Summer Study in Prague and Winter Break Travels in Japan
As his weeks in Prague sped rapidly along, Stuart Olsen reminded himself to savor each day of his brief study abroad experience in the Czech Republic. In Stuart's words:
“Personally, Prague was a challenge at the beginning of my studies, but then it became like a game. I took on the challenges that it threw at me and I am happy to say I’m better off because of it. Every person works around a problem in his/her own way, but if I could give any advice, it's to take one day at a time. That’s what I did every day and I had a great experience.”
Stuart, who was a student of the University of Washington at the time of his overseas studies, somehow found the time to update his blog in between classes and trips to neighboring countries. One of Stuart's favorite aspects about living in Prague was taking in the diverse styles of architecture.
"Architecture in Prague is one of its main attractions, from the Prague Castle to the classic concert halls. Miller Villa is a villa that was built in the 1920s with a style that was not seen in Prague...One of my projects for class was to research a local church in Prague, so I decided to do the assignment about a Catholic church that was built in the 1920s. The cool thing about the church is that it has a big clock on the top, made out of brick and glass. On Sunday I went to the church, which was giving a service in Czech."
The following year, Stuart flew to Japan through the University of Washington's DO-IT Scholars Program, which provides opportunities to mentor youth with disabilities considering higher education. In Japan, where he had previously traveled as a MIUSA Exchange participant, Stuart gave a presentation to an audience of young people with diverse disabilities covering his experiences as a person with a disability living and traveling in the United States, Europe and Japan. After his presentation, he received positive feedback from the audience.
"Students were inspired and were thinking of traveling. I am happy that I was able to influence some of the students."
