When Ryleigh Madison '27 (above, left) heard the knock, she assumed her classmates, who were living down the hall, had cooked up another wild idea. Madison knew what her answer would be before she even opened the door. It was 50 degrees outside. And it's a good thing she had packed a swimsuit.
Madison was looking for an overseas adventure this summer, but only a narrow set of dates would fit with an already busy summer schedule. She stopped by the Study Abroad office, and Abi Cavazos, director of study abroad and international student services, happily cross-checked Madison's availability with a robust list of summer study abroad options. It turns out, there was really only one program that made sense. When the result popped up, Cavazos looked at Madison and said, "Well, at least it's an interesting one!"
Madison spent four weeks in Moss, Norway, a coastal city of fewer than 50,000 people situated on one of the Scandinavian nation's famous fjords. Madison signed up for a course, Vikings to Hipsters, and away she went.
"I knew Norway had a history with the Vikings, but before I left, that was about it. But I didn't really care where I was going, I just wanted to see more of the world and gain some independence. I definitely feel connected to the country now. It was incredibly safe for someone traveling alone for the first time. I just felt comfortable there."
When she got there, Madison made a pact with herself: it was going to be a 'yes' kind of experience. If there was an opportunity to see, or do, or taste, or leap into something new (with safety rails in place), she would do it.
"You fly all the way over there; you can't start saying 'no.'"
So, on her first day in Norway, when she discovered that Constitution Day (the National Day of Norway) was being celebrated an hour away in the capital of Oslo, she went.
"There must have been a half million people in the streets. It's like Memorial Day on steroids. I went to the Royal Palace and a speech was given from the balcony overlooking the public square. The speech was in Norwegian, so I have no idea what was said. But I waved to the royal family!"
From that moment, Madison went all-in on experiencing Norway. Did you know the iconic painting, The Scream, was created by a Norwegian artist? Edvard Munch produced five versions, and Madison saw four of them. Did you know it's chilly in Norway in early summer? Madison only packed two sweaters, but she did throw a swimsuit into the suitcase just in case.
"So my friends knocked on the door and said, 'We're going swimming!' We went to this swimming hole in the fjord and just jumped in. It was 10:00 at night and it was still light out. The water was freezing, but it was a surreal experience."
Madison is a marketing major and was also given the chance to flex her Siena education. Her professor gave her the reins to the program's social media accounts, and Madison was able to showcase several of the program's highlights. The program itself was terrific, but the real highlight was taking the plunge (figuratively, and actually in the fjord) and just saying 'yes.'
"It's one of the most eye-opening things you could ever do for yourself. Studying abroad really enhances what Siena teaches – go out into the world and experience it. You can't truly understand another culture unless you're in it. I would definitely go back to Norway. But, I want to explore the rest of Europe first."
