Alumni Interview with Katie Fanning

What inspired you to go abroad?

My mother studied for a year in France so I grew up hearing her stories. I've wanted to have my own study abroad experience since I can remember.

Why did you choose CEA?

CEA's internship in Prague program fell into my lap. I'd had several people convey such praise of Prague, a city I had never heard of, that I started searching programs there. I came across CEAs program through my university and ultimately had to choose between full course work or mixed school with an internship. The main reason I chose to participate in an internship was for the professional experience. My second was that I was guaranteed a placement and my specialist, Denisa, would work closely with me to find me the best fit company.

What was your favorite part about Prague?

Words cannot capture my love for Prague. There are so many things I cherished about my time there but I think my favorite would be the quiet beauty of the city. From an architectural standpoint, Prague is the most well-preserved medieval city in Europe and you can see it in every street you walk down. Combining the physical beauty of the city with the nature of Czech people to be quieter on the streets created this euphoric feeling when you would walk to class or stroll along the stores in city center.

What made your experience abroad unique?

The people. My randomly assigned roommates, my Czech friends, the locals I met while traveling, they all taught me so much about myself and who I want to be. I have a new found love for traveling specifically so I can meet new people. I recently spent New Years in Chicago with my four best friends from abroad. They will always be my most cherished part of going overseas.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

I loved my local CEA staff. My internship specialist was constantly checking in and actively trying to improve my experience any way she could. If I could share any story to emphasize how much they cared it would be from after my program ended. I was continuing traveling after the program ended and was in Germany when there was a terrorist attack. The first people to get in contact with me was a CEA staff member who remembered that I mentioned visiting Berlin. I feel it speaks wonders to there character as a company that they would follow the well-being of an alumni on the chance that I may have been in danger.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?

As irritating as this might be an answer, I wouldn't change a thing.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.

I would wake up and head to class or my internship. The days never started to early which was perfect for me. After I would usually go home for lunch or I would roam around a new area of the city. I would maybe spend some time working from home then meet people out for dinner or drinks. The weekends were either spent relaxing and exploring or hopping on flights somewhere for the weekend.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

I really enjoyed walking around the streets and exploring parts of the city I had never seen. If I wasn't out I actually loved spending time in my apartment reading.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

I lived in a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with three random roommates. The apartment had a great living area, was really clean, and full of light. Me and my roommates got along perfectly so we loved spending time in our home.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?

Meeting people and making friends is incredible abroad but remember that it’s a great idea to venture off on your own. Some of my favorite memories are from when I planned a weekend trip on my own.

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?

I am a huge travel fiend now. I am confident in my skills to plan a trip and take care of myself in a foreign setting. I've started incorporating visiting new places into my life as frequently as I can. More importantly I am much more culturally aware of my surroundings now. I can see how small my little environment is compared to the world. There is so much to see and so many cultures to learn from.

Would you recommend CEA to others? Why?

Absolutely. As I mentioned before the staff at CEA did everything in their power to ensure my safety and satisfaction with the program. They cared about my well-being beyond being a customer and saw me as a person who they wanted to positively impact.