Venice, Italy. Photo Credit: Jaime Schaus '23.

Over 100 students from Marist College traveled across the world this past fall 2021 semester during the coronavirus pandemic.

Marist students who traveled abroad this past fall semester have returned to campus for their spring semester after traveling in one of the most unpredictable times in the world. Some of the abroad programs that ran this past semester included Spain, France, Italy and Ireland. Unlike years past, this study abroad experience took some students over two years to partake in.

“It was really interesting traveling abroad during the pandemic,” said Caroline Gomez ‘23, who spent her recent fall semester in Paris. “Many issues were dealt with very differently than in the U.S. In Europe, I felt very safe and protected from COVID-19 because people listened and followed the rules that were set in place.”

Dean of International Programs John E. Peters said approximately 150 students traveled abroad “on all programs [this fall] including semester study abroad, our Florence degree programs and Freshman Year Abroad in Florence and Dublin.”

“I was worried that my experience would be ruined by the pandemic but it really didn’t affect me much during my time in Italy,” said Jaime Schaus ‘23. “We had to wear masks in class and on public transportation but it was no different than what we do here. All the restaurants, clubs, museums and everything were open and the only difference was that they just had smaller capacities.”

Other students like Elizabeth Muth ‘23 chose the Paris, France study abroad program to expand her current perspective of the world and engulf herself in her love for fashion.

“I chose Paris out of admiration and intrigue regarding it’s specific culture,” said Elizabeth Muth ‘23. “It is a well known fashion capital in the world, and I wanted to take the road less traveled while
fulfilling my major and minors.”

“Traveling during the pandemic was definitely an obstacle; however, travel and activities were still achievable” Muth said. “I truly felt a lot safer being there because of the European Sanitary Pass, which is a government approved document of proof of vaccination or a recent negative test. In Paris especially, this was checked at almost every restaurant, museum and club, so I never felt exposed to the virus.”

The Florence Abroad Program is one of the more popular programs that Marist International Programs has to offer that caught Shaus’ attention.

“I chose to study in Florence because I had heard of so many Marist students having incredible experiences there in past semesters and I have always wanted to visit Italy,” she said. “Florence stood out to me as a city because it is very rich in culture and more intimate than other cities such as Paris.”

Avenlea Russian ‘23, who also went to Florence, said her experience was better than she expected it to be. “Going abroad, even during a pandemic, was everything I expected and more,” she said. “It was one of the best experiences of my life. You learn so much about yourself and about different cultures while traveling in this way.”

During the early part of the fall, COVID-19 cases were relatively low, but many countries in Europe required completed passenger locator forms, covid negative tests and proof of vaccination. “There were some heavier restrictions with traveling outside of the country so my friends and I decided to not go anywhere outside Europe,” she said. “Traveling during the pandemic required extra forms and paperwork but was doable.”

As of Spring 2021, Marist decided it would only run programs that had “Marist Infrastructure,” which changed many programs or expectations for students who may have wanted to go elsewhere. However, the application that many students filled out was “simple,” Schaus described it as, and remained relatively the same as years prior.

“Since Marist has connections to Instituto Lorenzo de Medici, where we studied in Florence, the application process was very simple and straightforward,” Schaus said. “We had to fill out questionnaires and other applications and Marist sent over our transcripts and we found out if we were accepted soon after.

Now that many of the students are back on the Poughkeepsie campus, many feel good to be home but admit it took some time for them to adjust back to an already familiar environment.

“Being back in the US has a lot of positives as well as negatives. I appreciate being able to read the ingredients on everything and it took me by surprise when visiting Manhattan and being able to understand all of the conversations around me,” Muth said. “I also went through a tremendous week-long stomach ache due to the lack of nutrients and freshness in American food…the four months I spent in Paris made me aware of what I value in the U.S. as well as what I do not.”

Adjustment abroad can be hard for many students, but readjustment back home can be just as hard.

“I am definitely still adjusting to life back here to say the least, but I am very grateful to be back with everyone I love,” said Schaus. “If anything, this adjustment shows just how incredible my experience abroad was and I can’t recommend it enough!”

Marist Students Return from Studying Abroad During COVID-19

MARIST CIRCLE