KIIS Stories

Hi, I’m Mack, and I have OCD. I don’t really know how else to start this without just getting straight to the point, right? Anyways, I have OCD. Not in a “wow! I’m so quirky, I love organizing and color-coding my school supplies” way, but rather, I have obsessive thoughts…

As a white, middle-class college student attending Eastern Kentucky University, I truly did not understand the vastness and diversity of the world we live in. I would have been content in my little corner of the world had it not been for a friend who insisted we enroll in a…

This program introduced me to what life is like in Europe, let me explore like never before, and gave me the confidence to travel on my own. I had so many opportunities to see historic places, try amazing foods, talk to people that don't speak the same language, experience different…

Dear Student, You have made the decision to attend higher education for the experience and education it brings. But what if I told you that there is an essential component that can forever change your view of life and your credentials? Studying abroad is often seen as an experience that…

After living in Spain with a host family for 2 months in the summer of 2022, I learned a lot that helped broaden my perspective on the world. Before studying abroad with KIIS, I had never been out of the country. Now, I was about to take a leap of…

I think the initial reaction when someone finds out they are going to be thrust into a new country for an extended amount of time is both fear and excitement. I know I was definitely flooded with both of these emotions when I was contemplating whether or not to go…

Playa del Carmen is another great beach destination alongside Cancún for tourists that want plenty of beach clubs for which to enjoy the clear skies, blue water, and soft sand.

Mérida is the capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, and despite being four hours from the coast, is a popular tourist destination thanks to its convenient location a few hours from Mayan ruins Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. Walking through the streets, I heard Spanish, French, Mayan, and Slavic languages: Mérida tourists…

The sheer scale of people in Mexico City is mind-blowing. They spill onto the streets so that the city during Christmastime is just one big festival, and at night vendors set up shop on street corners and sell light-up crowns and popcorn and cotton candy – sometimes the fluff will…

I think the personal connections that I made in Costa Rica would definitely be my favorite part of the program, both within my program and in Costa Rica. The KIIS program is very different from my previous study abroad programs through my university because KIIS works with students across the…

We get up at six and are slumped against windows and the bus seat in front of us by six-thirty. It’s an Oxxo breakfast: mango juice and Quaker Oat cookies for me. Not the most glamorous of Mexican mornings, but necessary, if we want to beat the Cancún crowd to…

Samantha and I both have always loved travel and understanding the world outside of our own experiences. In my freshman year of undergrad, I knew that I wanted to have an experience abroad as a Spanish major, so the KIIS Merida Mexico trip seemed like a great fit. I loved…

During my Freshman year of college, I studied Spanish and Political Science. At the time, I felt a bit lost because I didn’t really want to work in politics. Except for my Spanish classes, I was enrolled in classes that I didn’t enjoy. Learning Spanish and connecting with Spanish speakers…

Paris smelled like adventure and like home. The hot July air reverberated between the ancient buildings tossed by the energy that coursed through the streets. An energy that hit me as I hauled my tiny suitcase up the endless steps of the metro and stumbled out onto the sunlit street…

I studied abroad on the Summer 2016 KIIS Greece program because of my University of Louisville Greek Mythology professor, Dr. Steve Watkins. He was instrumental in helping me realize the trip was a possibility. We’ve remained in contact since the program and then in May 2020, my wife and I…

How did studying abroad with KIIS become a family affair with both siblings studying abroad on KIIS programs? My mother had always talked about college as the best time to go abroad, as her friend in college did a year in France. After my brother Alex took the opportunity to…

What prompted you to select the KIIS Greece program? I was taking a Greek Mythology class at the University of Louisville from Dr. Steve Watkins. He happened to be a faculty member on the KIIS Greece study abroad program. He invited the program directors, Drs. Chris Shea and Richard King,…

In Japan, Kentucky is perhaps most associated with its fast-food avatar, KFC. Ever since 1974, when the Louisville-based brand (then known as Kentucky Fried Chicken) launched its phenomenally successful “Kentucky for Christmas” advertisement campaign in Japan, a bucket of KFC fried chicken has become part of the imagery of Christmas…

