Gabriel Pachter is a graduate student in the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She traveled to Germany with the program Philanthropy and Public Policy: The German Context.

"I had the opportunity to tour Berlin's Jewish Museum. The first exhibit provided a series of vignettes sharing the stories of Jews living in Germany before World War II. Artifacts were presented from a time before persecution, and each artifact was linked to a story of death or survival. Even those who survived had to adapt quickly to new surroundings, which is portrayed beautifully in the disorienting Garden of Exile. The museum's second exhibit delved into the historic and modern issues dealing with life in the city of Jerusalem for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Members of each religious group have unique stories from the past and present that help make up today's mosaic within the city. This exhibit was a reminder of the personal within complex geopolitical situations. Each person has a story, and that story is meant to be heard."

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Macy Pohl traveled with the Sweden Study Abroad Program through the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI and spent a week learning about the Scandinavian country's culture and health care. The senior is majoring in health sciences.

"When first arriving to Stockholm, Sweden, I could have never imagined that in only a week I could develop such knowledge about the Swedish culture, or feel so welcome and accepted by the culture, nor did I expect to make lifelong connections and friendships through the program. Eight other amazing students and I embarked on an immersive trip to learn and understand Sweden's health care system through lectures, panels and interesting site visits. This trip was much more than an educational trip; it was an experience I would not trade for the world."

Junior Renee Cook traveled to Paros, Greece, with the School of Informatics and Computing. After visiting an ancient ceramics studio and learning to throw a clay pot, the mathematics major discovered her dream superpower.

"I had the opportunity to venture into the ancient ceramics studio that lies underneath a more recent house construction. From the moment I stepped in, I couldn't help but wonder what all the different rooms were used for. Who were the potters that used this location as their studio? What other places are buried like this one? As we created a 3D model of the space, I couldn't help but try to imagine everything that this studio had seen. I came up with my own story for the space, but I wanted more.

"These experiences lead me to the discovery of my desired superpower: I want to be able to read the 'minds' of these types of artifacts. I would love to be able to touch one of the stone walls and be transported back in time to see just how picturesque the sights were in the archaic times or hold a piece of a vase and watch it piece back together in its prime."

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