Stories from Abroad
Rwanda: Spring Break 2022
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Elijah Vote (English '25, Creative Writing '25): A Reflection on Study Abroad
If you are reading this, you’re considering studying abroad. I’m here to share how my own experience was far better than I ever imagined. Leaving Purdue University, a place I am comfortable with and where I’ve established a community was initially a scary prospect. This is especially true when leaving to go from one country to a separate one. These fears are valid, but I tried to remind myself what the positives of going abroad were. “There is no better opportunity during university for self-discovery and career growth than going abroad.” That’s what I told myself. I remember a specific moment as a student abroad at the University of Kent when I faced my fears of appearing as a tourist rather than an engaged student.
When I studied abroad in the UK, I thought that I would be studying and seeing different sites. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey all flooded my mind. I went to my classes at the University of Kent located in Canterbury. It took each day one at a time. I visited different towns, but during these moments that fear kept creeping up. Do you look like a tourist? Are you spending your time engaging yourself? I asked myself that question more and more. Then I started to hang out with a flatmate named Hugo. He pushed me forward and helped me become a more engaged student.
He and I chatted often, and we did everything together. We ate, studied, attended university events, and went to church together. It can still see the church, St. Cosmus and St. Damian, clear as day. It is in a sleepy village called Blean—a 20-minute walk away from where we lived on campus. The church grounds matched the sleepy atmosphere of the village. Moss grows on tombstones that are centuries old. The newer tombstones are straight as an arrow but those further from the church doors point to the trees and bushes surrounding the church. It looks as if the ground is pushing them towards heaven. The church itself is stoney and the inside is supported by wooden beams from the 14th century. At this church, Hugo and I met the parish priest Stephen.
He worked as a professor at the university in the religious studies department. We had been attending the church for nine weeks or so when he asked Hugo and myself if we would like to volunteer for the Christmas carol event the university put on for both faculty and staff. Hugo and I happily agreed. We were to be stewards, and our job was to light the candles of the band that would be playing during certain portions of the caroling. It was a simple task, but I needed to make sure I helped prepare for over 1,300 people. That pressure alone made my anxiety mount more and more.
The cathedral has a sleepy, holy presence. The air is rich with moisture and a damp stone mustiness permeates throughout. The stones are whitish gray, and the ceiling is easily 150 feet above my head. The night of the carol was nothing like that.
The event was on December 9th, 2024. It was a winter day with no snow and the sun was out glistening away. I went to the cathedral around noon. I had cut some paper and placed them on specific chairs reserved for specific groups. Us stewards used some streamers to block off certain areas. The goal was to raise money for a non-profit called Porchlight. They help the homeless and other people down on their fortune. With all of the work done, the evening carol arrived.
I sat next to the religious figure heads from the University. That included Stephen and some other priests. The Salvation army band was near me and had volunteered to do the service as they had done before. I sat nearby to light their candles, and my mind raced hoping I wouldn’t fumble the ball. The band chatted happily and patiently before the caroling began. I lit the candles of the army three minutes before the first song. After the task was done, my anxiety calmed. As the lights dimmed, we opened our booklets and began singing the songs in order. That night was loud but infectious and harmony resonated around. In that moment, as silly as this may sound, my fears and concerned dropped. Perhaps it was the music, the communal sensation, or harmonization. Regardless I felt my fears wash away. I relit the candles during the service when “Hark the Angel Sings” was sung. I forgot to light one of the candles for the band, but another steward lit it for me. I let out a light laugh and began to sing. After the singing was over, we collected money in buckets by the doors knowing we were helping a just cause. Even now, I can still remember that night and the landscape of Canterbury on top of St. Stephen’s Hill.
I had a transformative experience studying abroad, and I hope you’ll take my experience into account as you consider your own journey. The important thing is to recognize your anxieties, like I did, and make sure that you don’t let them control what you do with your life. There are many, many positives to choosing to go outside your comfort zone and so few opportunities to do something like going abroad in life. Studying abroad led me to networking with people outside the United States who would (and have) helped me. Those people include the professors I had in my classes. A few Kent professors are acting as academic references for my grad school application to Kent. I wouldn’t have even realized doing my master’s degree outside the States was an option if I hadn’t chosen to go to the UK. So, all of this is to say, give it a shot and see what it can do for you.