Ashland University Student Kassandra Sikora Studied Abroad in England

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ASHLAND, OH (02/09/2012)(readMedia)-- Ashland University graduate Kassandra Sikora, a resident of West Salem, Ohio, spent a semester studying abroad in Ormskirk, England. Sikora is the daughter of Michael F. and Sheryl M. Sikora of West Salem, and majored in marketing.

Sikora spent her semester at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, a small town located just north of Liverpool. Sikora chose this program, sponsored by Truman State in Missouri, from the College Consortium for International Studies. While most students choose to study abroad in order to complete requirements for their major or minor, Sikora chose to study abroad for some fairly unique reasons.

"I worked in the Study Abroad office for two years," Sikora said, "and I was the only person in the office who had never left the country!"

Sikora also felt that she simply needed some time away after having completed nearly all of her classes in only three years.

"I worked hard to graduate a semester early," Sikora said. "Going to England to finish off my college years was just a really nice treat."

Sikora took several classes at Edge Hill University, including the final two classes necessary to complete her major - Consumer Behaviour and Fin-de-Siecle Literature – and two she took "purely for fun," Multimedia Development and Website Development.

Originally bound for Scotland, Sikora changed her entire plan about six months before she actually left the country.

"I switched last minute to Edge Hill because it was in the middle of the UK really," said Sikora. "It was about four hours from Scotland and about four hours from London."

Though unintentional, changing her destination had a significant impact on Sikora's experience. She flew to England Sept. 14, only three days after the tenth anniversary of 9/11. With such heightened concern in relation to the anniversary of 9/11, in addition to the concern for the London Riots, which were spreading north at the time, there was a great deal of unrest in the United Kingdom. When the Occupy Wall Street movement began not long afterward and spread world-wide, it became clear that Sikora will not soon forget her travels.

"I recall seeing at least three 'tent cities' in some major cities I visited," said Sikora, "and I remember, very vividly, standing outside of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy, and watching this massive demonstration unfold in front of my eyes. It was an amazing and powerful thing to witness."

Sikora claims that the biggest struggle she encountered while abroad was not found in the numerous crises taking place, but simply in the fact that she would be unable to visit every country in Europe.

"I want to urge every young person to travel," said Sikora. "It doesn't have to be to Europe either. Challenge yourself to see and understand the world more. Don't just accept how the world is. Question it. It's one thing to see world news and learn world history. It's another thing to bear witness to it."

Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private institution conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.