Ever since I realized that my ancestors were from Germany and Austria, I wanted to visit and study in these countries. When I started studying German in the eighth grade it strengthened my resolve to make my dream come true. One of the reasons I chose to study at Montclair was because of the opportunity to study abroad in a German speaking country. A faculty member in the music department who knew of my dream told me about the scholarship with Overseas Neighbors to study in Graz, Austria. This was even better than I expected. Graz and Montclair are sister cities and Overseas Neighbors is a program that sends two students from Montclair State to Graz and two students from Graz to Montclair State every year. One of the major benefits of this program is meeting the Mayor of Graz and getting to know his staff. I was very excited to think that finally my wish might come true. Once I was granted the scholarship, I couldn’t wait to go.
Although quaint and small, Graz is a wonderful, picturesque, historic and exciting city. I found the culture to be abundant and the people to be very friendly. There were always numerous things to do, like hiking, visiting palaces or “Schlossberg,” going to the opera, riding my bike, seeing a concert, shopping, or hanging out with friends at one of the local bars.
Having the Overseas Neighbors scholarship really helped to make life easy for me, too. The scholarship allowed me to get around the city using public transportation for free, my dorm was free, and I received a monthly stipend. I could go to the opera whenever I wanted and almost always sat in the Mayor’s box seats. This was extremely important for me as a vocal performance major studying opera.
Living in Graz for the year also allowed me to experience wonderful things outside of the city. I traveled to Prague, Zagreb in Croatia, Oktoberfest in Munich, and toured around Italy. In the Summer Semester I went to Vienna almost every weekend to go sightseeing and go to the opera. Twice I was able to visit my high school exchange student and my sister’s high school exchange student and their families in Dresden, Germany. I also met and stayed with some of my own family, whom I met for the first time, in Germany and Voralberg, Austria!
One of the best things about studying in Graz was meeting the people. We were involved with a group of students from SUNY Binghamton and participated in their classes. They planned some really terrific activities for us to do the first semester, and without them, I don’t know if I would have known how to have done these things. The Mayor and his staff did their best to make our stay as comfortable as possible. I can’t thank them enough! The women who lived on my floor in the dorm were great! They were always cooking something interesting or teaching me something new!
Since returning to the US I have been asked numerous times if I enjoyed my time in Graz and I always answer YES! I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity and I don’t regret a single moment. I look forward to the day when I can return and spend more time in Graz, the rest of Austria, and Europe.