Hailey DeGrave, a traditional student at Lakeland University, has taken her education this semester to London. Hailey is accompanied by fellow Muskie Sierra Rostowski, with both leaving for London in August.
When asked about how she found this program, Hailey stated that she heard about it from a former teammate on the Volleyball team “I found out about this program through my friend and Lakeland graduate Kimmy McKay who did this program prior to me going. I also looked more into studying abroad after travelling to Costa Rica with the volleyball team which fueled my desire to go abroad and experience more travel.” Hailey’s motivation for going also came from her experience from a trip she took to Costa Rica.
Along with learning in a new country, Hailey has also come to realize that by going to a new country she experiences a new culture. “So far, I have learned so much about new cultural perspectives, art, and British history but more than anything I have learned a lot about myself. There are no words for this experience as it transcends most of what I have experienced up to this point. Some days it is overwhelming as it feels like there is so much to learn in so little time. It is hard to pinpoint all that I have already learned and will continue to learn about. However, I would heavily recommend this program to anyone who has a desire to see life from new perspectives in both education and life.” Hailey continues to learn and experience new aspects of British culture every day. The food, people, and environment were all foreign and extremely interesting to her. Studying abroad has been a step out of Hailey’s comfort zone by experiencing things that most people in their lives will not experience. Each day is a new day for Hailey to experience something different.
Traveling to a new country can be a scary experience for all. Nonetheless, it can be a touching experience for those looking to assimilate into a new and different culture. Hailey found out about the program on Lakeland’s online website which has resources to where you want to study and emailed faculty such as Mary Jo Jetzer who coordinates study abroad.
