For spring break, international students shown local hospitality

When Jessica “Jay” Brown ’18 (Communication Studies/Public Relations) learned that her good friends and fellow New Paltz students Jose Ignacio “Nacho” Campo Cadenas and Guillaume Cuenin did not know where they would be staying during the first days of spring break, she decided to invite them to visit her hometown.

“They had a flight from New York on Tuesday, so I invited them to spend the weekend with me in Long Island,” Brown said. “They’d never been to Long Island before, and I told them I’d love to show them around.”

Campo Cadenas, originally from Madrid, Spain, and Cuenin, from Hérimoncourt, France, both are studying at the College as international students for the 2014-2015 academic year. They forged a friendship with Brown early on during the fall ’14 semester, and the trio has spent time together since then.

For Brown, opening her home to her friends was a chance for them to see and do things they’ve never done before.

“Sunday we spent the day in Long Island,” Brown said. “I showed them where I grew up in Kings Park, then we visited Montauk’s End and the beautiful lighthouse there.”

She added, “We went to Queens on Monday. We sat in front of the bridge, and that was really pretty. It was the first time they’d seen it. Later, there was a bus stop with a sign that said ‘Welcome to New York’ on it, and I took a picture of them in front of it.”

Brown, who aspires to study abroad in the U.K. before she graduates, is already making plans to visit Campo Cadenas and Cuenin.

“I’ve always wanted to travel, and study abroad would allow me to do that and complete my studies,” Brown said. “Going to Europe and being able to experience new things with friends would make a huge difference.  I know that when I travel there, Nacho and Guillaume will return the favor and allow me to see and do things I’ve never done before.”

For more information about study abroad opportunities, visit www.newpaltz.edu/studyabroad or log on to http://abroadblogs.newpaltz.edu/ to read real stories about SUNY New Paltz students’ abroad experiences.