I have bloomed exponentially in confidence. I was terrified of my ability to navigate airports and had last flown years ago before my semester abroad, and now planning a trip is something I feel capable of doing and navigating. I also was terrified of eating by myself at restaurants, and now I feel very comfortable asking for a table to study and work. A lot of my fears about "mixing up" modern and Ancient Greek are shared by other CYA students, but in the end the confusion was mostly a matter of pronunciation over anything else. I also worked at the Athenian Agora with the American School of Classical Studies, which had me encounter the talented professionals, a variety of visiting scholars, and finally work with ancient materials compared to the 20th century archival work I do in the states.

What advice do you have for prospective students who are interested in or planning to study abroad with CYA?

There will be times where you do feel like "the dumb American," but people will give you lots of grace. It's just a matter of picking yourself up when you feel embarrassed and being willing to put yourself back out there again. Always have a friend or two (in the same timezone) ready to contact or speak to if things go awry.

Please select any of the following identities/experiences/backgrounds/perspectives you would be comfortable sharing about with prospective CYAers:

Accessibility, Classical Studies major, LGBTQIA+ student, Mental health.

Briefly describe a cultural experience you had that was significant to you in any way.

I really enjoyed becoming fast friends with the baristas at most coffee shops. It's a very American thing to sit at a cafe and work, not relax, but people were always up to help me with my Greek when I couldn't pronounce something right.

What is your favorite Greek food?

Tiropita and a freddo cappuccino 🙂

What extracurricular activities were you involved with in Greece?

Internship @ the Ancient Agora, book club, paleography workshop, hiking Mt Penteli