Alumni StoriesHow I went across the world with OCD, and how you can, too by Mack Carmack 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…
Alumni StoriesBregenz, Austria 1985 by Paige Williams 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…
by Emily Pike 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 only the…
Want to go on this program? Spain I – KIIS – Study Abroad
Written By Melissa Atkins 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 on…
Want to go on this program? Maya Mexico Winter – KIIS – Study Abroad
Want to go on this program? Maya Mexico Winter – KIIS – Study Abroad
Want to go on this program? Costa Rica – KIIS – Study Abroad
Want to go on this program? Maya Mexico Winter – KIIS – Study Abroad
Alumni StoriesSisters’ Separate Paths Both Lead to KIIS by Amelia Kolb 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…
Alumni StoriesSisters Study on KIIS Spain I Program 11 Years Apart by Christie Kremer 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…
Alumni StoriesReflections on Paris by Emily Andreasson 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…
Alumni StoriesGreece Wedding Connection by Alex Bizianes 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…
Alumni StoriesBizianes Siblings Share Their KIIS Stories – Katherine in Salzburg An Interview with Katherine Bizianes 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…
Alumni StoriesBizianes Siblings Share Their KIIS Stories – Alex In Greece An Interview with Alex Bizianes 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.…
Faculty FeaturesYoko Hatakeyama: Bringing Kentucky to Japan For More than Twenty Years by: Jeffrey L. Richey, Chair of Asian Studies Department, Berea College 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”…
Alumni StoriesAlumni Spotlight – Joel Erickson An Interview with Joel Erickson 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…
Faculty AwardsDistinguished Composer Award 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 three…
Alumni StoriesFive Times Studying Abroad with KIIS Article based on Telephone Interview with Luci Smith 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…
Alumni StoriesMulti-Layered Benefits of Studying Abroad Written by: Bryce Zachery 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,…
Faculty StoriesPhilosophy Publications 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 Dr. Fosl…
Alumni StoriesLiving in Japan Written by: Nicole Mangin 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…
Alumni StoriesObservations of Italians 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 to…
BlogKIIS Italy Winter Students Hold Art Exhibit At Marshall University 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…
BlogMusic Inspiration from Japan 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. https://vimeo.com/481493641 Brandon is…
BlogHealthcare, Spanish & Study Abroad Written by: Emily Guilford 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…
Faculty AwardsDistinguished Mentor & Teacher Award Text gathered from: Georgetown College & Dr. Laura Hunt 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…
BlogStudying Abroad Builds Confidence Written by: Clayton Conder 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…
BlogLiving an Austrian Lifestyle Written by: Ashvanika Dodwani 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…
BlogClimbing Up to Where the Water Falls Written by: Brendan Jones 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Abby Coomes[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Brendan Jones[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Courtney Smith[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Hayley Abbott[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” size=”medium” layout=”block” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Courtney’s mom, Nicola Hurst[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” size=”medium” layout=”block” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Kyndra Howard[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Clayton Conder[/vcex_icon_box] 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.…
Written by: Hayley Abbott 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 me,…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: BayLeigh Routt [/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Grace Callow[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
BlogMeeting Family Abroad Written by: Brooke Mayer 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…
BlogThe White City Written by: Andrew Sexton 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…
BlogStudying Abroad Helped Me Graduate On Time Written by: Alexandria Seger 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…
BlogLaissez-Nous Lire (Let Us Read) Written by: Alexa Turner 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…
BlogEducation in Japan: My Trip To Tenri Elementary Written by: Holly Moore 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…
BlogBon Voyage (Have A Nice Trip) Written by: Alexa Turner 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/ ” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Alexa Turner[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/ ” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Alexa Turner[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: KIIS Study Abroad[/vcex_icon_box] Here are a few things you can do in Italy during your study abroad trip. [vcex_heading text=”1. Take a ride on a Gondola” font_weight=”semibold”] [vcex_heading text=”2. Eat Gelato with friends”…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/ ” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Brooke Estep[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/ ” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Brooke Estep[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Brooke Estep[/vcex_icon_box] 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.…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” custom_color=”#ffffff” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/ ” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: KIIS Study Abroad[/vcex_icon_box] Check out some of these delicious local favorites while in Munich, Germany… [vcex_heading text=”1. Quarkbaellchen” font_weight=”semibold”] A delicious donut-like treats. [vcex_heading text=”2. Kaesespaetzle” font_weight=”semibold”] The German version of…
Blog[vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/students/alumni/share-your-story/” size=”medium” align=”center” border_radius=”10px”]Share Your Story[/vcex_button][vcex_button url=”https://www.kiis.org/blog/ ” layout=”block” size=”medium” icon_left=”fa fa-angle-left” border_radius=”10px”]Blog[/vcex_button][vcex_heading source=”post_title” style=”bottom-border-w-color” tag=”h2″ inner_bottom_border_color_main=”#04577e” color=”#04577e”][vcex_icon_box heading=”” icon=”fa fa-user” icon_color=”#04577e”]Written by: Brooke Estep[/vcex_icon_box] 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…
Since its formation in 1975, KIIS has been committed to keeping its study abroad programs affordable for students. KIIS awards over $80,000 in student scholarship each year. If you or a friend/family/employer are interested in contributing to the KIIS Scholarship Fund to provide international education opportunities for students, please visit our Donate page. Thank you for your support!