Identity Abroad with Syracuse Abroad

We put our Global Ambassadors to the test this week! Eric Gegiu ’27 and Stephen Woolston ’27, both Pre-Law in Strasbourg alums, join the podcast to see who knows the most about Syracuse Abroad and travel knowledge. Tune in to learn who first circumnavigated the world (the answer will surprise you!), how many languages Papua New Guinea speaks, and so much more. Come see if you know better than a GA! Bonus: Delaney drops some new updates to our application process.

On December 21, 1988, thirty-five Syracuse University students who were returning from studying abroad lost their lives in a terrorist attack aboard Pan Am Flight 103. In this special Remembrance Week episode, Ella and Delaney reflect on the meaning of study abroad in the wake of this immense tragedy, even decades later. Ella, a Remembrance Scholar, shares how she learned more about the attack while studying abroad in Florence and how it prompted her to reflect on her experience, both in seeing the world and returning home from the journey. Please join Ella and the Remembrance Scholars for the Rose Laying Ceremony on Oct. 23 as we remember the students we lost.

What does the classroom look like when all are treated equally? This is the question students on the School of Education’s “Inclusive Schools” faculty-led courses explore as they visit classrooms in Italy, and coming soon, Ireland. Student JP Pasquale and Professor Christine Ashby join Ella and Delaney this week to reflect on the profound experience they had traveling through Rome, Florence, Padua and beyond with their cohort. They share how their program models Italian classrooms, bringing both InclusiveU and SoE students together in the same class. Professor Ashby also shares some details about the upcoming trip to Ireland. Tune in to learn more about one of the coolest courses Syracuse Abroad offers!

Have you ever had a question you couldn’t find an answer to? Or wanted to understand why something works the way it does? You may want to be a researcher - and with study abroad, you can investigate topics all over the globe! In today’s episode, Ella and Delaney sit down with Ohemaa Asibuo ’27 and Mason Burley ’27 to discuss their research pursuits and how they fit them into a busy semester studying abroad. Mason, Ohemaa and Ella are all Tyler Fellows through SU’s SOURCE office, and Ohemaa is also a Lender Global Fellow, which gave them funding for their research. Tune in to learn about their work studying Polish castles, post-Soviet education systems, and the impacts of dictatorships on society!

Each time you study abroad, the experience changes you. So, how does one experience inform the next time you immerse yourself in a new culture? Natalia Iguina Cruz ’27 and Rachael Dubrow ’28 join Ella and Delaney this week to share what lessons they learned from their first time studying abroad and how they applied them during their second (or third!) experience. They talk about gaining confidence, centering yourself, expanding your academic worldview, and so much more. Maybe this episode will inspire you to study abroad twice!

New year, new host! We welcome Ella Roerden ’27 as the new host of the Syracuse Abroad podcast for 2026-27. Join her and Delaney as they explore their study abroad experiences using the five senses - taste, touch, sight, smell and sound. Ella talks about her time researching castles in Poland, eating sopapillas in Chile and exploring the Uffizi in Florence. Tune in now for the first episode of the semester!

Katya Kauth ’26, who studied in Central Europe with our co-host Emma, and Anna Lupardo ’26, Emma’s best friend since freshman year, return to the pod for this season’s final episode! They talk about how the travel bug bit them early, getting adopted by each other’s parents, and what it means to make lifelong friends in college. Anna shares about how abroad showed her that home is where your people are, and Katya reflects on leaving room for spontaneity when she travels. Tune in now for a bittersweet but beautiful moment of friendship for these graduating seniors!

Three awesome seniors join the pod for one last hurrah: Carrie Karten ’26, Isabella Flores ’26, and Gustavo Madero ’26. They all reminisce on their favorite aspects of life in Madrid and what they’ve tried to bring back with them (Bonus: Gustavo studied in Shanghai, too!). Most importantly, they reflect on how studying abroad changed their academic careers and, maybe, even the rest of their lives. This is the best episode yet for advice from our near-graduates looking back on the past four years!

Students can explore different academic interests abroad, just like they can on campus! Marion Patsalides ’28, Mechanical Engineering major and Global Security Studies minor, studied in Strasbourg where she could take classes for both her major and minor. She walks us through a day biking around the beautiful city along the rivers, stopping for lunch at a boulangerie, and heading to classes at the local engineering university. Marion also gives advice on not getting a class you want due to scheduling conflicts, a common student experience, and how she ended up loving the class she switched into even more. Tune in to learn how the unexpected can be the best part of your experience, if you roll with the punches!

In this special bonus episode of the pod, Delaney and Emma sit down one-on-one to go behind-the-scenes of the podcast! They share the origin story behind the pod, thank the awesome people that help make it happen, and discuss what they’ve learned the most from guests. Tune in now to get deep on the impact of study abroad, travel and connecting to others across cultures and borders.