Hello, Athens!

Kalimera from Athens, Greece! My name is Lane Abraham (they/them), and I am a senior Educational Foundations major in the College of Education. I am a Eugene native, born and raised. Through this Diverse Duck Ambassador experience, I want to highlight what it's like to travel as a Queer and Non-Binary person. I chose Studio Art in Athens specifically to challenge myself as a queer educator who wants to teach using project-based learning (PBL), where students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

The Perfect Preview: My Pre-Freshman Experience in Siena

There has never been a feeling comparable to the one I felt when I left Siena this past August. You tend to not realize the full impact of an experience you go through until it's left in hindsight, and that has never been more true than last week when I said goodbye to Siena. So many aspects made my month in Siena truly unique, and to this day, I haven't really missed anything as much as my time in Italy.

Returning Home From Siena

Hello, it's Morgan Pagel. I have really been missing Siena, Italy! Coming home has been very bittersweet, and I find myself wishing I was back abroad. I enjoyed my time there so much!

One big adjustment I've been getting used to is the jetlag. Waking up at five in the morning for a week straight was not on my agenda. My tip is to be gentle with yourself. It is going to take some time to readjust, so limiting self-judgement is key.

Returning From Costa Rica

As I return to daily life in the U.S., I wanted to share some of my experiences coming back into my hometown in Texas after my time in Heredia, Costa Rica. I had the best time in Costa Rica and have been noticing some of the differences in the way of life compared to my experience in the U.S. Some subtleties that I have observed are how saving resources is approached, modes of transportation, and dietary differences.