“Studying abroad was one of the best experiences of my life.”
— Amanda Childs
During a two-semester study tour to the French cities of Angers and Paris, Amanda Childs authored “The Art of Dining in France,” published in Glimpse magazine. “I love languages and traveling,” says Amanda, who is majoring in French, with a minor in psychology. “Studying abroad was one of the best experiences of my life.”
While in Angers, Amanda stayed with a host family and traveled to Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. In Paris she stayed in a dorm and worked with children at an art studio.
Back at Allegheny, Amanda takes violin and singing lessons, plays in the Civic Symphony, practices yoga and meditation, and has written for the student newspaper, the Campus.
One of Amanda’s greatest joys is volunteering, especially with children. She has taught French to eight- and nine-year-olds in an after-school program and has volunteered with Head Start, the America Reads program, the Girl Scouts, a soup kitchen, and the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. During an Alternative Spring Break trip to North Carolina, she helped build low-income housing.
Amanda finds that her success at Allegheny comes from “being involved and taking learning into my own hands—really putting time and energy into what I care about—because then the motivation comes naturally.”