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Westminster College Professors and Students Return from Studying Abroad in London

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Posted on Monday, February 29, 2016

Last month, a group of Westminster students and professors returned to campus from their semester-long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to London, England.

Dr. Alison DuBois, assistant professor of education, and Dr. Andrew Ade, associate professor of English, led a team of 25 students through the Westminster in London program.

“I love forging relationships with my students, but traveling abroad with them created even stronger bonds,” said DuBois. “I enjoyed trips to museums, markets, and different countries in their company.”

Students learned and adopted new ways of thinking and living while abroad. DuBois shared that traveling from a small town to a large metropolitan city is “quite an adventure” that involved learning a new vocabulary and monetary system, and navigating through a foreign transportation system.

“Students had to learn the public transportation grid very quickly because for some, just getting to class involved using the National Rail, the Tube, and the bus system,” said DuBois. “Through this experience, students learned to become very independent and stronger problem-solvers. They also learned how to manage their time effectively so they had time to travel.”

Aside from completing necessary coursework to fulfill academic requirements, students were given the opportunity to travel on weekends and break periods to countries including Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. For some, a treasured adventure involved joining an overseas sports team.

“I had the opportunity to swim for Imperial College’s Swimming and Waterpolo Team during my time in London,” said Katelyn Jones, junior early childhood and education major. “It was such a great experience. I made friends from all over the world and I still talk to my friends from Shanghai every day.”

The semester-long program enriches student learning and represents Westminster College’s core liberal arts curriculum. Operating on an every-other-year basis, the program provides students with the opportunity to explore the tastes, sights and sounds of international living. It creates an experience that fosters exploration and expanding outside of comfort zones.

“During my first month, I got lost more times than I would like to admit,” said Jones. “But during the time I was lost, I discovered more things that otherwise, I would not have found.”

For more information about studying abroad, contact Dr. Jamie McMinn, associate dean of academic affairs, at mcminnjg@westminster.edu or (724) 946-7120.

VIEW PHOTOS, HERE.