Croatia: Reflections 4 years later

By: Logan Kludt

I studied abroad on the Croatia Biology program in Rijeka, Croatia during the summer of 2017. While overseas, I primarily studied immunology with my classmates and graduate students from SCSU at the University of Rijeka. The primary reason I was able to study abroad, was because the opportunity allowed me to graduate a semester early. As someone who relied heavily on scholarships and financial aid, this was an important detail in my decision to study abroad.

Photo taken at Plitvice National Park. Photo shows (from L to R) Logan Kludt Lawrence, SCSU 17′ Alumna; Ana Mihatovic, University of Rijeka Alumna; Andrea Majstorovic, University of Rijeka Alumna.

While it’s been a handful of years since this endeavor, I reflect fondly over the experience. One of the most valuable experiences I had was being able to complete group work with a mixture of American and Croatian students, where everyone was motivated to do efficient and quality work, with the primary purpose to learn. I still stay in contact with the individuals I closely worked with, and it was a fantastic way to build friendships.

Photo taken in Smiljan, Croatia at Nikoli Tesla’s birthplace. Photo shows (L to R) Logan Kludt Lawrence (SCSU ’17), Erica Rehnblom (SCSU ’18), Dee Yang (SCSU ’17), and Katherine Schimnich (SCUS ’18).

In addition, Croatia is an absolutely beautiful and remarkable country. The SCSU faculty leader that led this program, Dr. Marina Cetkovic-Cvrlje, grew up in Croatia; she was an outstanding host and teacher while visiting. My favorite non-academic excursions were visiting Nikoli Tesla’s birthplace and exploring Plitvice National Park.

Logan participated in the Croatia Biology Summer program.