When it came to having unimaginable opportunities to see the world, Claudia Garcia had only to walk a few dozen yards from her home in Clarksville to enroll at University of the Ozarks.
Garcia, a senior elementary education major and a member of the women’s soccer team, recently completed a whirlwind 8-month adventure that saw her spend a semester abroad in Northern Ireland as well as a 13-day trip to France with her team.
“This year of travel has been hectic, to say the least,” Garcia said. “I was told by one of my friends that I have been overseas more this year than I have been in Clarksville. It has been an amazing lifetime experience that I wouldn’t trade in for anything. It’s been wonderful experiencing new places and meeting new people from different areas. Then coming back home for a while and going to France with my soccer team was also a great experience. I loved that I got to do what I love in a different country with my team. It was an amazing trip.”
Garcia, who grew up within walking distance of the U of O campus, spent the 2023 Spring Semester in Belfast, Ireland, studying education at Stranmillis College through an Ozarks-affiliated program. The nine-hour flight was her first time flying overseas and just the second time she had flown.
Her two older brothers, Luis ’21, and Carlos ’22, also attended and graduated from Ozarks. Luis, who took part in a study abroad experience in Spain when he was a student, accompanied Garcia on her trip to Ireland for the first two weeks.
“I had never traveled abroad before, so it was quite nerve-wracking for me,” Garcia said. “This is why my brother went with me for the first two weeks I was in Northern Ireland. But by the end of the semester, I got so used to traveling alone that I came home in April alone, and then I went to Scotland and London by myself too. It was great to experience hostels and to travel solo.”
Garcia said Luis initially encouraged her to study abroad and helped her prepare for the experience.
“I don’t think I could’ve done it without his support, as well as my family and my professors,” she said. “They were a huge help in guiding me in the right direction, getting documents turned in, and finding the right resources that would help me during my time there. Hearing about Luis’ experiences and how much it changed his life is when I knew I wanted to do it. He was very convincing for me to study abroad. This was cool because Luis was the one to go with me to Northern Ireland. So, while we were there, we both went to Spain. While we were in Spain, we took a train to Granada, which is where Luis studied abroad. He showed me around and where he would walk to school. He even showed me the University he attended. Also, while we were there, we went to a coffee shop that he used to go to all the time, and he showed it to me. The lady in the coffee shop recognized my brother, which was amazing to watch.”
Garcia was able to fund the study abroad experience through the University’s student enrichment fund. She praised the help of her professors in securing the study abroad opportunity.
“I remember starting this process in the spring of 2022 and it getting very exhausting at times,” she said. “There were times I didn’t think that it was going to happen. But my professors kept helping me figure out what courses to take that would match up and that would not put me behind when I came back. They were all understanding and helpful which made the process easier for me. I chose the program Northern Ireland Scholars because the University already has a program set up that’s specifically for education students, which made it easy to find and secure. My professors helped me secure it by writing me recommendation letters.”
At Stranmillis College, Garcia took education courses as well as classes on Northern Ireland, where she learned about the region’s history and culture. She also took a course where she was able to experience a private school classroom first-hand.
“I was placed in a school called Victoria Preparatory School and I worked with 5- and 6-year-old girls,” Garcia said. “This placement was for seven weeks, and I got to learn about the curriculum, how school systems work, and the differences in grade levels between the United States and Northern Ireland. Throughout this time, I would go into the school at 8:30 a.m. and get out at 3:30 p.m., three days a week. This placement was an amazing experience; the teacher I was placed with was so welcoming and provided me with lots of opportunities to learn from her and her students.”
Garcia also had time to explore other parts of Europe.
“On the weekends, I took trips to different countries,” she said, “I traveled to Italy and went to Milan and Venice. I traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, and I also traveled to London, England. Ireland is a beautiful country, so we did explore a lot of where I was staying, which was Belfast City, but we traveled to different areas like Dublin, Giants Causeway, Londonderry, Peace Walls, Port Rush and many other places.”
Though she was out of her comfort zone for awhile, Garcia quickly made new friends.
“Being okay with being alone really was a challenge,” she said. “ I usually love being surrounded by people, so when I came in not knowing anyone on campus, it was overwhelming. I felt like I was missing out so much at home. I had to rethink that I was living in a different country and that I needed to take advantage of that. Belfast brought me new friends with whom I am still in contact with. In the group of international students, there were people from the States, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, and Switzerland. These people became friends because we were all in the same boat of leaving our homes and coming to live in a different country. We made a lot of fun memories together, such as St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, Karaoke nights, movie nights, hiking trips, and breakfast and dinners at Chatz.”
Garcia, who plans to be a classroom teacher when she graduates from Ozarks in May, said her experiences over the past eight months have been transformational.
“I believe this year has impacted me tremendously in that I now see things from a different perspective,” she said. “I know there is so much out there to see that I want to experience. Learning about new cultures and places is something that I find interesting. I learned that living by myself is not so bad, at least until you start missing your family. A part of me definitely grew up while I was away.”
Garcia said she is thankful she decided to stay in Clarksville to attend college.
“I believe attending Ozarks was the right choice because it has become a second home to me,” she said. “I would encourage other Clarksville students to consider Ozarks. I never knew how impactful this University would be and the opportunities it would provide me. It has given me a great education, long-term friends and memories that I will cherish forever.”
Topics: About, Academics, Education, Elementary Education