“I Didn’t Want to Come Back”: Brenda Finds Her Kefi and Fulfills a Lifelong Dream in Greece
Study Abroad Association Scholarship
Each year the Study Abroad Association aims to help students from technical and community colleges in reducing the obstacles to studying abroad and in developing global competency. Since we are able to alleviate the initial financial burden, we can offer them a real investment—that is, the lifelong benefits of having studied abroad.
In 2026 one of the recipients was Brenda from Howard Community College; we spoke to Brenda after her time in Greece to find out how it had affected her and how it would influence her outlook on life and assist her with her studies and future career.
From Mexico to Greece, By Way of a Dream Deferred
Brenda, who was born in Mexico and is currently receiving nursing training in the United States, wasn’t unfamiliar with living abroad since she had previously spent two years in the U.S. as an au pair; however, this was her first experience of studying abroad and Greece had not actually been her first choice.
“I originally decided on going to Taiwan, but the program wasn’t running, so my next choice was Greece and I was accepted into that one. I thought, well, let’s go with that.”
It was precisely the place she had wanted to be. Brenda had always been interested in history and mythology. Her father, who was a professor, taught her and her siblings about the ancient gods and the stories connected with them when she was a child. Since she discovered that she could apply for a program based on that history, her decision was immediate: “I need to do it. I have to do it, and I want to live that experience.”
A Childhood Dream in Ancient Greece
There was no way of capturing that full-circle moment better than by seeing the Acropolis firsthand.
Brenda recalls that in former days she used to study that history and always saw it in pictures, not believing that she had actually been there herself. She describes it as being enormous and wonderful, and on one occasion she even wanted to cry because it was so emotional; she didn’t think that she was actually there.
It’s a kind of situation which no textbook or photograph is able to convey and precisely what faculty-run programs are intended to provide.
Facing Fears, Finding Friends
It wasn’t all that easy during the trip. Since Brenda can’t swim and the itinerary had several water-based excursions—such as a day at the beach, a visit to the lake, and boat tour. She admits that she had been nervous about entering the program with no one known to her.
She didn’t have to. “Throughout the program I became very friendly with a lot of people,” she says, “and nowadays we stay in touch.” There was one friend in particular who always made sure thatBrenda felt safe in the water: “She said, ‘Right then, Brenda, don’t worry, I’ve got you, come here.’ She was always looking after me.” When looking back, Brenda states that her fears never came near to outweighing the experience: “I really had fun and I enjoyed it.”
Learning That Fed Her Curiosity On and Off the Syllabus
Since Brenda has a personal interest in health and nutrition, the stop the group made in Corinth for a meal and an olive oil tasting remained important to her long after the program had ended. She became familiar with the differences between the olive oil widely available in most supermarkets and the fresh, natural kind pressed by small Greek producers, including the distinctions between virgin, extra virgin, and pure olive oil.
She says that when they tasted the olive oil, since she had never before drunk olive oil on its own, it seemed so fresh and natural, the texture was excellent, and it had been a really good experience.
She was just as impressed by the guided museum visits organised by the group, attributing this to the local guides’ knowledge, which made the history come alive in a very engaging way—”It was by no means boring, it was actually entertaining.” Moreover, one of the guides showed her an online archive that she had not been aware of, so that she could look at the collection again at any time.
Classroom Prep That Made the Trip Click
Before they went to Greece Brenda and her classmates prepared by giving individual presentations on a god or a monument which they were later to see in person.
“She said that it had been very helpful for her to gain a better understanding of the history and to acquire a bit more knowledge about what she was actually seeing.” When she finally stood in front of the real object, she wasn’t looking at it in a cold way; instead, she was viewing it in the light of context, a result of weeks of prior preparation. “All the things that we had gone to see, even the food we had first learned about in the classroom, so as a result we were better prepared.”
A Scholarship That Made the Impossible Possible
For Brenda, none of this would have happened without financial support.
“If I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to get the scholarship, I wouldn’t have done the trip, because it was a lot of money,” she says. “This type of scholarship, that gives opportunity to students who financially don’t have the money to do this kind of experience, is great because we can see that we have the opportunity to keep improving ourselves as students, and improving ourselves as a person, too.”
To students who are thinking of applying, she makes her message clear and sincere by saying, “Money is not an excuse. You can do it and you can reach as far as you want.”
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Something Amazing
Asked to sum up her experience in a single word, Brenda paused; she wanted to get it exactly right. What she landed on speaks for itself:
“Something amazing.”
She even put together her own video of the trip, so that she’d never forget it. Between the friendships, the history she’d dreamed about since childhood, and a scholarship that made it all possible, it’s clear this wasn’t just a study abroad program for Brenda; it was a promise to herself, finally kept.
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Culture and History in Greece Program Highlights
- Historic Walking Tour including Visit to the Ancient Agora
- Monastiraki Square with Food Tastings & Central Market Tour
- Temple of Poseidon & Lake Vouliagmeni
- Acropolis
- Day trip to Aegina
- Olive oil tasting & farm-to-table meal
- Visit Epidaurus, Palamidi and Mycenae
- National Archaeological Museum