For Ireland native Triona Waters, coming to Le Moyne to study abroad was both an exciting move and a bit of a misunderstanding.
“I saw New York on the college address, so I just presumed I was going to NYC like any other idiot would,” Waters said. “So I kinda got a fright when I arrived and all I saw were trees! Still, though, I fell in love with the place fairly quick.”
Waters is a junior history and Irish (Gaelic) major with a minor in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). The school she studied at previously gave her the chance to study elsewhere.
“In my degree, our third year allows us to study/work outside of Ireland,” Waters said. “I always wanted to study in America and Le Moyne was one of the options. Once I heard of Dolphy Day, my decision was made to come here!”
Waters hopes to obtain a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history so she can teach the subject in America. So far, her experiences in the U.S. have been nothing short of amazing.
“I love Ballinasloe (my hometown), but I’m starting to love America just as much,” Waters said. “The opportunities here are endless. I never travel around Ireland apart from going to the different pubs. Here, I’ve been to NYC loads, Boston, Washington, D.C., Virginia, North and South Carolina, the Bahamas and Toronto, and during the summer, I’ll be going to Chicago and Cape Cod.”
Despite her obvious affinity for travel, Waters also loves the education she is receiving.
“At 17, back home, you choose your major and you’re not allowed to change it at all,” Waters said. “Here, you can basically change your major every other day. You have the chance to experience different subjects before you choose your future career.”
In addition to history, Waters enjoys studying the arts.
“Music and art play a big part in my life, and the opportunity to study music, art and acting here was a big deal,” she said. “I never really sing in front of people back home, but over here, I got to do a few good gigs: one for the Relay for Life and the other in the Plaza, as well as singing in the Singers concerts each semester.
“I don’t get to do art back home either, unless I have spare time,” Waters added, “but I took up a few classes here and have had one of my paintings published onto a poster. Other pieces have been shown in the college exhibition, so that’s fairly sound like!”
Overall, Waters has nothing but praise for her time at Le Moyne.
“I love Ireland and my crazy town, and I’m homesick for my friends and family a lot, but everyone here has been amazing and so welcoming,” Waters said. “I have to go back to Ireland to finish my final year and I don’t know when or if I’ll get to come back again.
“So I just want to use this opportunity to thank everyone on campus for giving me one of the most amazing years of my life,” she continued. “To the professors, the crazies at the PAC, the workers at the off-campus office who made this all possible for me, as well as the gang at the Heights and just to all the students who involved me in everything, thank you. If you’re ever in Ireland, give me a buzz.”
