Mamma Mia! Tarleton Honors College students study abroad in Greece

BY KELLAN BYARS

Digital Media Director

A 12-hour flight, a foreign language and a country thousands of miles from Stephenville could have been reasons to stay home. Instead, for Tarleton State University Honors College, they became reasons to go. 

Over the course of a month in Greece, students stepped outside their comfort zones to explore a new country, experience its history, its culture and build connections with the people they met along the way.

When students and professors look back on their month in Greece, they don't immediately talk about the temples or the beach. They talk about the people they met and the experiences gained through real-life connections. 

The students got to visit sites like the Parthenon and Corinth and learn about everything related to Greek history. Countless museums and places like Olympia, where the first Olympic events were held, made for knowledge that sitting in a classroom in Stephenville just couldn’t replicate.

Two sophomores at Tarleton, Aislynne Mendoza and Scout Piper, described the trip as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and had some memorable stories from their time. Though most of the memories they shared didn’t have to do with sightseeing.

For Piper and Mendoza, the people they met became just as important as the places they visited.

One of the experiences that stood out for them was a scuba-diving trip they took on a free weekend. Rather than simply checking another activity off a travel itinerary, the students described the experience as an opportunity to connect with a man named Nicos on a personal level and learn about local culture. 

“The scuba diving trip, getting that authentic experience of him showing his childhood stuff was irreplaceable,” Mendoza said.

The experience also involved an unusual introduction to local food: eating a sea urchin straight from the ocean.

“Where else would I have done that?” Mendoza said.

Another experience the girls had was meeting a perfume maker named Stephanie, who they called their “Greek grandmother.”

The scuba-diving experience and their interactions with Stephanie were memorable for a reason that went beyond the activities themselves. They got to learn about culture from people who live it every day.

“Those two are both genuine human connections with someone, and that is so cool,” Mendoza said.

The girls describe how surprised they were by the attitude of all the people they got to interact with.

“Obviously, it's a tourist country, but I really was surprised by the hospitality, and they actually want us to learn their culture,” Mendoza said.

For Mendoza and Piper, learning about Greece also meant learning about themselves.

Before the trip, Mendoza said she already considered herself a competent person. Traveling to a new country, however, gave her an opportunity to test that confidence.

Being in a new country meant navigating unfamiliar streets, communicating with people and making decisions without the same routines and surroundings they were accustomed to at home.

“I am capable now. I know that more than ever,” Mendoza said.

Piper experienced a similar sense of growth through the relationships she formed with the other students.

The group arrived in Greece without necessarily knowing everyone they would be traveling with. Over the course of the trip, they built friendships and learned how to navigate the experience together.

“We went to Greece not even knowing the people in our group,” Piper said. “And we figured it out. We made friends.”

For both students, the language barrier also became part of the experience.

Mendoza said that while she had not previously been afraid to talk to people, communicating in an unfamiliar environment gave her a new level of confidence.

“I think now, I can literally talk to anybody,” Mendoza said.

For students considering a future study-abroad trip, both Mendoza and Piper said the biggest obstacle may simply be convincing yourself to take the first step.

For students worried about leaving home, traveling alone or spending money on an unfamiliar experience, Piper said the discomfort is part of the reason to go.

“Put yourself out there no matter what and just do it,” Mendoza said.

The experience, she said, is about more than simply traveling to another country. Students have to be willing to leave behind what feels comfortable and allow themselves to experience something different.

“You're not going to not talk to people,” Piper said. “You're going to be uncomfortable. And get into it. That's why you're there.”

A month in Greece gave the students historical sites to remember, food to recreate at home and stories that will likely last long after the trip ended. But more importantly, it gave them evidence that they could navigate unfamiliar places, communicate across language barriers and build relationships with people they had never met before.

The 12-hour flight that once seemed like a reason not to go ultimately became the beginning of an experience that showed them why going was worth it.