Alumni Spotlight: Brianna Bosco

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Brianna is a senior at Mount Saint Mary College and an aspiring Public Relations professional with a minor in Media Studies and Production.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program so I could experience how other cultures live and expand my horizons, all while building my professional skills. I have always been interested in studying abroad and knew the perfect location for me would be London, England.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider assisted me with almost everything. My housing, class info, and day trips were all organized by CAPA The Global Education Network. My home college assisted me with booking my flight and who I would be traveling with.

I only had to organize what I was going to pack and figure out how to use the underground system.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice I would give is to do your research on the country that you are going to before you commit. Many social norms in America are not the same in other countries and you need to adapt to those quickly so you are not picked out as a tourist.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average week consisted of class on two/three days a week from 9 am - 4 pm with class during the first half of the day and then going out into the city and touring different historical landmarks for the rest of the day.

On days not in class, the average day would be going out with your friends and exploring different parts of the city that you didn't go to during class days.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear going abroad was being 3,500 miles away from family and friends for a month and not knowing anyone since I had never been away or that far away from home before.

I overcame that fear by forcing myself to go out and experience everything that London has to offer and not worry since everything at home will be there when I get back.

My views changed on that issue when I got to London and met up with my flatmates and we all became instant friends and did everything together, which made me forget about how far away I was from home.

What is your favorite story from your time abroad?

My favorite story from my experience abroad was going to Trooping The Colour, which is the Queen's birthday celebration. This parade took place on June 17, 2017, outside of Buckingham Palace and it is a day I will never forget.

I got to see the Queen and the entire Royal Family. Getting to see how British people really do respect and love their Queen was one of the most surreal moments of my life. It was a half day celebration that ended with the Royal Air Force flying over the Palace and saluting the British Monarchy.