A Chance to Complete my Rome & Greece Semester

Greetings! My name is Fiona Mitchell, and I am a recent graduate of the University of Dallas, finally achieving my dream of having a BA in English.

 

Before I set off on my journey to convince various students to love literature as much as I do, UD has given me and my fellow graduates an opportunity to remedy one of the harms caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In Spring 2020, me and my friends set off for our semester in Rome and Greece. When we heard about the spread of COVID-19, although we resolved to take precautions, we had no idea of the ramifications. By March, only a few days before we were to set off on our ten day visit to Greece, Italy had decided that all international students had to return home. Our professors did everything they could to save our semester, and they did a wonderful job of maintaining our classes online. However, we had to leave Europe much too early.

 

Now, it will be impossible to regain all of the time lost. Yet the University of Dallas has come up with a solution; they have extended an invitation to any of the Seniors of 2022 who were thus affected by the pandemic to accompany the Summer Rome class on their Greece trip. This involves a (usually) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of two weeks in Greece, with academic lectures and tours by some of the best professors at the university, and to journey to and visit the most famous and beautiful Greek sites.

 

Despite the generosity of UD and the very reasonable price of barely $100/day for this educational adventure, as a recent graduate still scrambling to find a teaching position in Dallas that I may begin to pay my mountain of student loans, I currently can not afford the plane trip (between $950-$1,300) or UD's fees ( $1,379.) My family are some of the most generous people I know and I love them dearly. However, one of my sisters is getting married this summer and many of my other siblings have had recent new additions to their families, thus, understandably and prudently, they would not be able to contribute much (or at least I wouldn't let them.)

 

My goal is $3,000, to cover the price of a plane ticket, the UD fees, and any other travel expenses that will most likely accrue, especially since there is so much turmoil in Europe at this time. I would like to assure you all that these donations are funding the practical and educational aspect of this trip and I will use any small funds I may have for personal expenses not provided by the university.

 

Thank you all for your generosity! And of course, prayers for me as I enter into this new stage of my life and my friend's safe travels are the most precious thing you could give and I am truly grateful for all your well-wishes.

 

God bless,

Fiona Mitchell