Dear Reader,
My name is Dan and I am thrilled to be joining the MUDEC team as Student Activities Coordinator for the spring 2021 semester.
I first set foot in Europe as a student on a summer study program in England. Since then, I have had the enormous privilege to return several times for both studies and work: I spent my junior year in Paris, and returned to France upon finishing my Bachelor’s degree for two years of TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France). In between those two mandates, I spent the summer working for a study abroad program in Paris. Now nearing the end of my Master’s in French and International Education, I am so excited to have my sights set on Luxembourg. Though my record suggests that I’m a hopeless Francophile, I promise that I am not—in fact, I have yet to find a corner of Europe that I haven’t fallen in love with!
Nothing has been more formative in my education than my travels in Europe and the friendships that I have made there. I may be new to the Miami and MUDEC communities, but I know that this sense of discovery is universally enjoyed by anyone seeking to expand their horizons through an experience abroad. For that reason, I am excited to get started, to accompany our incoming students on their own journeys of discovery, and to connect with the larger MUDEC family, which has already welcomed me so warmly.
Though we are living in a unique moment, study abroad is just as enriching and relevant as ever. In my experiences travelling, I have had the chance to crisscross Europe, checking out the major sites from the British Isles to the Balkans. But just as present in my mind as these travels are all the “backstage” moments. Interacting with the local culture, picking up a new language, chatting with your host family or your neighbors, figuring out the supermarket—these aren’t necessarily Instagrammable feats, but they are what remind you that when you study abroad, you’re more than just a tourist. For this moment in time, you live in this place. Putting down these roots allows you to better understand who you are, where you come from, and see the world through a new lens.
I cannot wait to get to know the new cohort of students and to explore small-but-mighty Luxembourg together. We’ve got some great things planned, and there’s nothing like springtime in Europe!
Daniel Riecker
Student Activities Coordinator