What prompted you to select the KIIS Greece program? By Fall Semester 2007, I switched from majoring in Telecommunications to a double major in Greek and Latin out of my love of etymology and Classical languages and linguistics. My Greek course was taught by one of the professors leading the…

Dr. Matthew Herman teaches Music Theory and Composition at Western Kentucky University and also regularly teaches music courses on the KIIS Salzburg program. Recently he received an Honorable Mention award in the Music Teacher’s National Association Distinguished Composer Competition for his piece “Appalachian Trilogy.” “Appalachian Trilogy” is a trio in…

I live for travel and nature which is part of why I love the KIIS programs so much. I saw so many beautiful waterfalls and lakes that just made me happy to be alive. There’s so much beauty in the world to experience. My first KIIS program was the 2017…

Studying abroad on the KIIS Italy program was one of the best experiences of my life! I highly recommend it to everyone. I greatly value being able to travel the world and see things I had only imagined seeing, such as The David, Rome Colosseum, Trevi fountain, etc.

Dr. Peter Fosl, a Philosophy professor at Transylvania University and a KIIS Barcelona Faculty member, recently published a research monograph, Hume's Scepticism, with Edinburgh University Press. His Philosopher's Toolkit also was published in a third edition with Wiley-Blackwell. Now translated into eight foreign languages, the Toolkit has been in print for eighteen years. Congratulations to…

Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated with Japanese culture; all my life some aspect of it has been present in my life. When I heard about the KIIS program, I knew that it was the perfect opportunity for me to finally visit the country that had…

One of my favorite days in Italy was when I took a day to wander around downtown Rome. I went to an art museum, a botanical garden and then a restaurant. I spent the day observing how Italian people interacted with each other. Since I don’t speak Italian, I listened…

Sophia Gillispie, Sophie Kelley, Morgan Napier, and Callie Thacker, Marshall University Students, studied abroad on the KIIS Italy Winter 2023-2024 program. They orchestrated a compelling two-week art exhibit in Marshall's student gallery, displaying artwork created during the study abroad program or inspired by it. Accompanying this showcase was a student…

Brandon Mitchell, an aspiring composer studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the Department of Technology and Applied Composition (TAC), was part of the school's "2021 TAC Showcase Concert". To view the concert performance, click the video below. Brandon's composition begins at the 47 minute mark.

Bueno! Me llamo Emily. In the summer of 2019 I traveled to Merida, Mexico and lived with a family for about 5-6 weeks while studying with KIIS. I absolutely enjoyed myself while on this trip and learned so much about myself as well about Mayan culture and heritage. I cannot…

Dr. Laura Hunt teaches Spanish at Georgetown college and teaches on the KIIS Maya Mexico Winter program. Recently she received Georgetown's John Walker Manning Distinguished Mentor and Teacher Award. Below is an excerpt from Georgetown's news website about her award followed by a quote from Dr. Hunt. The John Walker…

The days leading up to my Greece program were filled with feelings of dread and anxiety. I didn't know anyone on the trip. I wanted to stay in my introverted bubble, because in Greece I would be alone, with nothing familiar. Looking back, three years later, I can say with…

One of the reasons I chose to study in Austria is because I knew that the small town of Bregenz would allow me to truly explore the living style of Austrians in ways that I might not be able to if I were in a more touristy place or even…

As I step out of our thirteen person minivan I take a deep breath of the fresh, crisp Costa Rican air. Today is the day we take the first of many hikes up the side of a mountain. I had slept well, eaten “Lo Tipico” (beans and rice) , and…

I originally heard about the KIIS Slavic Europe program from my professor, Dr. Mandzy, during one of his History classes. Then I went to Morehead State’s Study Abroad fair, and I found out about the KIIS Berlin program. I learned that if I participated on two KIIS programs back to…

We walk into a huge stadium full of fans, and I think about how I am experiencing another thing for the first time. This was my very first time at a professional soccer game. It was loud, exciting, and very memorable. The food was given out by vendors, and it…

Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to one day study abroad. I grew up hearing the stories of my mother’s experience abroad in Spain during her junior year of college. She raved about how much she learned, the different cultures she experienced, and all of…

I jumped out of bed as soon as I heard my alarm sound. I could hardly contain my excitement knowing that I would be experiencing the site of a world-renowned castle, famously known for inspiring Walt Disney. The Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a hill above…

