Elise Bollard: Graduate Student - Physical Therapy (Exercise Science) (Minor in Psychology)
Elise studied abroad in Rome during the fall 2022 semester through Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center program. While abroad, she lived in dorm style housing on the Rome campus. She traveled to 11 countries and 21 different cities throughout Europe during her time abroad. Her favorite trips were Ireland and a solo trip in Paris! She is studying exercise science in the physical therapy program with a minor in psychology. Elise is excited to answer any questions about the visa process, studying abroad as a physical therapy student, language barriers, or the John Felice Rome Center! 

Ways to Contact Elise
Email: elise.bollard@slu.edu
Text/WhatsApp: (224)330-0566
Instagram: elise.bollard



Toni Lanter-Mason: Senior - Marketing
Toni (she/her) studied abroad in London, England through the Fordham University London program. She lived in an apartment with four other girls, sharing a room, bathroom, and kitchen. She is a marketing major. While abroad she was able to travel to 6 different countries with many different people. She was able to put herself out there and make friends from various different schools. She welcomes any questions about adjusting to living with others, being at a different school, making friends, and being in a new place.

Ways to Contact Toni
Email: toni.lantermason@slu.edu
Text/Whatsapp: 618-960-2443
Instagram: toni.lm



Aileen O'Connor: Senior- English and American Studies
Aileen studied abroad in Leiden, the Netherlands through Webster University. She lived in a shared studio apartment with another SLU student in a complex located right in the city center and just minutes from Webster's campus. She visited several new countries but loved spending time getting to know Leiden and the surrounding area. While abroad she learned to navigate the Dutch public transit system, residency process, and the challenges of everyday living in a new place. She is happy to answer any questions or to help you find resources to make the most of your time abroad!

Ways to contact Aileen
Email: aileen.oconnor@slu.edu
Text/Whatsapp: 224-634-5564
Instagram: aileen.oc



Sophie Trad: Senior - Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (Minor in Sports Business)
Sophie Trad (she/her) studied abroad in Sorrento, Italy for the spring of 2023. She stayed in a shared apartment with two roommates, which was a 5 minute walk to campus and a 5 minute walk to the main Piazza (Plaza) of town. While living abroad, Sophie traveled to numerous countries and regions across Italy, her most favorite being Sorrento itself! She applied for a Visa on her own and is very familiar with the Italian Visa process. Additionally, she traveled on her own to London and Sicily, both of which challenged her mentally but were the most rewarding and gorgeous places she visited. Sophie is happy to chat and help about anything abroad-related such as homesickness, making friends, immersion of the culture, and more! 

Ways to Contact Sophie
Email: sophie.trad@slu.edu



Grace Turner: Senior - Women's and Gender Studies (Minor in Communications and Creative Writing)
Grace is a Women’s and Gender Studies major and Communications minor. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland in the Spring semester of 2023 where she lived in an apartment that was a 25 minute walk to campus. She lived with one other SLU student and three Irish students attending the National University of Ireland, Galway. Galway is a super walkable city, but she had to learn very quickly to always be prepared for getting caught in the rain when leaving the house. Her favorite trips outside of Ireland were Italy and Switzerland and her favorite travel experience was a wine tour of the Tuscan countryside. Grace would love to be someone who students can talk to about studying abroad outside of Madrid’s program, staying in hostels, navigating transportation when visiting other countries, and all things Galway! 

Ways to Contact Grace
Email: grace.o.turner@slu.edu



Mariya Yasinovska: Senior - English (Minors in Psychology and Communication)
Mariya has studied abroad for a semester in Greece. She lived in an apartment in the heart of Athens with six other girls. While living abroad, she visited five European countries and five Greek islands, as well as other traveling around the country. Mariya was born in Ukraine and has internationally travelled various times to countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Mariya is always happy to chat and answer any questions on a variety of topics, such as questions about assimilation, culture differences, budgeting, and Greek island hopping (a personal favorite). 

Ways to Contact Mariya
Email: Mariya.Yasinovska@slu.edu



Allie Mattson: Junior - Health Science (Pre-PA)
Allie studied abroad in the Gold Coast, Australia during the 2024 spring semester at Bond University. While abroad, she lived in dorm style housing on Bond's campus and traveled primarily around Queensland and New South Wales. Her favorite trips were to Fraser Island, North Stradbroke Island, and Byron Bay.  She is studying health science with a minor in nutrition and dietetics. Allie is excited to answer any questions you may have about the visa process, studying abroad as a STEM student, Australian culture, and any other questions you may have! 

Ways to Contact Allie 
Email: alexandra.mattson@slu.edu
Whatsapp: 224-716-8919
Instagram: alliemattson_



Mia Olson: Junior – Medical Laboratory Science & French 

Mia studied abroad in Lyon, France during the spring of 2024. She experienced a full language immersion program, having attended a French university for language classes and lived in an apartment with a host family (with two kids, ages 6&10). She spent most of her time exploring France, focusing her travels primarily on French culture, though she also visited Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. She would love to talk to you about attending a foreign school, language immersion, living with a host family, emotional aspects of abroad, or of course, Lyon and travel within France. You can reach out to her with any questions, related to these topics or not; no question is too silly or trivial!

Ways to contact Mia:
Email: mia.olson@slu.edu



Stephanie Tett: Junior – Psychology (Minor in Chinese Language)
Stephanie studied abroad in Beijing during the Spring 2024 semester through The Beijing Center (TBC) program at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China. While abroad I lived in dorm style housing with one roommate and a private western-style bathroom. I traveled to 7 cities in 7 provinces as well as Seoul and Tokyo, both solo and with friends I made abroad. Additionally, I visited 8 cities and 2 rural villages in 4 provinces through excursion trips put on by my program (at no personal travel cost!). TBC also helped me file for a new visa to facilitate travel outside of Mainland China during my semester. I was also able to work in an unofficial paid internship during my semester. I can answer any questions about the visa process, language barriers, what classes are like, and anything else about China and the region!

