My Review of SCAD Study Abroad at Lacoste

Simply put, studying abroad was a life-changing experience. I don’t know if it’s just my frontal lobes developing or if these past three months genuinely changed how I define my existence.

Whichever it may be, I feel more like a woman than I’ve ever felt. I feel like an adult who can prosper in this world. Through my travels, I witnessed the goodness of humanity that stretches far between languages, cultures, and countries. I got to get to know fellow students who I would have probably never crossed paths with. As a school we all ate our meals at the same time in the same room. We got our snacks from the same grocery store. And we each had our own goals going into study abroad. It was wonderful when goals would align, and we shared adrenaline-pumping moments together. Throughout the weeks we shared travel stories, tips, and tricks we learned along the way. We booked flights, trains, and taxis all around Europe—shared tickets to parties, model-making supplies, and, of course, bottles of wine.

I got to see close-ups of what fashion students were actively working on, which is something I never witnessed before. Collectively I feel like everyone was involved in the SCAD pro classes which blended majors to produce beautiful final presentations. As an architecture student, I had to work within extreme confines when it came to material. Lacoste, being a medieval village, did not have any supplies other than our tiny bookstore. Amazon France was not very dependable and had a minimal selection. So, I took to nature and local resources for all of my projects. From a final review perspective, my work does not look perfect, especially when I compare it to my classmates back in Savannah. But in my opinion, that is totally okay because I experienced firsthand what it is like sourcing materials in a very remote location—working with local quarries with a language barrier, talking to local artisans and woodworkers, and even local cafes for recycled material. I learned about the true importance of planning and compromising if unexpected circumstances come up with little flexibility. So, for me, this quarter isn’t about how “portfolio worthy” my final was but rather how I have grown as a modern designer more than I ever imagined in 10 weeks.

In all, thank you, SCAD Lacoste, and especially thank you to my Professor, Andrea Bertassi.