Testimonials

It is somewhat difficult to describe one of the most transformative experiences of my life, but what Taryn Harrison asks, I do willingly. Going to Ireland under the guidance of Taryn and Angie is truly an eye-opening experience. Having participated as a student in 2002 and then coming back as counselor in 2008 were equally rewarding on a myriad of experiential levels. As a student, I had the chance to be away from not only my country, but also my parents. Those few summer weeks as a junior in high school set me in a direction which I still follow today. That trip opened me up to Irish culture and history, but most importantly for my own life, Irish literature and music. I also made many life-long friendships which were formed during those dream-like weeks when I was sixteen in Ireland. I should probably not admit this, but I cried openly and freely at the airport when the group came back to the states (and I am of the opinion that men should cry only when something falls on them).

When I came back to the program as a counselor six years later, I had a whole new view of what goes into Irish Life Experience. As a student, I simply thought the teachers were good enough to wet my appetite for what they discussed. To work and live with these teachers as an adult, however, demonstrated that these people were not simply trying to keep the kids entertained, but rather were prepared and professional to the highest degree. Aside from the didactic facets, I was amazed at the emotional and personal investment in the students and their welfare. I cannot recommend this program highly enough. This is a trip that I found myself, like almost everyone else, incredibly apprehensive about before going on, and then uncommonly sad to be leaving. It offers a chance for responsibility and growth that dwarfs most other opportunities for young adults.

-Peter Ford, Chatham, NJ - Student 2002, Counselor 2006

My trip to Ireland was an amazing experience that provided me with many memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. It opened my eyes not only to the richness of Irish culture, but also to the vastness of my own country. I became close friends with people from places like Canada, Washington, and California, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. I still keep in touch with these friends and we have had several reunions since our time in Ireland. Though we were only together there for a month, we shared experiences that bound us together forever.

I learned and saw so much throughout the trip that it is hard to pinpoint a favorite excursion, lesson, or activity. We would spend one day playing “Simon Says” in Irish and the next trekking across the
Giant’s Causeway or signing the peace wall in Belfast. We became expert scone bakers and set dancers, connoisseurs of Irish poetry, and masters of Dublin’s public transportation system. When we weren’t in the classroom studying the conflict in Northern Ireland or the War of Independence, we were in our drama groups planning skits on the lives of famous Irish personas like Michael Collins, St. Patrick, and Finn McCool.

What truly made my experience in Ireland a special one, however, were the trip leaders. When I arrived at the airport I was greeted by Taryn, who already knew the names of every group member and made us all feel so comfortable and welcome. Both Taryn and Angie did an amazing job of exposing us to different aspects of Irish culture and fostering within us a love of Ireland as great as their own.

- Laura Travers, Eastchester, NY - Student, 2006

I feel lucky and blessed to have experienced a comprehensive and amazing trip to Ireland at such a young age. Traveling around the magical country of Ireland was the most enlightening experience of my life and Taryn and Angie made it even more enriching. My experience in Ireland with these two stunning women taught me to embrace my heritage and be proud of where I come from. I felt right at home in Ireland and by the time I came home a month later I knew so much more about The Emerald Isle because Angie and Taryn made it a fun learning experience.

The group of high-schoolers that are lucky enough to go on this trip are very special people, I made four best friends in my month there. We fostered such a strong bond that we all still keep in touch with each other. Taryn is such an amazing person and I have learned so much from her since I’ve met her. I could not have had a better experience in Ireland with Angie and Taryn. I would go on the trip again in an instant.

- Meghan, New Jersey - Student, 2007

My 16th summer was the summer that changed my life. That was because, It was the summer that I fell in love,not with a person, but with my culture and my heritage. It was the summer that I spent a month in Ireland with some of the greatest teachers, and the greatest people I have ever met.
Through this summer study abroad program, I not only learned about the history of my culture, or about the literature, but also about the people and how they live. I was lucky enough to experience the mythical sites that I had only ever read about in books, or heard about in stories from my grandmother.

One of the things that made my time in Ireland so valuable, were the counselors and the teachers that made me eager to learn, as well as explore the quaint cities we were situated in. Taryn and Vinnie encouraged us to try new things and to learn as much as we could, while Angie thrust us into Irish culture with her sharp wit and lilting brogue that brought the stories of Ireland’s writers to life for us.

This unique study abroad program not only helped to grow in knowledge but as a person as well. I learned to be an adult, because I was treated like one. I lived with many other young adults, and at certain times during the trip, I was responsible for shopping for and cooking my own food, on a budget that had been given to us. When the time came to leave Ireland, I was crying because the time had gone way too quickly.

My time in Ireland not only instilled in me a love of my culture and the country of my ancestors but a thirst to continue seeking knowledge about Ireland and her people. This program also provided me with some of the best friends I have ever known. Although our homes span hundreds even thousands of miles, we have never let the distance stop us from staying involved in each others lives. I not only keep in touch with the students but with my teachers and counselors as well. They have remained mentors to me, long after the trip was over. I will never forget that summer, and I will always cherish it, as one of the most important experiences in my young adult life.

- Maureen McNulty, New York - Student, 2007