EHS graduate students spend week in Paris

03/07/2014 10:44 AM

By Jennifer Cundiff ’16

Five Leadership in Education, Human Services and Counseling grad students spent time in Paris as part of Interim 2014 coursework. The trip was the first time Education and Health Science grad students studied abroad during the January session.

With a focus on resilience in the human brain, Dr. Lori Russell-Chapin said it was the perfect subject for a study abroad because of the resilience it takes to travel abroad.

“Paris was the perfect city because it is the home of the early history and research of neuroscience,” she said.

The students were able to study in the mornings and spend their afternoons sightseeing, particularly historical landmarks such as the Louvre, Versailles, and the University of Sorbonne.

Graduate student Katie Hellige, who is pursuing a master’s in counseling, was able to participate in the J-Term experience.

“There were so many amazing experiences that will help in my future career,” Hellige said. “I was able to gain a better understanding of cultural diversity through my time there.”

The better understanding of cultural diversity will help Bradley students in the future as they move into their careers in counseling.

“Exploring a new culture, developing strong faculty-student relationships, and accumulating inter-personal skills are just a few of the benefits of studying abroad,” Russell-Chapin said.

 The nine-day venture brought scheduling challenges for students, but those were worth the reward.

“There is a lot to juggle and there were a lot of things that I had to move around in order to go,” Helige said. “Fortunately for me, everyone was incredibly accommodating. They were all so excited that I had this opportunity and they were able to be flexible with me in terms of my assignments.”

“Bradley offering programs like these truly makes a difference in how students see and experience the world.” Russell-Chapin said.