I studied abroad through Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI) in the 2026 spring semester in Ireland. I had an amazing experience while living in Dublin. While abroad I was enrolled at Griffith College Dublin, a university not very different from Rosemont. Being at a small school allowed for building connections with classmates and professors, which is something I love about Rosemont, so I was glad to do the same at Griffith.

While I was abroad, I made friends from all across Europe some countries being Germany, the Netherlands, Norway. I now have lasting friend ships with people I may not have had the opportunity to meet had I not studied abroad. I plan on visiting some of them in the not so far future. I would say that gaining these friendships was one of the most rewarding parts of studying abroad. I was able to explore the city with them, travel to Scotland and England and further into the Irish countryside with them.

I did day trips with my KEI program manager most weekends. Typically, KEI has at least a few students from different US schools enrolled in each program, but the semester I was in Ireland I was the only student. The friends I had made in class who were also studying abroad through different programs in their home countries were invited to join my KEI experiential field trips so I could bond further with them and experience the country alongside my friends. Some of my fieldtrips included tours of castles, cliffside and mountain hikes, and a trip to Edinburgh.

A course I took while abroad was Irish Culture and History, which was required for the Ireland program. I was still very glad I got to take it. Every Friday had a lecture followed by an excursion. We got to explore the museums throughout Dublin, we did a walking tour of the city, saw the Book of Kells, did a day trip up to Belfast in the North, and much more. Learning about

the rich history and culture of Ireland while in Ireland was such an amazing experience and I learned so much that is going to stay with me for a long time.

Since I was there in the spring, I got to experience St. Patrick’s day while there. The parade and the celebrations start early there and everyone is exhausted by the time it hits 8:00pm, but it was such a fun experience rushing through the blocked off streets trying to find good spots to watch the parade.

There was so much to do and see, you can’t get bored. If I had the chance to do it again I would do it in a heartbeat exactly the same. It can be a really terrifying thing to move abroad for an extended period of time. I didn’t personally know anyone there when I got there but that quickly changed. I got to attend a family reunion with my extended family and visit the farm my great-great grandfather was born on. Not only did I get to meet my actual family there, I met friends that became family. I still talk with them most days after four months of going our separate ways. It was such a transformative experience and I can’t wait to visit Ireland and my friends’ homes sometime in the future.