Commitment to Global Education
Photo by Dan Loh.
by Bruce Rychlik '89, Alumni Council President
Thank you for your messages following my fall column. Keep them coming. I heard from Dave Updike ’89, who I last saw at the historic NCAA Division III national championship men’s lacrosse game in May, and Joe George ’89, who lives in Carlisle and hosts the “Dig!” weekly radio show on 88.3 WDCV. You can view a wide variety of Dickinson sports through the Dickinson Red Devils app, and you can listen to WDCV online.
Whether you studied abroad or not, we are all aware of our college’s commitment to global education. Since this year marks the 60th anniversary of Dickinson’s first study-abroad program in Bologna, Italy, I would like to share firsthand comments that members of the Alumni Council heard this fall from students and alumni about Dickinson’s transformative global-study programs.
Current Student Experiences
“Dickinson was the only school I looked at that would allow me to study abroad while pursuing majors in both physics and Japanese. Because studying in Japan put me outside of my comfort zone, I sought new experiences, clubs and communities when I returned to campus, which has allowed me to foster new passions and friendships.” —Ethan Lebo ’26, Dickinson in Japan program at Nanzan University in Nagoya
“I attended Dickinson because none of the Italian programs I evaluated at other schools were as rigorous as ours or were full-year programs. The Bologna program taught me about interculturality and what it is like to live outside your comfort zone. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” —Kristin Lazar ’26, junior year at the Dickinson in Bologna program
“I chose Dickinson because I knew that I could study abroad in two different places with two diverse majors while utilizing my existing financial aid, an option most schools I considered did not offer.” —Jess Hartley-Lowe ’26 (Russian and environmental science), Tbilisi, Georgia, studying languages, and Kimana, Kenya, studying endangered-species conservation
Alumni Experiences
“Dickinson initially impressed me because of the mandatory language requirements and robust language programs. My semester in Bologna exposed me to the Italian language and culture and a different pedagogical approach than in the U.S. It also unlocked opportunities to teach English in Cremona, obtain a Fulbright research grant in Turin, and led to my current role at a United Nations agency based in Italy. And the 60th celebration in October was only a train ride away!” —Delphine Dall’Agata ’17
“Studying and living in Bologna was a formative experience. It ignited a love of foreign languages, travel and adventure. It also marked the first time in my life when I was forced to really figure things out and not just in an academic sense. Returning in October after so many years served as a reminder of these things, and of course, just like when I was a student, it was a lot of fun.” —Tim McGlinn ’91
“I wanted to go to a school where global engagement was part of the culture. After studying in Bologna, as well as my two-week Churchill Global Mosaic program in Cuba, it became clear to me, when talking with students from other schools who studied abroad, that Dickinson’s approach of challenging its students intellectually while providing local support was something special. At the celebration event in Bologna, it was clear that hasn’t changed.” —Chris Neary ’06
For those interested in experiencing or reliving their time abroad, consider taking a trip through Dickinson’s Alumni Global Adventures or supporting the school’s $10 million fundraising campaign to enhance Dickinson’s abroad initiatives. Please send any comments, questions or requests to brucerychlik@mac.com.
Read more from the winter 2026 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published March 19, 2026