Leavey Ambassadors Program Blogs

At the start of fall quarter, I left the states and have been studying abroad in London. It has been an amazing seven weeks so far, and I cannot wait to see what the second half brings. I have been able to explore London, some smaller towns outside of the city, and a few other places in Europe. Although traveling has been a great experience, my favorite part has definitely been getting to know the city of London and seeing all that it has to offer. Two places that I have enjoyed the most have definitely been Camden Market and Hyde Park. 

Camden Town is one of the few areas in London that has tried to stay true to its original punk and youthful characteristics. As the area grew in the 1960’s, Camden was a hub for younger generations to express themselves through music, theater, and local thrift stores. To this day, the original feel of Camden is still alive and business are thriving. Camden Market offers a diverse selection of food and shopping for both locals and tourists. I have been to the market on a field trip with one of my classes to discuss local business in Camden and how they are dealing with rising real estate prices in the area. This trend has unfortunately began to drive out some of the original locations, but some are fighting back. Local music store, O'Neills, operates on a volunteer basis and uses all of the profits to support other businesses in Camden. There are many shops like these throughout the market and surrounding streets, and they are vital to the survival of small businesses in Camden. Through speaking to O'Neills employees, I have been able to see how much people still care about the district in London. Without their efforts, gentrification would have occurred even faster than it already has. O’Neills serves as an example to businesses everywhere, and I would love to see if there are any places like it in the area surrounding SCU.   

Another must see attraction in London is Hyde Park. The massive park in West London has expanded over the last two-hundred years and is a symbol for sustainability in London. Throughout Hyde Park, there are various promotions for efforts to reduce carbon emissions in London. There have been many efforts to help keep London as green as possible. The city’s parks committee is working hard to do valuable work in a time when it is needed the most. 

Overall, I highly recommend any SCU student to explore their options when it comes to study abroad. The study abroad program at SCU allows students to learn and travel all over the world.