By Maya Kostov

Everyone dreams about what their life might be like in the future: where they will go to college, if they will get a good education, if they will make the most of this world. But for Mary Goodykoontz, this dream has become a reality.

Mary applied to the University of Dallas as an elementary education major and received the Presidential Scholarship. The University of Dallas is a liberal arts school, but she applied for a study-abroad program that let her travel to the Rome campus with about 100 other classmates and they take regular classes like they would do in Texas.

Classes are about as normal as they get, but Mary gets a lot of free time to explore Rome and Europe. About once a week, the class takes a bus into the city for an hour-and-a-half lecture on the art and architecture in Rome. After that, they have some free time to explore the city on their own.

Mary says, “My favorite things to do in the city are shop and get gelato!” On occasion the school has three-day weekends, and Mary spends her time exploring more places in Europe. Not only that, but the tickets for traveling are cheap too. Mary says she got a ticket to Prague for only 29 euros (about 35 dollars).

It’s a very rewarding experience that also lets you explore the world as you further your education!