Genoa grad travels Europe, finds education in Ireland

A Genoa graduate and Ohio State University student spent a semester studying, and then backpacking, abroad.

Paige Neuman, Genoa’s 2013 valedictorian, took a break from her studies at OSU to spend the spring semester in Cork, Ireland. She also spent several weeks visiting neighboring countries.

Choosing Ireland as her destination was a difficult decision that she was happy she made.

“It was between a few different countries, but I did want an English-speaking country,” she said. “I chose Ireland for the culture. I knew Irish people were nice, but I didn’t realize how nice they really were.”

Neuman attended University College Cork and studied the history of the Tudor classes, which was a far cry from her mechanical engineering studies at home. She said she doesn’t regret the choice, which might make it necessary to extend her college career an extra semester, as the personal benefits from the trip were enormous.

“It didn’t do anything to help my engineering degree, but it was definitely great, personally,” she said. “It was 100 percent worth it because it was a whole other experience educationally and culturally.”

Her Irish college experience was very different from her American one. Students are given very little homework and have reading lists that are optional, and the classes offer more freedom of choice in the topic of study.

Neuman spent her three-week spring break and a month post-semester backpacking around Europe. She traveled with a friend — a California native she met in Cork — to Poland, the Czech Republic, Paris, Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

After her friend returned home to the states, Neuman continued on alone to Vienna, Croatia, Sarajevo and back to Ireland, where she met her family for a 12-day tour of the country.

Traveling virtually alone through multiple foreign countries was not as difficult as Neuman anticipated.

“It seems so tough at first, but once you get out there, it’s the most amazing thing ever. I had a lot of really good experiences,” she said.

One of her most intense experiences was visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp, where the history she learned in America became more real.

“Growing up, you learn so much U.S. history, and every tour had a little local history,” she said. “I went to Sarajevo and was sitting in the square where, 20 years ago, they were under siege and getting shelled. It was powerful.”

Neuman was surprised by the level of difference between American and European cultures.

“You know it’s going to be different, but you don’t know how different. Even though Ireland is an English-speaking country, there were so many phrases I didn’t understand,” she said.

Neuman did some research on Irish culture and the country’s political system before her trip, but with the other countries, she “just dove in.” There were a few cultural surprises, such as one she experienced in Germany.

“You don’t always know what’s acceptable and what’s not. When we were in Germany, we walked up to a cab and just opened the door and got in. The cab driver was shocked,” she said. “We actually had to leave the cab. In Germany, you knock on the window and tell them how many people you have and where you’re going.”

Neuman hopes to backpack abroad again one day. She would like to tour Eastern Europe or Asia next time.

“I think everyone should do it,” she said.