Staff Interview with Cheyenne Paulson

What inspired you to work for your College Year Athens?

As an alumna of the program, CYA is the reason I fell in love with study abroad. The structure of the program, for me, is what makes it a unique educational experience. As someone who learns more from being on-site and through interactions, I learned so much more by taking classes that revolved around archeological sites, rather than just looking at them in the textbooks like I had done back home.

Additionally, CYA puts forth extra effort to ensure that all students are supported from beginning to end, and I am glad to be a part of a team that puts forth such care into the total student experience.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Though so many parts of my job are great, two aspects of my job particularly put a smile on my face. First is when an applicant contacts us with eagerness to study abroad in Greece. The joy that these students feel reminds me of my own excitement to study abroad, and for me this excitement is just a glimpse of the excitement they will experience once they land in Greece and embark on the program.

My second favorite part is reading all of our student reviews post-program. Each student’s experience is so unique and I love seeing what brought joy and sparked an appreciation for Greece in each review. We truly take the time to read each review, knowing that it is students' thoughts that can help us make CYA an even better program and cater it to the changing academic climate. 

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

As someone who studied the Classics, Art History, and International Education, working for a program in Greece caters right into my interests and academic specialties. With my education comes exposure to many different fields, anthropology, student services, sociology, and so much more. Within my role, I am able to use my undergraduate majors to influence my discussions with prospective students interested in the Classics and History.

Additionally, I use many of the fundamental principles that I learned in my Master's program to reflect on my work and my projects. I have extensive international experience studying abroad with CYA in Greece, DIS in Copenhagen, and faculty-led programs to Japan and Ghana through both NYU and the University of Michigan. I also went on archeological excavations in Romania with CYA Faculty, John Karavas, and Italy with the University of Michigan Classics Department. 

Each experience has impacted my mentality on what an international experience should look like and how it should run. In this way, I always ask myself, "if I were the student, what would I want?" By asking myself this, I personally reflect on my own experiences with every project I do. 

What are some current projects you are working on?

Currently, the largest project I work on is marketing to prospective students, which includes maintaining lists of prospective students and sending out emails. This project gives me the flexibility to be creative, but as someone without a large background in marketing, it has been both challenging and fulfilling.

I have learned so much in the few months I have been doing recruitment, and while I must say, COVID-19 has made this project that much more important, albeit more difficult, I find myself working even harder to generate emails that will be interesting to students. 

Another large project I work on is generating content from our alumni for universities. We love seeing photos from our students and we strongly believe that utilizing photos from our own alumni encourages their classmates to attend as well. 

Are there any developments with CYA that you would like to share with us?

COVID-19 has led to big changes in the international education field and, while some of these developments are not necessarily positive, CYA has pushed to create new programs that fit the needs of all of our students. We have introduced virtual internships for students who may not want (or be able to) leave the US. We have many trusted organizations that our students volunteer/intern with every year and many of our organizations have offered to host our students again, virtually.

Another great program we just launched is our Gap Program, which is catered towards students interested in taking a semester or year off before starting their undergraduate degree. Our Gap Program is a great opportunity for those interested in learning more about Greek culture, and those who want to take time to learn about new and engaging topics prior to starting school.

What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?

One word. Greece. In the past few years, Greece has shot to the top of everyone's must travel list. Whether it be the history and ancient architecture, the Greek islands and beautiful regions of Greece, or the people’s inherent need to provide Philoxenia (Hospitality) to visitors.

Greece, Athens, and CYA's ability to utilize the landscape in its classes and field trips truly makes this program one to be reckoned with. My organization truly uses the country as a backdrop to all of its courses and all of our students gain an appreciation of Greece, through their classes, extracurriculars, and in their free time. 

How do you help support participants?

I support students before they arrive in Athens. When students have questions about the program, we are there to answer them. I am also there to help them as they are completing their application. I love being on the front end of the application because I can see the excitement students have from the very beginning. 

If you could participate on one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?

If I could return to Greece with CYA, I would do it again in a heartbeat. As a student who attended the summer program, I think I would join CYA's semester or even the full year program. The two months I was there started a love for the country, the culture, and CYA, and I think if I went back to Greece on a CYA program, I would never want to come back to the US. 

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

As someone who learned from a young age to learn about new cultures, I was always interested in travelling and learning more. 

I think it is important to get outside of your own bubble, gain new perspectives, and understand that the world is more than what you see in your hometown, state, or country. 

There is so much to learn, and so many ways to see the world, therefore, it is crucial that students gain global perspectives, especially now, with the world becoming so technologically advanced. 

What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?

DO IT! If there was one thing I regret most from undergrad, it was not studying abroad for a full semester. While the summers were great, and are now the trend within studying abroad, I truly wish I had spent more time in Greece.

You learn so much when abroad. Studies show that students who study abroad have higher scores in intercultural sensitivities. Now more than ever, it is crucial that people learn how to interact with other cultures, and studying abroad is the best way to do so!

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel is travel not just for fun, but for learning and self-growth. For myself, whether it be a vacation, work trip, or a longer trip, I try to visit a museum or a cultural center in every place that I visit. By learning about the history, and culture of each place you gain a deeper appreciation for the people there. 

What hopes do you have for the future of international education?

I hope that international education provides all students who want to study abroad the opportunity to do so. 

Right now, for many students, study abroad is financially unreachable. I hope that there is a push for funding which helps these students in particular participate in these opportunities. I think that this need should be addressed not only at each university, but across the field within programs, organizations, and the higher leaders in education.