Julia Czermerys '24 was given the very Celtic middle name of Eilis. Her siblings all have Celtic middle names as well. For Julia's family, those names represent a permanent bond to their Irish ancestry. Except, as it turns out, they're not Irish.
It took a deep dive into an ancestry site for Julia's mom to make a startling revelation: the proud descendent of the Irish is actually extremely Scottish. Julia had been living an honest lie her whole life, but as soon as she met with Matt Schiesel '15, associate director of study abroad and international fellowships, she saw an opportunity to reclaim her identity.
Julia's enrolled in Siena's 3+2 law program with Albany Law, which puts her on a three-year fast track to a bachelor's degree. Julia, therefore, assumed she wouldn't be able to spend a full semester abroad, but stopped by the Study Abroad office to inquire about a J-term or perhaps a summer program.
"Matt arranged my schedule and showed me there were a few options to study abroad for a semester without falling behind. Dublin was one option. But as soon as I realized Scotland was a possible destination, I knew that had to be it."
Julia got maps from her mom with details about her family's origins in Scotland. Her clan is from all over Glasgow and Edinburgh, which Julia has been able to explore.
"My sister and I have always talked about visiting Scotland, especially when we learned about our family's connection. My sister and my family are so jealous that I'm here. I send them pictures every day. We grew up in a rural area, and it has a similar atmosphere to the Scottish Highlands.The mountains here are beautiful and the hiking is amazing."
Of course, her time in Scotland has been about more than just a view. Earlier this year, Julia worked at the Center of Social Justice through her summer legal fellowship at Western New England University. The experience unexpectedly illuminated her career path - a path that has now taken an important detour through the United Kingdom.
"I've decided to go into social justice law. I want to do something that will help other people. I'm taking two law classes this semester, and they're internationally focused. It's super interesting to learn how different types of law intersect with each other. I think this whole experience in general will be helpful in understanding other cultures. Practicing social justice law, I won't just be representing people born in the U.S. Understanding other cultures will be very helpful, and this whole experience has been eye-opening."
Julia's already talking about a return trip, though next time she'll take her whole family. Julia's mom found the ancestry bombshell a bit jarring at first, but she's now fully embraced her Scottish roots. Even though Julia got there first, the whole family is eager to connect with its past.
