College Year in Athens

I learned so much about myself and about Greek culture while on this program. We had a lot of freedom to explore our own interests and get closer with our cohort, so I never felt bogged down with work and I was able to learn about many events with my own drive. I like that we had the independence to discover Greece with the built in support system of CYA. Both of my classes were very informative, transportation was always easy, and the schedule was perfect- not too overbearing, not too loose.

I participated in the EMPOWERED: Mental Health and Inclusion for Modern Learners summer program in Volos, Greece. This program was absolutely amazing. The course was four weeks long, and we stayed in rental apartments, which were very nice and had waterfront views. The course took place at the University of Thesally. The professors were very involved and tried to ensure that we had all the resources and information we needed to make the most of our time in Volos. We were able to take several trips as a class, ensuring we got to as much of Greece as possible. I also learned a lot. It was exciting to see the comparisons of different mental health initiatives across the globe. This course really allowed me to explore a new country, meet new people, and challenge myself to explore my identity. I recommend this course to anyone interested in pushing themselves to get out of their comfort zones and study in a foreign country.

I studied in Greece for 6 weeks in the summer of 2025. I took the course called The Strangeness of Ancient Greece with Professor Pitt. This course, along with the Professor, was some of the most intellectually stimulating and culturally significant class I’ve taken. The Professor did an amazing job teaching the class and keeping everyone engaged. Every class we had was on an archeological site where we would get an in depth tour of the area and told the historical significance. Although we only had 4 free days, we were given plenty of free time to explore and get to know our classmates and the city of Athens, or wherever our class had taken us for the day. I met so many new friends from all over the United States and we all got incredibly close during the program. I’m still in contact with some of them today! I couldn’t recommend this program more!