Four members of the Sacred Heart Greenwich Class of 2021 plan to pursue their respective college studies abroad with an emphasis on their future careers.  Seniors Fatima Scheggia, Hadley Noonan, Lara Patricio, and Amelia Hervey will study in Spain, England, and France, sequentially.  While Fatima will spend four years abroad, Hadley, Lara, and Amelia only plan to spend the first semester of their freshman year in another nation.  Regardless of how much time they will attend college abroad, these seniors chose to study in another country because the courses these universities offer intrigue them.  In addition, they believe that this experience will enable them to enhance their knowledge of foreign cultures.  

Of the four seniors, Fatima is the only one who will spend all four years of her college experience in another country.  She will major in nutrition at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.  As a native of Argentina who has lived in five different countries, Fatima has developed an appreciation for cultural diversity.  Consequently, Fatima chose to study at the Universidad de Navarra because it welcomes many international students, enabling her to meet others from distinct cultures.  She also decided to attend the Universidad de Navarra due to its nutrition and medical programs.   

“Universidad de Navarra has a lot of internationality and that’s one of the factors that I look into deeply when it comes to college,” Fatima said.  “I love getting to know different cultures and meeting different kinds of people.  I know that [Universidad de] Navarra will have many different people from different countries.”

For her first semester of freshman year, Hadley will study abroad at Arcadia University, the partner school of Hamilton College, located in London, England.  Over the span of three months, she will complete four different courses in London. 

Although she has not determined her major, Hadley is interested in English and Art History.  She credits the courses she has taken during her time at Sacred Heart for this inspiration.  Hadley took the opportunity to study in London for her first semester as the curriculum selection offered through Arcadia University encompassed these interests.  Additionally, through studying abroad with Hamilton College students, she hopes that the friendships she forms in London will lead to a smooth transition to on-campus learning in January 2022. 

“I really liked that a lot of the courses are aligned with my interests, and I am hoping they will give me a good foundation so that I can really get the ball rolling when I get to Hamilton,” Hadley said.  “I am also just excited to have my own small community so that when I get to Hamilton in January, I [will] know people already and there [will be] some familiar faces.”

Like Hadley, Lara also plans to spend her first semester in London.  As part of Northeastern University’s semester abroad program, she will attend The New College of the Humanities.  Lara selected this college because of her interest in British culture, which commenced when she attended a British school while living in Shanghai, China.  She commented that a semester abroad would allow her to enhance her knowledge of London while also developing a greater appreciation for unfamiliar cultures.  

“I really want to start my own unique path and have a deeper appreciation for new cultures, to meet new people, and connect with people in a different way than I would in a traditional college beginning,” Lara said. 

As a participant of the Spring Scholars Program that Tulane University offers, Amelia will spend her first semester at the University of Paris in Paris, France.  During her sophomore year of high school, Amelia went to Nantes, France as a part of Sacred Heart’s Network Exchange Program.  She credits this experience for sparking her interest in spending a semester abroad.  Amelia hopes that this unique first-semester experience will enable her to further develop her French skills and to expand her knowledge of Parisian culture.  

“It is really important to me to further my language skills and my language proficiency in French,” Amelia said.  “I’ve been passionate about French language and culture from a really young age and I figured that this opportunity for complete immersion would be one like no other.  I am really hoping to get better at French, to meet people from all around the world, and to dive into Parisian culture and explore everything that Paris has to offer me.”

Featured Image by Ana López del Punta ’23