When Courtney first told me that she wanted to study abroad, I thought to myself no way. But, the more she began to explain how studying abroad would help her in her educational career it didn’t sound too bad. Furthermore, Courtney was able to find resources on campus that were…

The Gilman scholarship will have a huge impact on my education and professional life upon returning from the KIIS Greece Summer Study Abroad Program. More importantly, it has impacted my self-worth by showing me that I can achieve monumental things with proper support, dedication, and determination. Before applying, I was…

It’s been 58 days since I’ve returned from Greece at the time I am writing this, and there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t thought of and missed it. It was my first time traveling overseas, first time on a plane, on a ship, first time being gone for…

With a new passport and a tightly packed suitcase, I boarded the plane to Munich with my stomach in knots. I didn’t know what to expect in a new country, but I was intrigued to learn how Munich and Paris compare to the United States. Culture is very fascinating to…

Studying in Segovia, Spain, this past summer was one of the greatest journeys that I have ever embarked on. During my time abroad, I learned about myself immensely and grew so much more than I ever thought possible. I am incredibly grateful to have had such an amazing, hilarious, generous,…

Berea College offers many unique opportunities, and while I have taken advantage of as many as possible during my time here, studying abroad was undoubtedly my favorite. I went to Segovia, Spain for 90 days, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and truly had a life changing experience. I…

I hoped to at least try to meet up with my Greek relatives before going to Greece, but I wasn't sure if it was going to work out or not because they are from an island called Karpathos which is much farther south than the KIIS Greece program ever traveled.…

Last December I made the decision to study abroad for the first time. It was not a simple choice, but one that I had to work towards, making sure that everything was supposed to work out the way it should. It wasn't simple because I had never left the country…

My whole purpose to study abroad was to graduate on time. I've always wanted to study abroad but with my major and minor, it's not very flexible. Then I got an email from KIIS about a Winter study abroad opportunity, and it was the perfect fit. I almost didn't graduate…

Voltaire once said, “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.” If you’re a central Kentucky native like myself, when you hear the name “Shakespeare and Company” you immediately picture a unique cafe that is filled with antique furniture and…

This past Monday, my fellow KIIS members and I took the train to Nara to spend the day with students at Tenri Elementary. I was particularly excited, of course, to have the opportunity to actually go into a Japanese classroom and experience firsthand how things are done in a Japanese…

I did it to myself. Everyone had told me. In fact, they had told me multiple times: “pack light.” I thought I had. I packed what I thought I needed, took a few things out, and had plenty of room to take back gifts and souvenirs. When I got to…

After completing a ten-week summer internship in Washington, D. C., I’d like to think that I can go anywhere and not look like a tourist. I thought wrong. The day after Christmas I, along with several other students and a few faculty from across Kentucky, boarded a plane to begin an…

History. By way of it, we study the triumphs, failures, greatness, and destructiveness that the human race has accomplished. In every place I have visited, I have seen the remnants of all of these characteristics of history. In southern Germany, you can see all the splendors of the Wittelsbach Dynasty…

Here are a few things you can do in Italy during your study abroad trip.

Instead of the City of Light or the City of Love, Paris ought to be called “The City of Carbs.” So far, I haven’t met a pastry or a baguette I didn’t like –and trust me, we’ve had a few. Our trip is about food and its relationship to culture.…

Ever since I hit the “submit” button on my study abroad application in October, I have anxiously been awaiting my return to La Ville-Lumière (the City of Light). This is not to say that I did not like Munich. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Bavarian capital, because it…

On our second day in Munich, we visited both sides of the emotional spectrum. We visited the Munich Residenz, the palace that housed the German Royal Family for over 700 years. It was opulent –brocade walls, gilded ceilings, and manicured grounds. This palace was a manifestation of the power, money,…

Check out some of these delicious local favorites while in Munich, Germany...

When we arrived in Munich, the first thing to catch my eye was the Victualienmarkt, also known as “the food market.” This collection of green-roofed wooden stalls, covered with pine branches, Christmas lights, and a plethora of holiday décor held the promise of handmade gifts, local delicacies, and much adventure.…