Ways to Contact Stephanie:
Email: stephanie.tett@slu.edu
Text/Whatsapp: (918) 644-8182
Wechat: sifen5965
Instagram: tett._.stephanie



Andrea Pinto: Senior - Business Technology Management
Andrea studied abroad in Spring 2024 at Fordham London. During Andrea's time abroad, she traveled to over 10 countries, and gained invaluable experiences. She also lived in apartment-style housing that only housed other Fordham study abroad students. Andrea would be happy to answer any questions you may have!

Ways to Contact Andrea:
Email: andrea.pinto@slu.edu



Jack Parrack: Junior - Computer Engineering
Jack studied abroad in Seoul during the Spring 2024 semester through Sogang University's exchange student program. He lived in a shared dorm room with a roommate on Sogang's campus. He traveled through most of Korea while he was there, but did not visit any other countries in the area. Jack is happy to answer any questions about going abroad, Korea, studying language, or anything else!

Ways to Contact Jack:
Email: jparrack@slu.edu



Madeline Shormas: Senior - Art History 
Madeline (she/her) studied abroad in Morocco for the Spring 2024 semester. She had the opportunity to live with a host family in what is considered the old medina (city) of Rabat. She enrolled in a Language and Culture program, developing skills in Modern Standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic (Darija). She also learned about Islam in Morocco, including an in-depth Qur'an course, and took a class on Moroccan Culture. While abroad, she also completed an organizational internship, working with her community to develop an art club. She also painted a mural based on Van Gogh's series of olive trees at the same institution as her internship. 

Ways to Contact Madeline:
Email: madeline.shormas@slu.edu



Ruhi Advani: Junior - Occupational Therapy (Minor in Interprofessional Practice)
Ruhi (she/her) studied at Sant'Anna Institute during the spring of her sophomore year in 2024. She lived in an apartment building with three girls from different universities in the United States and they became so close! In a town full of mountain and sea views, something she loved most was her 20 minute walk to school and all of the cafes she got to try on her way. Ruhi took a cross-cultural psychology course in addition to philosophy and drawing, where she traveled through Naples with her classmates and made artwork inspired by local scenery. Though she had never spoken Italian before traveling abroad, she took a language introduction class while there and learned a lot along the way. She hopes to be there for anyone looking to study abroad, even if they're on the fence about it or don't know where to start! Anything she can do to help, whether that be tricky visa applications or answering small questions/worries that you might be unsure of who to ask, she'd love to do so please reach out! 

Ways to contact Ruhi:
Email: ruhi.advani@slu.edu
Text/Whatsapp: (708) 657-0932
Instagram: ruhiskye



Will Phoenix: Junior - Computer Science and French
Will studied abroad in Lyon, France during the Spring 2024 semester at Universite Lumiere Lyon 2. He lived with 5 roommates in a home, and enjoyed being able to speak French at home with his roommates, as well as in the classroom. During the semester, he played for Lyon's university water polo team, and was able to travel for competition during the semester. Will visited several cities while in France, and his favorite was Chamonix in the Alps. Will would love to answer any questions about visa applications, speaking a second language in the home, traveling, and being involved in clubs while abroad. 

Ways to Contact Will:
Email: will.phoenix@slu.edu
Instagram: will.phoenix3



Nina Zumwalt: Junior - Finance
Nina studied abroad in Sorrento, Italy during the Spring 2024 semester. She stayed in the Marina Grande dorms with a view over the Mediterranean Sea and Sorrento's City Center. One of her favorite parts of living in Sorrento was its small town aspect and learning all about the language and culture. She traveled all around Italy and visited 9 other countries during her time abroad. Some of her favorite places were Sorrento, Prague, Budapest, Lac d'Annecy, Palermo, Capri, and pretty much every other place she traveled to. She took a solo trip to Rome and Milan and had some experiences of her own, but also made friendships that will last a lifetime. Going in to is, she knew nobody else, but found that to be one of the most beautiful parts of her experience. She would absolutely LOVE to talk more about her experiences abroad and help anyone going through the application process. 

Ways to Contact Nina:
Email: nina.zumwalt@slu.edu
Text/Whatsapp: (314) 267-1360



Monique Maerilyn Valdepenas: Senior - SLHS and Spanish
Monique (she/her) is double majoring in SLHS and Spanish. She was abroad in Santiago, Chile for 6 months. She lived with a host family and is very familiar with the application process, as well as other housing options in Santiago. She arrived 2 months before the start of the Chilean semester (March to July) where she travelled to the south of Chile with her host family and to the Chilean and Argentinian sides of Patagonia. During the school year she took Spanish intensive, poverty and development, language and cognition, and theatre classes, all taught in Spanish. Monique is happy to help with any doubts about language barriers, finances, planning trips in South America, and with any other questions you might have!

Ways to Contact Monique
Email: moniquemaerilyn.valdepenas@slu.edu



Meaghan McGee: Graduate Student - Physical Therapy (Exercise Science) (Minor in Special Education)
Meaghan (she/her) is a student in the PT program who studied abroad in Galway, Ireland for one semester. While in Galway she lived in an apartment in the city center with other SLU students. One of her favorite things about Galway was how easy it was to explore the city on foot, and she would love to share her favorite Galway spots! In her free time, she explored Ireland and traveled to 8 other countries. Meaghan would love to talk about the classes she took and the registration process, finances abroad, and transportation in Ireland, and any other questions you may have about your study abroad experience!

Ways to Contact Meaghan
Email: meaghan.mcgee@slu.edu