Thanks to the Stephenson Fund, Professor Mikek, and Cassie Hagan, I could experience studying abroad this past summer! I have never stepped foot abroad before, and this opportunity allowed me to explore four different countries while taking a demanding course on Macroeconomics. I had the privilege of living and studying at Harlaxton Manor in the countryside of the United Kingdom. I studied macroeconomics with Professor Mikek and used this knowledge to analyze European real-world scenarios. This included Brexit, the European Union, railway strikes in the UK, and many more. I traveled to Salamanca, Spain; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Santorini, Greece.
The macroeconomics course was demanding due to Professor Mikek pushing us to see how different graphs and the domino effects of various policies look like in the real world. We learned about the short and long-run impacts of various fiscal and monetary policies. We then used this information to examine Brexit and different Union Strikes and then made predictions on what will happen in the UK. Learning in this manner was rewarding, being able to see beyond the graph as we also participated in weekly experimental learnings. First, we visited the 2012 Olympic Village and how they planned sustainability with everything built from the ground up in what used to be a run-down area of London. Next, we visited the British Museum and learned about the history of money throughout world history. After that, we went to the Nottingham Chamber of Commerce and learned about the status of the economy in Nottingham and around the UK. Finally, we went to the Bank of England Museum and saw the development of money within the country.
Before this experience, I had never been abroad or even flown on a plane. It was gratifying to see and enter historical places such as the Tower of London, the Salamanca Cathedral, the Rijks Museum, the London Bridge, and many more. Creating new experiences such as donkey riding through Santorini Island or cliff jumping into the Aegean Sea was terrific. To explore new cultures such as Salamanca, where I may have been the only tourist and English-speaking person.
This was all possible due to the Stephenson Family, Mr. Lewis McCrary, Cassie Hagan, and Professor Mikek. I have now fulfilled a lifelong dream while gaining invaluable experiences and memories.
