Culturally Integrative Experience which Fostered Growth and Independence

The academic experience was exactly what I was looking for in a study abroad program: it was challenging to the extent that it kept me interested and engaged, but lenient enough that it allowed me to explore my international city, learn from experience, and become more independent in the process.The administrative and organizational CAPA staff in Dublin were phenomenal. Not only did they provide a platform of social and emotional support, but were extremely engaged in our academic and experiential lives. Any issue I had at all, they were easily and readily accessible and always eager to help.I decided to partake in an internship while I was abroad, and thus I felt extremely integrated in the local community and culture. My bosses and colleagues were all Irish and we were heavily immersed in the Irish working class community, as well as the youth community. In terms of housing and living. At times it did feel a l little isolated being on a university campus, however, a majority of the students living on campus were international thus it was easy to meet new people not in the program and build those connections. Dublin felt like an extremely safe city. We were new to the city and though it took us a couple weeks to navigate the city and the public transportation system, during this process of navigation all members of the public were so helpful in directing you to the right way, or recommending places to eat/drink/tour/see. The sense of community in Dublin is astounding and whether you are from Ireland or not, they always make a point to make you feel included as well as safe. Dublin is a city and thus I would not recommend anything reckless or dangerous, and since it is a city, to simply use common sense, however, I did not once feel like I was in danger in any sort of way. CAPA is unique in that it allows you to use an internship as a form of experiential learning, an extremely important aspect of education in my opinion. I loved feeling connected to the community, and simply living in Ireland. I truly fell in love with the city and wish I could go back and spend another year there.