Study Abroad Profile
For Katie Ness, who studied abroad in Italy with The Orvieto Semester, learning means experiencing. “It was absolutely amazing to be completely immersed in what I was studying,” she says. “I learned about a certain piece of art in class one day, and then saw it in person in its original location that weekend. As a visual learner, it was so fantastic to be able to learn outside of the typical classroom setting.”
Throughout her semester abroad, Katie enjoyed building “uplifting, sincere, and genuine relationships” with fellow students and professors. She also grew a lot as a person. “I can't even begin to explain how positive my semester in Italy was,” she says. “I felt encouraged and strengthened emotionally, spiritually, socially, and academically. The four months I spent abroad allowed me time to think deeply and sincerely, and because of that time of I came back more certain of whom I am, more grounded in my beliefs, and with a clearer vision for my future.”
What’s your favorite thing to do on campus?
Hang out in the art studios with my fellow majors!
What do you like best about Messiah College?
Messiah has been such a safe haven for me to reside these last three years—it has been a judgment-free atmosphere within which to develop my character and passions. I have also appreciated the art faculty and their goal of developing the person and not just teaching a set of skills. I am discovering and cultivating who I am as an artist, not just a person who makes art for a job. |
