Anna Lupardo ’26, our host Emma’s best friend, joins the pod for the final episode of the semester! Anna and Emma chat about studying abroad away from your friends, since Anna was studying in Madrid while Emma was in Poland, while building a new found family abroad. The group also shares favorite holiday memories (‘tis the season!), having the support of a Syracuse program, and traveling to unite new friend groups. Plus: Emma reveals where she almost studied abroad instead! Tune in now for our most intimate episode yet and join us again in 2026!

Architecture students at Syracuse University get education and inspiration in international design through studying abroad all over the world. Samantha Wilson ’27, joins the pod this week to share her experience studying architecture in Florence and beyond. The group talks about awesome field trips, Sam’s favorite class (which traveled through Bosnia!), comparing architectural styles across time and space, and so much more. Sam also goes in depth about her studio project, which was redesigning an abandoned dairy farm in Sardinia, Italy. Tune in today to get the full experience of studying architecture abroad!

This week, Xanthe Kakaras ’26, Communications Design major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, joins the pod to share her journey to London this spring and then to Florence in the summer! She explained the classes she took in her special Design-oriented program, getting artistic inspiration from the exciting cities around her, and gaining a new, unique perspective. Xanthe also talked about her cool internship in Florence with a jewelry designer, who she helped with growing the business and even planned a whole photoshoot (with her friends at Syracuse Florence as the models!). Tune in now to learn more about being a VPA student abroad and how to make study abroad work for you!

Alison Wu ’26, an Information Management and Technology major, joins the podcast to tell us everything we need to know about studying abroad as an iSchool student! Alison shares her stories from Waseda University, a World Partner program in Tokyo (she changed majors to do this program!), and Eurotech, a short-term program specifically for iSchool students. We dive deep into the clubs she joined in Japan, the nonstop travel of Eurotech, and how she made two study abroad experiences work with her major. Tune in now to hear about Alison’s whirlwind experiences around the world!

Educating future generations requires School of Education students to understand the greater world around them. Elyas Layachi ’27, Mathematics and Inclusive Education major, traveled all the way to Italy on the “Inclusive Schools and Society: Lessons from the Italian Context” short-term program to gain a new perspective on education. He joins Emma and Nico on the podcast to share about his experience, where he learned how Italy has created one of the most inclusive education systems in the world. Elyas also talks about traveling and learning alongside InclusiveU students, on the first fully inclusive program at Syracuse Abroad! His pro tip: Bring really good shoes to Italy! Tune in now to hear more about this unique experience abroad.

Study abroad shows you that there is something incredible to learn in every corner of our world. Miles Scherer ’27, International Relations and Environment, Sustainability and Policy major, joins the podcast this week to share everything he learned about the planet on SIT Madagascar. He had the incredible opportunity to visit national parks and study natural resources management in a small island nation where 90% of all living plants and animals cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Miles and our host Emma Poper chat about the importance of learning the local language, stepping outside your comfort zone and meeting like-minded people on a small program. He even tells the story about how he saved turtles from smuggling! Tune in now to hear about this incredible adventure in Madagascar.

The sports industry is global, and when Falk College students study abroad, they gain an invaluable understanding of new sport markets. Claire Patin ’26, Sport Analytics major, knew she wanted to study abroad, so she headed to London to get the experience of a lifetime. Claire joins the podcast this week to talk about making abroad work as a Falk student, her internship with a major-league sports data company (working with the Premier League!), and getting to attend games in the UK. She also talks about her favorite spots in London and why studying abroad in the fall was the absolute best (perfect weather + holiday markets!). Tune in now to learn about Claire’s experience and let it inspire your study abroad adventure.

From Discovery Florence to SRAS: Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, Sarah Schreiber ’26 has studied abroad all over the world. She even took a gap year in Germany, spent a summer in the country of Georgia, and had an internship for a semester in Washington, D.C. She joins our host Emma Poper to share how each of these experiences impacted her differently, changing her understanding of the world around her. Sarah also gives advice on learning the local language, establishing a routine abroad, and navigating challenging cultural differences. Listen now to learn more about her world travels!

Note: Due to a technical issue, this episode cuts off the last minute of conversation. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

In today’s world, our businesses are all impacted by global economics, supply chains, and more. On this episode, we dive into studying abroad for students in the Whitman School, with help from two program alumni. Our guests are Frances Brown ’27, finance and television, radio, and film major; who studied abroad on the Whitman Core program in London as a sophomore, and Jed Stockdale ’26, business analytics major, who studied in London in the fall of his junior year. Both share their love for the city, immersing themselves in the hustle of London, and everything they learned in their Whitman classes and unique electives. We also bring back a beloved segment - study abroad fails! Tune in now to hear both our guests’ and our hosts’ London travel misses.

Studying abroad is crucial for professional development for Newhouse School students! With so many opportunities for learning about communications around the globe, it can be hard to narrow down your options. Jude Bazerman ’26, broadcast and digital journalism and geography major, joins the pod this week to tell us all about his experience in London, where he explored every nook and cranny of the city. Emma also shares about her two journalism internships in Central Europe, where she worked with Ukrainian refugees in Poland. They share what they learned abroad that they couldn’t have learned anywhere else! We end with a question from a Newhouse major studying abroad in Strasbourg right now. Spoiler: Jude’s pro tip is to journal about your experience!