When Thomas Freilino journeyed to Dublin, Ireland, with Slippery Rock University students, he knew he would be learning about how to become a leader. After all, the program was organized by SRU’s Student Engagement and Leadership Office. What Freilino did not know was the insight he would gain from an SRU alumna.
Freilino, a junior mathematics major from Export (Penn-Trafford HS) was joined by 19 other students and two SRU staff members as they toured Ireland, May 12-20, and met with Nicole Yale, ’10, an SRU communication graduate who now works at LinkedIn’s Dublin office. Yale shared her experiences on professionalism, leadership and how to seek career opportunities.
“She gave us advice on how to carry ourselves and gain professional experiences,” Freilino said. “I don’t think I’ll ever experience something like that again.”
Freilino said the experience taught him that exploring areas outside of your professional focus can be time well spent, noting his major in mathematics is not typically associated with interpersonal leadership skills.
“It’s crazy the amount you can learn and the amount of fun you can have in such a short time,” Freilino said. “It’s like nothing else I’ve ever done.”
In addition to professional development, the group explored Ireland’s rich history and culture, visiting Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol and the Cliffs of Moher.
Reflecting on his time in Ireland, Freilino encourages other students to take advantage of the chance to study abroad, even if the focus of the trip might be out of their normal area of study.
“If anyone can go on these trips they absolutely should, it’s such an invaluable experience,” he said.
Freilino was one of more than 180 SRU students to travel abroad last year as part of the University’s study abroad programs. They include 10 short-terms programs led by faculty members and administrators, like the one Freilino benefitted from, but there’s also monthlong or semester-long programs where students earn academic credit at partner institutions that are applied to their SRU degree. Additionally, more than 20 education majors completed their student-teaching requirements in Spain. All told, SRU students learned in 30 different countries last year.
“Students can study abroad from any major, for any length of time, in any place in the world — it is self-designed,” said Jenny Kawata, SRU’s director of global exchanges and partnerships. “Many of our students who travel abroad say that it is the most impactful experience that they’ve had during their time in college. It makes a big difference for attracting and retaining students, and, most importantly, setting them up to succeed.”
More information about study abroad programs at SRU is available on the University’s website or by calling 724.738.2057. More information about Student Engagement and Leadership is available on the office’s webpage.
