#UbishopsAbroad : Meet Matthew Sutton

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) launched the Learning Beyond Borders program to provoke a national conversation on learning abroad.

At Bishop’s University, we nurture studying abroad as a transformational life-changing experience, opening minds to different ways of living, promoting understanding, contributing to academic success, enhancing communication skills, self-awareness, and adaptability. It also offers opportunities to develop soft skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving, deemed necessary in a global workforce. To promote this national conversation, we are featuring Bishop’s students who have taken advantage of our study abroad program.

Meet Matthew Sutton, a BBA Business Administration student, Concentration Entrepreneurship, and a Minor in Economics, who went to Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) during the Winter 2017 semester and is currently at the University of Hong Kong (China). 

“Studying in Barcelona was incredible. Not only did it open my eyes to a whole new world of culture but I also met some amazing people who I still keep in contact with today. The reason why I chose Barcelona is because I wanted to practice my Spanish in Europe and well I chose Barcelona instead of Madrid because I am a big Messi fan! The best thing about my exchange in Barcelona was all the friends that I made along the way. Most of my friends were also on exchange and went back to their home countries. So, during after my exchange, I decided to backpack Europe to visit my friends in Italy, France, England, and Germany. After that, I spent about three weeks traveling Poland because I was tired of being in a new city every couple of days and just wanted to relax. I think Poland was my favourite country in Europe so far and I definitely want to go back to travel the rest of eastern Europe.

I am currently on my exchange in Hong Kong and I can tell you that it’s a lot different than Barcelona. It’s actually my first time in Asia and I am enjoying every day of it. Back in Canada, I play underwater hockey and I found out there is a team in Hong Kong. I have been practicing with them and they invited me to a tournament in Beijing. We played against teams from around China, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The tournament was really fun and I was actually vice-captain of the Hong Kong team. What has shocked me the most about Hong Kong is how much nature and outdoor activities this city has to offer. Every weekend, my friends and I go to the beach or go hiking and cliff-jumping off of waterfalls. I’m really glad Hong Kong is able to offer things like this because sometimes the city is too much for me.

Both experiences abroad have given me a huge cultural experience and I appreciate being able to continue my studies in different countries.”

To learn more on how you could benefit from a study abroad experience, visit our website!
http://www.ubishops.ca/future-current-students/student-exchange-and-study-abroad-programs/

Matthew (far right) in Tibidabo with friends!

Matthew and his friends in Beijing!