Jack Reilly ’26 existed, primarily, in a 10-mile radius around campus. Now, all of Europe is his playground.
Reilly grew up in East Greenbush, just on the other side of the Hudson River from Siena. Home is less than 10 minutes from campus, and his orbit has really never changed. Until now.
“I always wanted to study abroad, especially for a full year. I live ten minutes away from Siena, so it’s a nice change of scenery for a little bit. Especially being in a huge city, it’s such a different experience.”
The year-long program at the London School of Economics and Political Science fit perfectly with Reilly’s academic interests. As it turns out, the change of pace suits him, too.
“While abroad, I’ve been a lot more on my own than ever before, which is a totally foreign experience. In a way, you’re more in control than I would be at home, which I like a lot. Being on your own invites its own form of culture shock, but I never felt out of place. It was easy to fall in love with the city.”
Adjusting to city life came naturally for Reilly, and he’s found his place on campus, too. But, that first required a conscious decision to step outside his comfort zone.
“I’m only in one club at Siena, which is Habitat for Humanity. Here, I’ve branched out more and joined special interest clubs like film society, travel society, and ‘Parliament in Prosecco’ which consists of political discussion and free wine, which is always a plus. I’ve also gotten the chance to solo travel. On my way back from Amsterdam, I stopped in Brussels since it was only a train ride home.”
Reilly’s a student of economics, but history has always been a passion. In London, he’s found endless opportunities for exploration.
“I’m huge into history, so visiting Windsor Castle, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and wandering around the whole city looking at the beautiful architecture has been amazing. I plan to see Stonehenge and Bath when I can.”
Reilly is also probing deeper into his academic interests, which is giving him some clarity on his future.
“I think studying abroad opens up many opportunities to meet people from all over the U.S. and gives you a whole other network, but also the classes I’m taking and independent study aspect of school really helps me see a clearer picture of grad school and a future in economics.”
Reilly will continue to explore as well. There was comfort to his 10-mile homebase, but there’s endless sense of adventure abroad, and an entire continent to check out. Next up, a ski trip to Bulgaria in February.
