Rhonda
MacGregor – Mother of Aubrey MacGregor,
Wayne State University
“My
daughter (Aubrey) attended the fall semester and
she arrived home last night. Her experience and
opportunities, relationships with teachers and
students were more than she could have imagined
and she was overcome with emotion when trying
to explain to us what a life altering experience
it turned out to be for her. It will be something
that she will have in her heart that will influence
and inspire her for years to come.
David
Griffus – University of Michigan Evans Scholar
“To
be living and working at a place that is so special
and historic feels like a privilege every day
I wake up. I am not the only one that feels that
way; I can guarantee you that every single person
that comes to The Abbey feels fortunate to have
been part of the history and magic.
When
I first arrived here at the end of July, my first
impression of The Abbey was really shear amazement.
In a town where everything else is quaint and
small, The Abbey and its grounds are magnificent
structures sure to awe even the most critical
skeptics. Every building on the campus has its
own past and personality, from the Maison Brulee,
which the Nazis set ablaze during WWII, to the
main Abbey building itself, where George Washington’s
own nephew studied at military school.
Also
fit to mention are my impressions of the larger
entity of Pontlevoy itself. Even though I did
not know any French when I first arrived (learning
more everyday), I never felt afraid to venture
into the city and make attempts on a daily basis
to try and learn more about me and the new programs
taking place on campus.
The
Abbey is absolutely spectacular.”
Eric Covert – Michigan State University
Evans Scholar
“The
Abbey Program in Pontlevoy, France has been something
I will cherish and always remember. Coming into
the program in its inaugural semester, I was nervous
about many things. But it quickly became evident
that my semester here would be the most enjoyable
and influential one of my life.
The
courses, taught by some of America’s top
professors, being immersed in a new culture, the
flexibility for travel and the overall atmosphere
here at The Abbey are just a few of the great
things that I have experienced in the past two
months.
I
challenge everyone to seriously consider The Abbey
Program if they are interested in studying abroad.
Not only has it been the best two months of my
life so far but it will absolutely be a massive
addition to my resume, since international experiences
are one of the most sought-after characteristics
that employers are looking for in young business
hopefuls straight out of college.”
Jenny
Graham – Oakland University
“This
is one of those experiences in life that you wish
you could live forever. I’ve been taking
all kinds of photos, but it’s kind of discouraging,
because no matter how many pictures I take of
The Abbey, or the people, or the places I go,
it will never do it justice. I can go home and
show people the pictures, but they’ll never
understand it.
I
feel this is my group. I’ve never been in
a situation with so many people where we all just
got along. It’s amazing how well we all
like each other.
I’ve
always had a sense that I would want to do something
with my life besides just graduating and getting
a job, and coming her totally reinforced it. I
know now that after this experience, I have to
just … go. That’s what we do here:
we just go. There are things you need to do in
your life, and you’ve just got to go and
do them.
If
someone were thinking about studying abroad, I’d
recommend this program because you’re not
just let out there by yourself. You have people
here to make sure you experience the French culture,
you get to know local families and get the most
out of the experience.”
Adam Vietenheimer – Midwestern State
University
“At
your own university, everyone has his or her own
little group. But here, everybody knows everybody.
You live right next to them, everybody’s
on the same floor. You’re learning about
people from other countries here, but at the same
time, you’re learning about people from
your own country.
Living
here has made me more open to getting to know
different people. I’m not willing to go
up and start talking to people I don’t know
at home. But I hang out with a lot of people here
that I normally wouldn’t.
You’ll
look back 30 years from now and you’ll just
be saying in your mind: The Abbey. So many stories,
so many tales, so many crazy moments.”
Sarah
Black – University of Southern Mississippi
“At
a big university, you don’t really know
your teacher, you don’t really know your
classmates, it can be real impersonal. Here you
know your teacher personally. They’re very
passionate about what they’re teaching -
it’s almost contagious.
We
were just walking one day and this older man stopped
us. We said we liked his car and then he started
speaking English to us. We ended up going to his
house for a full dinner, about six of us did.
We started off the champagne and had four courses.
It was huge. Probably took about four hours. Coming
over here has really changed my mind. Now I know
I can just pack up and go anywhere and I’ll
be fine.”
Anna
Gibson – University of Southern Mississippi
“The
Abbey experience is truly life-changing. I came
back a completely different person, independent
and much more open to the world. There was nothing
more exciting for me than putting my key in the
huge black iron gate, and realizing yet again
that the huge monument in front of me was home.
When you leave The Abbey, you bring a part of
it home, and you carry it around with you wherever
you go. The memory of sitting in a huge window
seat watching the sun rise over the rooftops of
Pontlevoy, and of the first time you came back
to The Abbey and realized it was home –
these are unforgettable moments. The Abbey Program
gives you the opportunity, not just to live in
France, but to explore Europe and truly experience
life on the other side of the world. Learning
your way around Europe is not an easy concept,
but you become so much more independent when you
are there for three months and have to deal with
the difficulties and the excitement of it all.
You learn from experience – not the type
of knowledge you are used to reading out of a
textbook, but the type that you create for yourself
with a rail map and a little courage.
Before
I went to Pontlevoy, I read a quotation by Mary
Anne Radmacher Hershey in The Abbey brochure:
“I am not the same having seen the moon
shine on the other side of the world.” At
the time I just thought it was romantic. One night
I woke at The Abbey to find a moon bigger than
any I had ever seen, its light streaming in my
window. I remembered that quote, and I realized
silently that I understood what it truly meant.
I
met so many people from across America and Europe,
I discovered so many new places that I had only
seen in books and I made so many lasting memories.
The experience of studying abroad also teaches
you a lot about your own country. You learn to
respect differences and celebrate similarities,
and you come home with a renewed respect for your
own country and for your temporary home. Hemingway
once said, “If you are lucky enough to have
lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you
go for the rest of your life it stays with you,
for Paris is a moveable feast.” This is
how you will feel about France when you leave
The Abbey to return to the world you knew before.
It changes you, and it stays with you.”
