A First-Generation Student Goes Abroad

I could write a dozen love letters to Smith but, at this moment, I will start with this. In the spring of 1985, I decided at the very last minute that I wanted to study abroad my junior year. As a first-generation student, I made a lot of mistakes and often didn’t understand how things worked, but the staff in College Hall miraculously helped me get my application in on time. I remember walking up to someone behind a desk and nervously whispering that I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere. She smiled and began helping me through it. 

I went on to have an incredible, eye-opening year at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, where I studied comparative government. I spent every spare moment traveling across the United Kingdom and Europe by train, experiencing unfamiliar and incredible art, architecture, landscapes, food, and people. I got seasick crossing the English Channel, slept on trains, stayed in hostels, studied art in tiny museums, and took wide-eyed walks through new places. I scratched the surface of understanding just how big the world is. It was my first time out of the country and one of the many experiences as a first-gen college student that changed my outlook forever.

Because I consider Smith’s support of study abroad invaluable, I was thrilled when my daughter, Sula Johnson ’26, decided to spend her junior year abroad, too. Fast forward to this moment: My daughter is currently abroad for the year and recently spent a weekend with a Smith classmate exploring a new city. I wait patiently for texts and photos because I know that her life is being forever altered. Thank you, Smith, and thank you to the kind person in College Hall who helped me 39 years ago. 

This is just one of the many love stories we've received in conjunction with Smith's 150th. Submit your own using our love story submission form.