Prague Perspective
Ohio Wesleyan Student’s Time in Europe Provides Fresh Outlook on Future
Name: Jenn Lee ’24
Why I Chose This Experience
“The program’s partner school, Anglo-American University, offers so many courses that would translate to credits for my major at OWU, and it was significantly more affordable than others, which was a huge deciding factor for me.
“I also had little to no preconceived notions or prior knowledge of [Prague] … so it was almost as if my intuition was telling me to apply on a whim because of its mystery.”
My Favorite Moments
“All of the cultures I have been able to immerse myself in thus far have been rewarding, eye-opening, and something I am very grateful for.
“Not only have I never been to Prague before this study abroad experience, but I have never been to Europe … and because the Czech Republic is centrally located, it has made traveling around the continent easy and accessible.
“I have visited so many different cultures and cannot be happier with how much I have learned and experienced.”
Lessons Learned
“My initial intentions with studying abroad was to learn more about myself and become more independent.
“From taking public transportation for half an hour to get to class (something I was very unfamiliar with being born and raised in Ohio), to paying my international SIM card/phone bill on time, to deciding what meal I’m going to cook/buy next, to managing my finances on a whole other level – I was also able to figure out what kind of lifestyle works best for me and my mental health completely independent from the familiarity of friends, family, and and my home environment.
“I can definitely say that I will be coming home with a fresh outlook on how I want to live my life and can see it helping me move forward in my desired direction in life post-college. I am also taking four classes in which none of my professors are American and all of my fellow classmates are from all around the world.”
My OWU Mentors
“Lisa Ho was heavily involved in my application process. She was with me every step of the way. She always made time to meet and answer my hundreds of questions and made my experience with applying comfortable and easy. I would not be having this experience if it wasn’t for all of her help. Thank you, Lisa! (Ho is OWU’s associate director of International and Off-Campus Programs.)
“Professor (Matt) Vollrath, my academic advisor, met with me several times to discuss the logistics of my schedule and what the rest of my college experience would look like in terms of classes. He helped me figure out what classes in Prague would work with OWU credits, how I would stay on track to graduate on time, and he also met with me very early in the morning EST just a few weeks ago to discuss my spring 2023 schedule. Thank you, Professor Vollrath!” (Vollrath also is an associate professor of Business Administration.)
OWU Alumni Advice
“Lisa referred me to Lucas Nathanson ’22 who studied abroad in Prague through the same program in the fall of 2021. We met and (surprise surprise) he answered my dozens of questions and was very helpful in my desire to find out what student life looked like for him. I kept in touch with him throughout the rest of the semester, and he answered questions of mine all the way up until my departure as well! Thanks, Lucas!”
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
“I chose Ohio Wesleyan because after my visit in February 2020, I found my love for a small school where the campus community is one like family. I fell for the beautiful campus, the programs (such as study abroad) OWU had to offer, and I also could not pass up the financial package I would be receiving.”
Plans After Graduation
“My plans after graduation are to work in the digital marketing sector at a large corporation and eventually make my way to business school to get my master’s degree.”