I would like to start by thanking the Stephenson Fund, Cassie Hagan, and Dr. Peter Mikek. Without them, I would not have had the amazing opportunity to study abroad over the summer. Before taking part in this study abroad course, I had never been outside of the country. After this summer, I have been to four different European countries where I experienced real world applications for the macroeconomics class I took. I had the pleasure to take a macroeconomics class with Dr. Mikek at the beautiful Harlaxton Manor in the countryside of England. We studied and analyzed real world macroeconomic scenarios such as Brexit, the European Union, railway strikes in the UK, and many more. While abroad, I traveled to London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Santorini, Greece.
The macroeconomics course I took with Dr. Peter Mikek was a challenging but very rewarding class. We studied real world economic experiences and had the opportunity to see the scenarios take place in the real world. For example, while we were in England the railway union was on strike for a week demanding better wages. We were able to see how this effected the economy and how countries other than the United States fight for their rights. 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 way was very beneficial as it was rewarding to see beyond the graph as we participated in different experiential learning activities. First, we visited the 2012 Olympic Village and learned more about how they planned sustainability with the many structures and buildings erected. 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 outside of the country. I am now blessed to have been to England, Scotland, Netherlands, and Greece where I went to museums, art galleries, and saw many historical buildings such as: Big Ben, Westminster, the Rijks Museum, the London Gallery, the Tower of London, the Edinburgh Castle, and many more. This study abroad experience opened my eyes to the rest of the world and allowed to me see different cultures. I am blessed to have been able to take part in this experience and I want to thank the Stephenson Institute, Cassie Hagan, and Dr. Peter Mikek one more time for the opportunity of a lifetime.
