by compactscholars | Jun 12, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Chris Kjonaas Although sixteen students from the San Diego State University (SDSU) Compact Scholars Program’s inaugural Compact Abroad in Greece cohort returned home after two weeks of travel and service on June 4th, Greece wasn’t quite finished with all of us just...
by compactscholars | Jun 6, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Sydney McCown When our instructor told us that we had been assigned a writing activity that required us to go visit a location in Athens and write for one hour, I clenched my teeth and my eyes snapped shut. I had come to Greece to work with asylum seekers and...
by compactscholars | Jun 5, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Marc Gonzalez “Take what you can, give nothing back.” While this quote is from a Johnny Depp pirate movie, I think it emulates an American ideology of overcoming of obstacles for personal gain. This is part of the mindset I had prior to arriving to Greece, then...
by compactscholars | Jun 4, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Naomi Marroquin As I walked up the steps of The Imagine Project center entrance, it is the last day of fasting before Ramadan. The white plastered walls are painted with the phrase “you are safe here” in many different languages and colors. Tamar, who is the...
by compactscholars | Jun 4, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Kaylee Hammond As many of you know, coffee is a universal language across the globe. On the west coast of the United States, we often think of Starbucks as the local coffee shop, while on the east coast, Dunkin Donuts is considered a local spot. In Greece,...
by compactscholars | Jun 3, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Emely Nieto As the houses grew bigger and the water lightened to a teal shade, our plane approached Chios Island. The transparent turquoise of the water, the sparse vegetation and warm toned buildings immediately contrasted with Athens, which is some distance from...
by compactscholars | Jun 3, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Arely Marquez The first day that I walked in Athens’ streets, I was excited to explore the city, see the differences in culture, interact with local people, and try local food. One of the aspects of Athens and Greece in general that I wanted to explore was public...
by compactscholars | Jun 1, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Evannia Pekarek Life can feel like an out of control car with no breaks. These past few weeks have been crazy and emotional for me, starting even before our trip to Greece. On May 9th, 2019, I got a call from my stepdad at 8:14 a.m. He told me to stop everything I...
by compactscholars | Jun 1, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Abigail Castro Sitting atop Mount Lycabettus, the highest point in Athens, and looking out onto the surrounding city was breathtaking. As I came up the stairs and the view of Athens began to appear over the top of the stone wall, it was like nothing I had ever seen...
by compactscholars | May 31, 2019 | Compact Abroad
By Daniela Huerta Hearing the soccer balls bounce off the fences surrounding the goal made my heart rate increase. Observing the seamless passes between the refugees, my palms started to get clammy, a drop of sweat found its way down my neck. As I stretch, my muscles...
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