Crystal Vera

Major: Government and Politics

Global Studies Program: Discover the World: Europe (Salamanca Cohort)

What is your background?
I am 2nd generation Puerto Rican American, currently living in New Jersey.  Aside from brief periods in Mexico while visiting family in southern California, I have never traveled abroad.  I was a student on the Staten Island Campus.

Where are you originally from?
Brooklyn, NY

What student clubs, sports, or extracurricular activities are you involved?
Presidents Society, Student Government, Orientation Leader, Criminal Justice Association, Latin American Student Organization, Future Alumni Association & the Multi-Cultural Student Organization.
 
Why did you decide to study abroad?
It has always been one of my goals in life, to live and study in another country.  The opportunity for study abroad at the Rome campus is actually the main reason I chose St. John’s.   

What appealed to you about the particular program you selected?
The innovative approach of a multi country study abroad program in three of Europe’s most sought-after countries.

What did you like best about studying abroad?
Experiencing European customs and traditions, and being able to identify and analyze their ways of life as the ancestral foundation of both my Caribbean heritage and American culture.

What was your most memorable experience?
I don’t have a single most memorable experience, or favorite city or culture.  Every country I visited, both in and out of the program, created a “most memorable” experience.  Salamanca had the most profound connection to the Age of Discovery.  Rome had the most breathtaking sunsets and delicious cuisine.  Paris, I had the most unexpected bond with Paris because of its remarkable similarities to New York City.  Both in its landscape, ethnic make-up and patronage to hip hop culture, Paris was my most surprising and non-stereotypical experience in Europe.  

How has the study abroad experience affected you now that they are back in New York?
Unfortunately it was a very difficult transition returning to daily life in New York after traveling like a rock star for four months.  However, there were some life changing, and arguably life saving, customs I picked up on while was I out there.  The most important being; work to live, not live to work.  For the most part, Americans define our success by the money we make and the titles we hold.  To attain such things is relatively easy given the resources available to us in this country.  The most difficult challenge is being able to balance professional responsibility and quality time in your personal life, whether it is with family, the pursuit of travel, a passion for art, dinning, etc.  Since my return home, I’ve let go of my workaholic ways, and have seeked to find that balance which will ultimately lead to a much more rewarding and happy life.

Would you recommend studying abroad to a friend?
Absolutely!  DTW fulfilled one of my life’s dreams.  It was everything I expected and more.   I was probably most happiest during my time abroad because I knew I was blessed with an opportunity most people, and certainly not anyone in my family, will ever experience.