Mr. Vincent Gadioma, based on your experience with CYA, what are some of the benefits of spending a semester or summer abroad? How has studying abroad contributed to your personal, academic, and professional development?  Summer abroad in Greece was truly a blessing as it allowed me to completely immerse myself in my new surroundings without having to worry too much about taking fifteen or more credits while in another country. Having only one class gave me the free time to visit and truly take in many museums, islands, and historical sites not on our class’ itinerary. As opposed to studying a full semester where, as a biology major, some classes would distract me from fully experiencing different parts of Greece. Having this available travel time has forced me to interact more with Greek and European citizens. This has improved my confidence when talking to other people as these dialogues help remind me that I am capable of interacting with people who do not share the same national identity as I do. Studying abroad in Greece also taught me to appreciate the diversified regions within the country. I was so grateful to experience traveling from the busy city of Athens, to the mountain tops of Delphi, and to the peaceful ruins in Crete all within a single week; I cannot travel to different areas like this from where I live around NYC. What advice do you have for prospective students who are interested in or planning to study abroad with CYA? What do you wish you knew before starting your study abroad experience? To fully experience where you are staying, it is essential that you leave your phone shut off. There is so much to take in wherever you go that if your eyes are glued to a screen that you have access to all the time you will miss a lot of things. It is important to admire where you are in the moment because there is nothing in the US that resembles the beauty of Greece. That’s also why you MUST bring a camera, so you can show off your adventures to everyone back home! How was the political climate in Greece different from what are you used to? If applicable, describe a time when you had to navigate a political conversation during your time abroad. The very first night there was some sort of election that just happened and I remember having a conversation with one of the CYA officials about the results. The CYA official said it was a surprise as to the party that had won, which is somewhat similar to the current US president’s administration win two years prior. I was fascinated to learn of the many different parties that comprise the Greek parliament as the US has two main parties and does not talk with the EU. That said, more political parties allows for more diversified degrees of political correctness, something that in America you don’t see. In America, any political comment is likely to rally one side but alienate another, something I feel that Greek citizens did not have to worry about. I’m glad I never felt like there was just one side or another, and that the political climate of Greece was less polarized than America. Please select any of the following that apply to you, and that you would be willing to share about your CYA experience with other students: Religion while abroad Mental health while abroad STEM major What extracurricular activities were you involved within Greece? Planned own trips to other historical sites, involved myself with local farmers' markets Briefly describe a cultural experience you had that was significant to you in any way. Visiting Crete and being taken around the city and Minoan museums Favorite food in Greece? Pastichio Favorite class you took at CYA? Dialogue Between Greeks and Jews Favorite quote from abroad? "Let's live Life: Cretan Style" - Steve Bowman

Miss Jessica Kleinfelder based on your experience with CYA, what are some of the benefits of spending a semester or summer abroad? How has studying abroad contributed to your personal, academic, and professional development?  My experience with CYA was the best decision I've ever made. The thing about studying abroad that goes unrivaled is the fact that you have an opportunity to LIVE in another country. When one visits new places - especially a new country - they typically only have time to do the "touristy" things and see the main attractions that everyone's seen on postcards. With my class, we got to road-trip all over Greece and go to and through many places, I would have never known existed. And they were SO beautiful! The huge benefit that study abroad provides is the enrichment of culture and truly getting to experience a completely different part of the world. By studying with CYA and living in Athens, I learned that Greece is home to the kindest, most hospitable people in the world. And that proved time and time again. This was a great personal awakening for me because this genuine, warm welcoming seems to be much rarer in America. The US is home to hundreds and hundreds of huge corporations but continues to penny-pinch everything they get their hands on. In Greece on the other hand, I made many life-long friends out of my cab-drivers, hosts, and waiters who went above and beyond in everything, and basically got something free with almost every meal. Study abroad was also AMAZING for my personal independence. I've only traveled out of the US once to a Caribbean island, so the metros, buses, ferries, and taxis of Europe were a whole new ball game to me. And I absolutely loved it. After conquering about every method of transportation Europe has to offer, my confidence was boosted exponentially and I can't wait to travel more on my own/with friends! Additionally, this was an academic experience unlike any other. Professor Afzal was one of the best professors I've ever had because even though he did lecture quite a bit, it was captivating and truly made me think and question things. Every other lecture class I've taken consisted of me listening for an hour and scribbling down notes as fast as I could. But this class truly challenged me to think! What made it even better was that we got to travel all around Greece and see the physical settings/context of the Bible. No class will ever compare! I also grew professionally during my time in Greece because this trip opened my mind up to so much more. I was able to have a broader scope of world topics, network with other people and classmates, and envision a future beyond the measure that I always saw confined to the US. Studying abroad was truly the best experience I have ever had. What advice do you have for prospective students who are interested in or planning to study abroad with CYA? What do you wish you knew before starting your study abroad experience?

