Howdy! My name is Katie Davis, and I am a Class of ’24 accounting major from Cypress, Texas. This summer I have been blessed with the opportunity to go on the Europe marketing study abroad to France and the United Kingdom! We have been in France for a week now, and it is better than anything I could have imagined!
Our first stop was Normandy, France! We stayed in a beautiful town called Lisieux. It was so cool to experience what a small, quiet town in the French countryside is like. On our first full day in France, we visited different sites from World War II, including the American Cemetery and Memorial honoring the fallen American soldiers who fought during World War II. I learned a lot about Operation Overlord and the Allies? mission to storm the beaches of Normandy, leading to the end of the war.
The next day, we visited this absolutely breathtaking abbey on an island called Mont St. Michel. It looked like it was straight out of a storybook, I felt like I was dreaming! We walked around the little island and took a tour of the abbey on top. It was fascinating looking at all the things in the abbey and learning about its? rich history.
After that, we made it to Paris! On our first night, we went on a bike tour of the city and got to see the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night. Next, we had a blast in Disneyland Paris! It was a lot more relaxing and less stressful than Disney in the United States. Yesterday, we went on a bike tour of Versailles and got to visit the Chateau, which is the massive palace built by King Louie XIV. Today, we had a company visit to the Chamber of Commerce. We got to hear from Mr. Bernard Quinet, the head of the Doing Business in Paris unit of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mr. Alexandre de Sainte Marie, founder of NEAPOLIS, a consulting agency for luxury brands. After that, we visited Galeries Lafayette and Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera House.
So far, this trip has been an experience of a lifetime! The language barrier is definitely difficult at times, but it is so cool to be immersed in a different culture! The people we have interviewed so far have been so interesting! I am also proud to say that we have figured out how to use the metro system, all thanks to Apple Maps. This is such an incredible program, and I am so blessed to get this opportunity! I can’t wait for the rest of the trip!
