Casie Yonker, Plus3 Greece Engineering, Summer 2026
Studying abroad has changed how I want to approach my future in a way that I would not have imagined before going to Athens. Though the long days spent meeting professionals in the supply chain field taught me the importance of experiencing different cultures in a professional setting, the most important takeaway from this trip was the importance of human connection.
In high school and my first year of college, I was very particular about the people I let into my life. I would analyze anyone who tried to get to know me and try to figure out what their “motive” was in wanting to be my friend. This led to many surface-level friendships, but I never let anyone get close enough to really know me. I never even realized I acted this way until I went on the Plus3 trip.
I was put into a group of 26 people I didn’t know that well, and I did not exactly plan on becoming best friends with them while we were out of the country together. However, the exhaustion and feelings of displacement that came with traveling were something all of us experienced in Athens. I started getting close to a few people on the trip and noticed how kind and eager everyone was to get to know one another. The large amounts of time we spent together led to deep conversations about how we grew up and how those experiences affected the people we are today.
They paid close attention to me when I spoke and asked thoughtful questions about what I shared. Others opened up about experiences similar to mine, and that was when I realized how special the connection we were making was. No one is ever truly alone in this life, and leaning on the people around me was something I felt wasn’t an option before Greece. I learned that everyone has something to offer in this life, and having the opportunity to get to know others, and allowing them to know you, is a gift.
This trip changed the future direction of my life because I now understand the importance of learning about the people around me rather than being so quick to keep them at a distance. We continue to hang out now that school has started, and it has been amazing to see how warm, kind, and excited everyone is to see one another, especially considering the relatively short amount of time we actually spent together in Greece. I am incredibly grateful for that experience and, most importantly, for the people who taught me that it is okay to let others in.
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