1. Definitely travel on the weekends! I loved visiting Hydra & Aegina
2. Book your flight later to give you time to travel! I went to Santorini for five days after the program ended and I wish I could've stayed forever. Definitely would've loved to travel to Italy too.
3. Don't worry about not knowing anyone! I was lucky enough to know two people in my program, but mostly everyone else was flying solo and we all had a great time getting to know each other! Many people traveled together too!
4. Go out to eat with your classmates! Most nights, about 10/15 members of our class would go out to dinner together, and our professor would join us too! It was a great opportunity to get to know people and try new foods
5. Get your euros beforehand! I ordered euros through my bank before my trip and I'm so glad I did. It allowed me to budget (I knew how much I had for spending), make sure I wasn't being ripped off with rates, and not have to worry about finding an ATM or going to exchange counters in the airport when I got there.

Please select any of the following that apply to you, and that you would be willing to share about your CYA experience with other students: Finances while abroad Religion while abroad Other: Travel/Planning abroad What extracurricular activities were you involved with in Greece? e.g. volunteering with soup kitchen, running the Athens marathon, etc. Attended the international church, travelled, running/exercising around town Briefly describe a cultural experience you had that was significant to you in any way. On our first night in Athens, we were wandering around Monastiraki after dinner. A host named Mikel tried to scout us to come into his restaurant, Maiandros, and eat, but we explained we already had dinner. Regardless, he ended up striking up a conversation with us, asking where we were from. It turns out he had been to North Carolina a few times and we had a great conversation with him! Fast-forward through the 5 weeks we were in Greece, we passed him probably at least 10 times and every single time he remembered us, hugged us, and happily talked to us. Every time we went there to eat he took such good care of us, put us on the roof and our server gave us drinks on him. Leaving Greece, I was probably the saddest to say goodbye to our friend Mikel! Favorite food in Greece? Saganaki - fried cheese :) Favorite class you took at CYA? The Geography of Faith: Paul and the Emergence of Christianity in Greece (Athens, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica)  

Dear Jordan Markham, based on your experience with CYA, what are some of the benefits of spending a semester or summer abroad? How has studying abroad contributed to your personal, academic, and professional development?  There is nothing like learning about ancient history while actually walking around the places the stories you've read about took place. Not only has my knowledge of history grown, but I have made amazing friends from all over the world and gained life skills that I will use forever. What advice do you have for prospective students who are interested in or planning to study abroad with CYA? What do you wish you knew before starting your study abroad experience? You don't need to pack as much as you think you do! Also, make sure you take every opportunity to see the Greek islands and other amazing places you won't be going to with your class. There is so much to explore and you don't want to miss out on any of it! Please select any of the following that apply to you, and that you would be willing to share about your CYA experience with other students: LGBTQ student Finances while abroad Religion while abroad Mental health while abroad Favorite food in Greece? Dolmades Favorite class you took at CYA? Geography of Faith

Miss Sydnie Chavez, based on your experience with CYA, what are some of the benefits of spending a semester or summer abroad? How has studying abroad contributed to your personal, academic, and professional development?  My summer at CYA has had a huge impact in my personal development and my development as a scholar. I interacted with such diverse groups of people, who had all come together out of an interest in Greece and its prehistory. The course I took (on the archaeology of the Bronze Age Aegean) solidified my knowledge of this period through extensive travel and site visits; so far, I've found the information I learned in the course to be widely applicable to the rest of my studies. What advice do you have for prospective students who are interested in or planning to study abroad with CYA? What do you wish you knew before starting your study abroad experience? Be ready to be spontaneous! Whether it's a quick walk to Plaka to shop after your airline left your bags behind, or deciding to hop on a boat to see the Black Beach in Santorini, these are the experiences that will make your time at CYA so memorable. Please select any of the following that apply to you, and that you would be willing to share about your CYA experience with other students: Student of color Finances while abroad Religion while abroad Mental health while abroad Favorite food in Greece? Fava! Favorite quote from abroad? "Today is life, tomorrow never comes." (For whatever reason I saw this everywhere in Crete!)