Our CEA alumni have so many amazing stories and photos to share that we wanted to pass them along to students still considering a study abroad experience. And who better to moderate the discussion than our own well-traveled, dare I say Olympian, CEA admissions counselor and site specialist: Michelle and Catherine.
Each brings a passion for cultural exploration and study abroad to her job every day. Students who get the chance to meet these two wonderful advisors can't help but catch their enthusiasm! Read what they have to say about their own cultural experiences and check out our CEA Global Education fan page on Facebook!
Meet Michelle
My name is Michelle and I am an admissions counselor at CEA. I help new students navigate the application process by guiding them in their destination decisions and sharing my own international experiences. I have been with CEA for 3 ½ years. I was born and raised in Castle Rock, Colorado, to parents from the country formally known as Czechoslovakia. I found myself spending most of my summers growing up in Europe chasing goats and helping my grandparents make specialty pastries.
I graduated from Johnson & Wales University in South Carolina with a Bachelor’s degree in International Hotel & Tourism Management. I spent one semester during my junior year in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and part of my senior year in South Wales. My study abroad experiences were honestly the best time of my life. I learned so much about myself during that time. I really enjoyed the European way of life and loved to observe other cultures first-hand. It was so easy to make friends because we all had to rely on each other to navigate the city every day. I have met the most amazing people from all around the world and am still in touch with most of them.
Study abroad is something I am extremely passionate about and I think everyone should experience another culture first-hand at least once in their lifetime. If I were to choose a CEA program today, I would study abroad in South Africa. I think it would be such an amazing experience to live on a nature reserve and in a country I have yet to explore. I feel like I am CEA’s number one fan! I love what CEA represents and, judging by the way they treat their employees, I know they really strive to make the students' experiences priceless.
Meet Catherine
My name is Catherine and I’ve worked at CEA as a Site Specialist for almost three years. I advise students going to France, Ireland and China. CEA site specialists prepare students for their time abroad, assisting in many areas including the visa process, housing and academics. If you have a question about your program or need help keeping on track with the many things to be done before studying abroad, your site specialist is here to help!
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, in 1998. (A pre-Euro Italy! I still have a pocketful of Lira.) Of the cities I visited while abroad, my favorite was Venice. I spent a day there running around and taking in as much of the city as I could. The other students who came with me couldn’t keep up – so I ended up navigating the canals and museums on my own.
I took a break to have tea in St. Mark’s square at Caffé Florian and watched the crowds walk by and play with the pigeons. A string quartet played Vivaldi, a fitting soundtrack for the scene.
After the day was finished, I rode the train back to Florence, sharing a compartment with a pair of art historians from England. It was pretty much the perfect day.
Each brings a passion for cultural exploration and study abroad to her job every day. Students who get the chance to meet these two wonderful advisors can't help but catch their enthusiasm! Read what they have to say about their own cultural experiences and check out our CEA Global Education fan page on Facebook!
Meet Michelle
My name is Michelle and I am an admissions counselor at CEA. I help new students navigate the application process by guiding them in their destination decisions and sharing my own international experiences. I have been with CEA for 3 ½ years. I was born and raised in Castle Rock, Colorado, to parents from the country formally known as Czechoslovakia. I found myself spending most of my summers growing up in Europe chasing goats and helping my grandparents make specialty pastries.
I graduated from Johnson & Wales University in South Carolina with a Bachelor’s degree in International Hotel & Tourism Management. I spent one semester during my junior year in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and part of my senior year in South Wales. My study abroad experiences were honestly the best time of my life. I learned so much about myself during that time. I really enjoyed the European way of life and loved to observe other cultures first-hand. It was so easy to make friends because we all had to rely on each other to navigate the city every day. I have met the most amazing people from all around the world and am still in touch with most of them.
Study abroad is something I am extremely passionate about and I think everyone should experience another culture first-hand at least once in their lifetime. If I were to choose a CEA program today, I would study abroad in South Africa. I think it would be such an amazing experience to live on a nature reserve and in a country I have yet to explore. I feel like I am CEA’s number one fan! I love what CEA represents and, judging by the way they treat their employees, I know they really strive to make the students' experiences priceless.
Meet Catherine
My name is Catherine and I’ve worked at CEA as a Site Specialist for almost three years. I advise students going to France, Ireland and China. CEA site specialists prepare students for their time abroad, assisting in many areas including the visa process, housing and academics. If you have a question about your program or need help keeping on track with the many things to be done before studying abroad, your site specialist is here to help!
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, in 1998. (A pre-Euro Italy! I still have a pocketful of Lira.) Of the cities I visited while abroad, my favorite was Venice. I spent a day there running around and taking in as much of the city as I could. The other students who came with me couldn’t keep up – so I ended up navigating the canals and museums on my own.
I took a break to have tea in St. Mark’s square at Caffé Florian and watched the crowds walk by and play with the pigeons. A string quartet played Vivaldi, a fitting soundtrack for the scene.
After the day was finished, I rode the train back to Florence, sharing a compartment with a pair of art historians from England. It was pretty much the perfect day.