Sophomore Mikayla Loomis is a Spanish and marketing major who studied abroad on the Sustainability in Cyprus: Health & Well-being, the Environment and Society program during summer 2023.

I have always been interested in traveling and learning about other people and thought this trip would be perfect to learn about the culture while taking a course. I didn’t just want to read about or watch a video on other places, I wanted to learn in person.

Having our professor be a native to Cyprus really made the abroad experience more fun and memorable. There were so many people we were able to meet and many opportunities that our professor gave us with his connections. He made the trip the best it could be.

My favorite memory from the trip was visiting The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos. It was unreal seeing the history while surrounded by the Troodos mountains. 

I have learned how to be more independent, as I was nearly halfway across the world with people I had little to no prior connections with. I gained a way better global perspective - it does so much more than reading a textbook or watching a documentary.

A global citizen is someone who believes that everyone deserves to be a citizen of the world and considered an equal. Every culture has value, and it is important to appreciate it all while treating one another with respect.