Bonjour,
My name is Ashleigh Boyle and I received the Huguenot Scholarship for my study abroad trip for
the Fall 2013 semester. I lived and studied abroad in La Rochelle, France, for four exciting months. Before
leaving South Carolina, I was nervous; I didn’t know what to expect. But immediately upon my arrival I
felt at home. I lived in a wonderful home with a gracious French woman close to downtown. Every night
we talked of our past experiences, ate typical French cuisine and watched the French news. We grew
pretty close rather quickly. She always offered to help me with my homework and whatever else I
needed. My experience at the University of La Rochelle was spent in classes with other international
students of all ages and heritage. Not only was I learning about the culture of France, but I was also
learning about other cultures around the world as well. Weekends were spent with friends, some
American and some foreign, shopping on the small streets downtown, drinking coffee at side street café’s
and walking along the beach. We often took trips outside of the city as well. I had the opportunity to
spend a weekend in Paris and Germany and then fall break in Spain! All of this excitement and adventures
would not have been possible without the Huguenot Scholarship and the support from College of
Charleston. All it took on my part was filling out a few applications, getting professor recommendations
and having a passion for traveling and I was rewarded with the experience of a lifetime! I would
recommend to anyone to study abroad in order to experience what other cultures have to offer you! 