Penn State Brandywine students took their stateside studies overseas for a week of learning abroad in Ireland and Puerto Rico during spring break.
Students on the Ireland trip visited several cities throughout the country including Dublin, Belfast, Galway and Limerick. Along the way, they explored many of the Emerald Isle’s prominent landmarks.
For sophomore Victor Ficarra and junior Hannah Sarafinas, traveling to Ireland marked their second trip with Brandywine Global Programs. Both students went to Sicily and Malta last spring with the campus and explained that having the opportunity to study abroad has made their experience as Brandywine students memorable.
"Global Programs allowed me to earn credits and see the world while learning about the history, language and culture of different countries," said Sarafinas, who was joined on the Ireland trip by her brother Ben, a Brandywine freshman. "The most memorable part of this trip was getting to experience the country and culture that my ancestors came from."
"The Cliffs of Moher, the Giant's Causeway and Connemara National Park were all incredible and unforgettable," Ficarra said. "Getting to experience Ireland's countryside, as well as the more urban locations, gave us a great overview of what Ireland is like."
The trip to Puerto Rico included not only cultural learning and discovery, but also incorporated a service component. Students volunteered by completing restoration work at Reserva Natural Ciénaga Las Cucharillas, a local mangrove reserve in Cataño, Puerto Rico damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017.