Around the world with undergraduates

Studying abroad gives students a chance to expand their education while experiencing new cultures, perspectives, and ways of solving problems. Three CEE students share their stories from Japan, Spain, and Greece, showing how international opportunities shaped their undergraduate experience.

Rachel Cheng: Kyoto, Japan

For Rachel Cheng (CivE, EPP’28), studying abroad in Kyoto with the Council on International Educational Exchange’s (CIEE) Ancient and Modern Japan program was like stepping into a different era.

“The city had an anachronistic charm with structures of several centuries past,” said Cheng. “As part of an extracurricular with CIEE, I got to meditate in a 400-year-old temple led by a monk. I felt the weight of millennia of history in the form of art, architecture, and tradition as I sat on the floor of the temple.”

In addition to taking courses like Japanese Language or Culture and Cuisine, Cheng found that everyday challenges such as making new friends, navigating foreign languages, and mastering public transit reshaped how she approached problem-solving. She also gained new insight into how engineering connects with culture.

“One memorable moment was when a tour guide pointed out how an engineering detail in the corner of a stone wall protected the Osaka Castle against a devastating flood,” she recalled. “These are lessons I will continue to carry with me throughout my time at CMU.”

Cheng encourages other undergraduates to take the leap: “There’s something incredibly empowering about relying on yourself in a new country and learning as you go.”

Ali Delorenzo: Athens and Kozani, Greece

Ali Delorenzo (EnvE’26) spent a month in Greece with College Year in Athens in partnership with the University of Western Macedonia for their program Renew and Rise: Climate Change and the Just Energy Transition. The course combined meetings with local politicians, guest speakers, and field trips across northern Greece, beginning in Athens and continuing in Kozani, a city shifting from coal toward renewable energy.

Delorenzo felt that Greece was the ideal place to study the transition to renewable energy due to the government’s involvement in pushing renewables to drive the economy and job growth.

“Based on my learning abroad, I now have a better understanding of the complexity of an energy system and the current challenges that dominate the transition,” she said. “While the technology is nearly there, the real hurdle is financial investment and policy to rework current infrastructure into a more sustainable system.”

“All in all, I have really enjoyed my time traveling around northern Greece, from the culture and travel, to especially learning about the local energy transition from coal dependent sources to renewables,” Delorenzo said. “It has been a truly immersive and formative experience and I cannot recommend the course enough!”

Adah Hu: Madrid and Alicante, Spain

Adah Hu (CivE, EPP’28) joined the Carnegie Mellon University in Spain: Spanish Language and Culture Program, an eight-week language intensive run through CMU’s Department of Languages, Cultures, and Applied Linguistics. The program splits time between Madrid and Alicante. “It was a great way to explore the regional differences,” Hu said. “I got to experience both the busy city and calmer coastal life while continuing the same courses.”

Her favorite part was living with a host family. “We didn’t speak the same language which forced me to practice my Spanish, and talking about the differences in our lives over dinner was a really special experience that certainly enhanced my time abroad.”

The program also opened new doors. “I’m now considering the possibility of working abroad in the future and have also seen new perspectives on global issues which I hope to share as I continue studying civil engineering,” Hu said. “Studying with students from all over the world meant that I learned about so much more than just the culture of Spain.”