Sacred Heart Student Evolves During Exchange Program
New SHU offering enabled Isabella Thomas to build confidence as she spread her wings abroad
Sacred Heart University student Isabella Thomas ’24 returned from her spring semester at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick, Ireland, a changed person.
“I don’t want to sound cliché, but I learned so much, and I really evolved,” said Thomas, a 21-year-old from Beacon Falls. “Being abroad pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
Thomas, who just completed her junior year, is an interdisciplinary studies major in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development (FCEHD) who intends to become a special education teacher. Last fall, she heard about two education majors from MIC studying at SHU as part of a new exchange program. Thomas’s father, who is Irish, read the SHU story about the students and suggested his daughter consider going to Limerick.
As luck would have it, Thomas met the students, Niamh Conlon and Emma Ryan, and later learned the FCEHD was planning to send a student to MIC for an exchange opportunity. She talked to Conlon and Ryan about MIC and was sold on spending a semester there.
Describing herself as a reserved person at that time, Thomas reveals she had never traveled before, and she believed the exchange program was her opportunity to challenge herself and grow. “This was my chance to travel abroad with the comforts of the schools helping me along the way,” she said. “I thought, ‘I’ll never be able to do this again.’ I was ready. I was going to do this for real. I said, ‘Send me over!’”
Michael Alfano, FCEHD dean and vice provost for strategic partnerships, was thrilled to see the exchange program launch and proud of Thomas for helping to get it started. “Being the first FCEHD education student to participate in our new exchange program with MIC, Isabella was a Pioneer in the truest sense of the word,” he said.
Passion for the craft
Thomas enjoys working with children and always wanted to pursue a teaching career. Special education is near and dear to her heart because she has family members with disabilities. “I just never thought they received proper schooling. I want to be helpful and lead the charge in special education,” she said.
With the aspiration of helping students of all backgrounds and abilities, Thomas left Connecticut for Limerick in January to spend a semester immersed in her studies and Irish culture. “I loved it,” she said. “I was in the international residence hall, and I made friends―some of my closet friends―there.”
She said the faculty and staff at MIC went out of their way to make her feel comfortable and at ease. “My professors were personable and accommodating. They treated everyone the same. It was also obvious that the professors love what they do, and it really reflects in their work,” Thomas said.
In addition to her day-to-day classes and studies, for which she had assistance from Conlon and Ryan, Thomas had an internship. Once a week, she went to a local school and worked with children ages 8 to 12. There, she learned how Irish and American schools differ. Classrooms were smaller, she said, the children had Gaelic lessons, and many were refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Ukraine.
“Isabella gained valuable experience working not only with Irish schoolchildren, but with students from all over the world, including youngsters displaced to Limerick by the war in Ukraine,” Alfano said. “As such, she gained powerful perspectives regarding the critical role she will play as an educator in helping her future students break cycles of poverty, overcome challenges such as war-related displacement, and develop cultural and linguistic competencies.”
Thomas also learned to be more mindful of how she approaches students in the classroom. “The internship really taught me how to get on the students’ level and communicate with them,” she said, adding that she became more aware of her body language. She said having a blank look on her face or keeping her arms crossed can send a wrong message to a student who may not yet feel comfortable in the classroom. She will apply those and other lessons in her internship this fall at Dunbar Elementary School in Bridgeport.
An extraordinary semester
The whole experience abroad pushed Thomas. She said she used to be shy and quiet, and she only talked to people when spoken to. But in her new surroundings, she had to approach people and ask questions.
Her free time added to her experience and augmented her personal growth. On the weekends and on break, she visited Aachen, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam, Netherlands, and London, England.
“I ended up meeting so many different, great people,” she said. “That’s the benefit of becoming an extrovert. When I came back, I found myself interacting with others more easily, and I’ve made more friends because of it.”
Throughout her stay in Ireland, SHU supported her and made sure she was having a great time. Alfano even visited her to ensure her experience was nothing but positive.
“We’re incredibly proud of Isabella and are grateful to our colleagues at MIC for hosting her. We look forward to hosting more MIC education students in the future, as well as expanding the number of FCEHD education students we’re sending to Ireland for an entire semester,” Alfano said.
Pictured: Isabella at the Cliffs of Moher and St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh