spent many weekends this semester exploring Greece, I’ve found that my favorite trips have been those to other countries. These trips have allowed me to learn about new places, try new foods, and have a change of scene  which has ultimately helped me to appreciate Athens even more.