In Season 1 of the podcast, which kicked off on Friday, October 9th 2020, our host, Sofia Perez, will interview a number of guests on all things study abroad.
Episodes are released weekly on Fridays and will be added below, but you can also subscribe on iTunes or Spotify to ensure you don’t miss an episode and get regular notifications.


Season 1
Due to the pandemic, all episodes are either recorded via zoom or following the University’s guidelines of physical distancing and mask wearing.
Episode 9: Abroad as an ROTC Student
Join us in the last episode of 2020 as we highlight more student abroad experiences made unique by their background and interests! This episode features Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students Nora Fenton and Chris Beirne as they share their stories from abroad and how this opportunity complements the skills and experiences valued by the Notre Dame Army ROTC program.
Episode 8: Abroad during the Hong Kong protests
Join us on this episode as we continue to highlight unique study abroad experiences across the world! Imagine being the only Notre Dame student in a country you’ve never been to in the middle of political conflict and protests! That pretty much summarizes the 2019 Fall semester in Hong Kong for ND senior Danny Liggio. This week, Sofia sits down to talk with Danny all about his time abroad at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology during the 2019 Hong Kong protests.
Episode 7: Alumni Abroad: Making the most of your time abroad
From current students to alumni who studied abroad decades ago, international experiences abroad can impact us for years to come. Join us in this first episode of our “Alumni Series” where we’ll be featuring different Notre Dame alumni each episode! This week Sofia talks with Patrick Quinn (2020 graduate) who studied in Angers in the Spring of 2019. Patrick tells us all about his time in Angers including how he made his own “French bucket list” and sought out many excellent opportunities to make the most of his time abroad!
Episode 6 - Holidays Abroad
This week Sofia Perez sits down with sisters Annie and Maria Ritten who studied abroad in Dublin and Rome! Coming from two parents who studied abroad during their time at Notre Dame, Maria and Annie grew up always knowing they wanted to study abroad and could not wait to make memories of their own. Join us as we hear about the unique and contrasting aspects of their time abroad, as well as their experiences during Christmas with the rest of the Ritten family, who traveled out to Europe to spend the holiday season abroad as a family!
Episode 5 - Identities Abroad: Being a First-Generation, Black Woman
The study abroad experience is made unique by various aspects. This includes students’ identities as well as their participation in opportunities available to them abroad. This is the first episode in a series we’re calling “Identities Abroad.” This series of BeyoND Study Abroad aims to highlight diversity among Notre Dame students as they discuss their study abroad stories. This week we hear from Jaime Spencer, who shares her experience as a first-generation college student and Black woman as she studied abroad in London and Jerusalem. She also discusses her participation in a research lab abroad. Stay tuned for more episodes in our “Identities Abroad” series in the coming months!
Episode 4 - Abroad During a Pandemic
During these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we certainly know that study abroad looks very different this year. Join us in this episode where Sofia sits down with two students, Katie and Enzo, who were both studying abroad in Europe during the beginnings of the pandemic. Highlighting two vastly different experiences during this process, we hear the variety of student stories regarding leaving their host countries, finishing the semester virtually, and their advice to students looking to study abroad in the future.
Episode 3 - All About Applications
Don’t know much about the ND study abroad application process? Trying to write your application right now but don’t know where to start? Come join us in this episode as Sofia sits down with two NDI staff members to talk all about information and advice when it comes to writing study abroad applications. And a special segment on debunking common study abroad rumors!
Episode 2 - Summer Study Abroad
With the recent announcement of the suspension of Spring 2021 study abroad programs, the Summer 2021 abroad application deadline has been extended to November 15th. So join us in this episode as we explore these summer programs and hear from 4 different students who did summer programs in Jerusalem, London, Brazil, and Rome and about all of the amazing experiences, both cultural and academic that they had there!
Episode 1 - Study Abroad? Why Not!
In this episode, we interview Katie Feehan about her abroad story. As a student who was very apprehensive about studying abroad and almost didn’t go, we hear Katie’s story of her time in Dublin and what made it so special and ended up being her best college experience yet! Join us as we look at the most common fears and best experiences from study abroad.
Introduction Episode - Kicking it off with Dr. Michael Pippenger
In this mini-episode, our host, Sofia Perez, a senior Biochemistry major, interviews NDI's vice president and associate provost for internationalization, Dr. Michael Pippenger, about his time abroad and the vision and goals for the podcast.