Student Profiles

Kathleen Stephan '10

My experiences at Stonehill College have allowed me to test myself in new ways. Be it learning to live away from home or traveling halfway across the world, Stonehill has taught me how to embrace and enjoy new challenges.

Volunteering & Doing Undergraduate Research in Nigeria

During the summer of 2008 I traveled to southeastern Nigeria to participate in a joint effort between the African Youth Education Community Development Foundation and The Martin Institute for Law and Society at Stonehill College. I traveled thousands of miles with Professor Peter Ubertaccio of the Martin Institute, fellow student Chris Tirrell '09 and two AYECDF members. During those two weeks I was privileged to meet with students and community leaders who shared with us their personal stories and national struggles. The trip made a personal impact on everyone involved and in Summer 2009 I will participate in the Student Undergraduate Research Experience (S.U.R.E.) in order to stay involved with the region. Together with Professor Ubertaccio I hope to learn more about Nigeria and possible solutions to the problems our new friends face daily.

Study Abroad: Santiago, Chile

After returning from Nigeria I was eager to go abroad again. As a freshman I had begun to take Spanish courses and really enjoyed studying the language. This new found interest along with my International Studies major reaffirmed my decision to study abroad.

I eventually decided on a program in Santiago, Chile for the fall of 2008. My nearly four months in South America taught me so much, not only about the culture but also myself. I was not always comfortable, confident or successful but I was able to place myself far outside of my comfort zone and learn from the experience.

Latin America, Washington, D.C. and The Balkans

Despite my whirlwind year, the travel bug has still not left me and I hope it never does. The courses I've taken and people I've met at Stonehill have helped to prepare me to not be afraid to leave the familiar and be a part of cultures that are different from my own. Stonehill has also given me the financial flexibility to travel widely and see the reality of what I've studied.

As a H.O.P.E. trip participant in 2008, I spent my spring break working at a school in the Dominican Republic, and as the teaching assistant for a Learning Community I went to Mexico City in 2009. In fall 2009 I will intern in Washington D.C. through a program on Peace and Conflict Resolution, and will spend the last three weeks traveling through the Balkans.

Only at Stonehill

If I ever think about what my college years would have been like at a different university I immediately think of all the experiences I would have missed. Few colleges or universities give students the same encouragement and opportunities that I have been lucky enough to find here. Stonehill has launched me out of New England and into the rest of the world. After graduation I hope to return to Latin America with either a research fellowship or a year of service program, something I would never have seriously considered before coming to Stonehill. As frightening as graduation may at times seem, I know that I am equipped take advantage of whatever lies ahead.

Kathleen is from Clifton Park, NY.

Photo Credit: Che Edoga