A CAPA Alumna Interview: Kathryn Deaver

Courtney Manning is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Convergence Journalism major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, she is studying abroad in London this semester.

In her last post, Courtney shares her top 10 tips from studying abroad, and how she's changed since arriving in London.

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I am currently sitting in Heathrow Airport awaiting my flight back to America. I’ve stayed in the U.K. a bit longer than most of my friends on my trip, and it doesn’t feel real yet that I’m actually leaving London. I am so comfortable with my life here now that I almost can’t imagine leaving. At the same time, I am excited to see my family, my pets, visit my friends at Mizzou and see what the summer has in store for me. Living in London for a semester has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I hope that I can live here again post-grad. Here are my top 10 takeaways/tips from my study abroad experience:

1. Alone time is wonderful.

I’ve made so many new friends on this trip, and while I’ve loved every moment I’ve spent with them, I’ve also learned that wandering around your city (and/or traveling other places) alone can be quite therapeutic. One of my favorite things to do on this trip was to look up a place in London that I wanted to visit, whether it be a landmark, a café or a piece of street art, put in my headphones and enjoy getting lost and seeing different parts of the city that I never would have seen otherwise. I am very much a “people person,” and at Mizzou and at home I am rarely ever alone. It was nice to take some time to think and relax by myself on this trip.

Courtney Manning is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Convergence Journalism major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, she is studying abroad in London this semester.

In this week's post, Courtney talks about how studying in London changed her as a person, and plans to return.

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It’s absolutely crazy to think that my time in London is quickly coming to an end. It’s safe to say that this was the best semester of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world. I feel that I have changed so much as an individual and as a student, and I have learned and grown more in such a short period of time- I will forever be grateful for that.

It breaks my heart that I will ever have to leave this beautiful city, but I now know that I definitely want to live here again after college. I’m going to try to get a job here immediately after I graduate because I don’t think that I can bear to be away from London for too long.

Sarah Kaplan is an official CAPA vlogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A screen studies major with a concentration in film/media production at Clark University, she is studying abroad in Dublin this semester.

In this week's video, Sarah spends a weekend with friends seeing the many sights of London- from The Eye to the changing of the guards.

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Thanks Sarah!

Sarah's journey continues every Wednesday so stay tuned!

We often find inspiration from the words of others. And most certainly wanderlust. And sometimes nostalgia. Even motivation. We've gathered 50 of our favorite quotes about London below and hope they'll move you too. 

1. “My Dad says that being a Londoner has nothing to do with where you're born. He says that there are people who get off a jumbo jet at Heathrow, go through immigration waving any kind of passport, hop on the tube and by the time the train's pulled into Piccadilly Circus they've become a Londoner.” - Ben Aaronovitch

Valkyrie Speaker, a film major at the University of Pittsburgh, is a CAPA World columnist during spring semester 2017. She'll be shooting weekly videos for "An American Film Student in London", published every Monday. 

For this week's vlog, Valkyrie takes us around Shoreditch and Brick Lane, where she eats food with friends and views street art.

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Thanks, Valkyrie!

A CAPA Alumna Interview: Victoria Ruggiero

Meet Victoria Ruggiero, a communication and international business major who studied abroad in London in the summer of 2016. Below, she talks about her love of staying active outdoors, how her internship experience led her to want a job in the international sector, and why she loved living in Camden Town and thinks you would, too.

CAPA WORLD: Tell us a bit about yourself.
VICTORIA RUGGIERO: My name is Victoria Ruggiero; I am from Long Island, New York. I am graduating in May of this year from The State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego with a degree in Communication and International Business. At school, I am a part of the Ski and Snowboarding Club, as well as the Outdoor Club. I really enjoy anything outdoors; I love to hike, bike, swim, snowboard, and soak in the sun. I have an intense passion for traveling to various destinations and exploring new places. This past summer, I had the privilege of studying abroad in London with the CAPA program. Studying and interning in London was the best experience of my entire life. I was able to experience an entirely new culture which allowed me to learn so much about myself, and the world around me.

Courtney Manning is an official CAPA blogger for spring 2017, sharing her story in weekly posts on CAPA World. A Convergence Journalism major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, she is studying abroad in London this semester.

In this week's post, Courtney talks about studying abroad in London has changed her as a person in a positive way.

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It’s hard to believe that I only have a week left of my program in London. I have dreamed about this trip since I was around five or six years old, and I’m honestly heartbroken about leaving. I’m blown away by how much I’ve changed during this trip- I knew I was going to change somewhat, but I never imagined it would be this drastic. I’m proud of my changes, though, because I feel that I am now truly a more cultured, tolerant and independent person than I was before.

Valkyrie Speaker, a film major at the University of Pittsburgh, is a CAPA World columnist during spring semester 2017. She'll be shooting weekly videos for "An American Film Student in London", published every Monday. 

For this week's vlog, Valkyrie shows us some highlights of the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.

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Thanks, Valkyrie!

Words by Emily McGeary, a CAPA alumna who studied abroad in London during Fall 2014, and now works in the study abroad industry.

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After I studied abroad with CAPA London in the fall of 2014, I knew my future career needed to have an international focus. Being in London opened my mind to people and places that were unfamiliar. Suddenly, the broader world became concrete to me and I wanted to continue thinking globally and incorporating cultures outside my own in my daily life back in the United States.

Education has always been important to me. Before studying abroad, my goal had been to work in education administration. I wanted to stay in the university environment and work with college students. I had hoped to be an academic advisor or admissions recruiter, but after I studied abroad, I decided I wanted to help college students see another part of the world like I had the opportunity to do. 

This dream didn’t come to fruition right away. In fact, it would be a long process before I was hired in a full-time position with an international focus. It was something I had to work toward and I needed time to determine the balance between where my skills would be most useful and what kind of positions I was passionate about.