During the spring semester of my freshman year, I was waiting for office hours with my TA at the Bush School when my friend and I noticed an ad for a summer study abroad trip to Greece. My friend jokingly suggested we apply, even though we doubted we’d be accepted, especially with the deadline just a few days away. Still, I ended up writing my application essay on the bus to class and submitted it within 30 minutes. After that, we didn’t give it much thought and forgot all about it.
A few weeks later, I finished an exam and checked my phone to see a notification from the education abroad department. Fully expecting a rejection, I opened it and was shocked to find out that both my friend and I had been accepted. We were both thrilled but also a bit overwhelmed by the cost. After talking it over, we realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance that we’d regret missing out on, so we decided it was meant to be and accepted our spots.
Fast-forward to summer, and we were off to Greece for ten days of learning about Greek government and policies. The first few days were spent exploring Thessaloniki, and our professors gave us plenty of freedom to explore the city, as long as we returned to class on time. Greece had always been my dream destination, so I was thrilled to soak in as much of the culture as possible.
Before this trip, I was pretty set on going to law school. But as we delved into how different policies impacted Greek citizens, I found myself unexpectedly drawn to public policy. The class was incredibly engaging, and I realized I was more interested in policy work than I’d imagined. By the end of the trip, I was questioning if law school was the only path I wanted to pursue.
This experience broadened my perspective and made me realize there are multiple ways to make a difference. It was a defining moment that opened my eyes to possibilities I hadn’t seriously considered, making me more open-minded about what I truly want for my future.