Franklin & Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College

International & Off-Campus Study

Planning for Off-Campus Study

International Ambassadors

The Off-Campus Study Ambassadors are students who have studied off-campus previously (sometimes more than once!). Ambassadors hold regular office hours in the College Houses, organize events in the Joseph International Center, and are available to communicate with students and answer questions. 

 

 Meet the Ambassadors!

  • elizabeth mcmahon ambassador photo
  • Elizabeth McMahon
    Major: Latin, Classical Architecture & Ancient History 
    Program: Poggio Colla Field School and IFSA Butler, Royal Hollway University of London 

    I spent a summer in Italy and a semester in England.  Both of my experiences were extremely different, but both were incredible.  In Italy I spent most of my days on the so-called hill, working at an archaeological dig site.  One of the biggest things I remember about Italy is the beauty of it.  I remember stepping outside when I had a few extra minutes in the morning and watching the sun start to rise amongst the rolling hills.  It was one of the most beautiful things I ever experienced.  In England I attended a university and lived and worked among British students.  I remember talking to a friend of mine about the differences between America and England.  We would just go back and forth before class and talk about all the fascinating differences between our two cultures.

  • Brianna Roche Ambassador Photo
  • Brianna Roche
    Major: Public Health (Government) 
    Program: IES Santiago, Chile

    I am a senior Public Health major and Spanish minor at F&M and spent last semester in Santiago, Chile.  While in Chile, I lived with host family, took classes in Spanish, and took a salsa class!  I also  participated in a Clinical Observation internship, in which I shadowed health professionals in specialties ranging from surgery to emergency care to midwifery in Chile’s unique health care system.  In addition to my academics,  I had the opportunity to travel throughout Chile and South America including tours of the salt flats and lagoons of the northern Chilean desert, a hike up a volcano in the south of Chile, and moto-ing along the coast in the old town of Colonia, Uruguay.

  • josh shields ambassador photo
  • Josh Shields
    Major: Psychology
    Program: IES Language and Area Studies, Madrid, Spain

    I studied in Madrid, Spain from January to June 2011.  I can honestly say the entire experience was life changing, and one of the most exciting and fulfilling 6 months of my life. Anyone interested in enhancing his or her Spanish skills and/or understanding of Spanish culture should definitely consider a semester abroad in a Spanish speaking country. The opportunities you’ll find abroad are almost endless. In my time abroad, besides studying of course, I became involved in many fun and enriching activities such as independent travel throughout Europe, joining a local Rugby Club and even teaching English at a local elementary school. The impression studying abroad left on me is ineffable; I can only say that I’m counting down the days until I’m able to return to Madrid.

  • aime silfa ambassador photos
  • Aimee Silfa
    Major: Government
    Program: F&M in Paris and Social Entrepreneur Corps, Cape Town, South Africa

    I spent six weeks in South Africa as a Social Entrepreneurship Corps intern. We gave free eye exams, conducted SWOT analyses for community businesses and product feasibility surveys to evaluate the success of innovative products. I also spent a semester in Paris where I stayed with a host family. I got to experience the French life, the food, the politics and of course the language. I fell in love with the different cultures I encountered and I am looking forward to experiencing many more!

  • allison wein ambassador photo
  • Allison Wein
    Major: French
    Program: Sweetbriar College Junior Year in France and IES Beijing, China

    My study abroad experience lasted seven months and took me from Beijing in the summer of 2011 to Paris for the fall semester. I lived with a Chinese roommate in Beijing and was under a strict pledge to speak only Mandarin; in Paris I lived with a family in the Bastille area who refused to speak English. I absolutely love F&M, but I can’t imagine having spent the semester in Stager or Keiper instead of taking my French Renaissance art class in the Louvre or hiking up the Great Wall to watch the sun rise with an ancient chain-smoking Buddhist monk as my guide. When you’re abroad, even the most basic errands can turn into adventures (unfamiliar with foreigners, Chinese strangers often openly pointed at me and took pictures) and every day turns up something unexpected.  For me, best of all was the realization, on finally returning to campus, that studying somewhere so utterly different had made my remaining time at F&M all the sweeter and more valuable.