Student experience
Students testimonials
What participants are saying about their experience
The Czechmates program was the most rewarding experience of my life. It challenged my thinking through analyzing the economic, political, cultural, and social dimensions throughout the world. My classmates & I were able to turn these discussions into reality with opportunities to visit sites talked about in class like the Auschwitz concentration camps, Hungarian Parliament Building, and United Nations Embassy.
Summer 2021 in Brno was stellar, and my engagement with the summer school broadened my perspective in countless ways. Classes were very engaging and consistently sparked free-flowing and interesting discussions. The social events and trips were truly outstanding despite pandemic-related uncertainty. The team really went above and beyond to make sure we would get the most out of it. Overall the summer school was the highlight of my entire time as a student and nothing since has compared, would recommend it to anyone who enjoys learning and exploring.
I could not have dreamt of a better experience for this summer [regarding my internship at Czech Television]. I had the opportunity to be exposed to a professional environment that I had never seen before and had the privilege of being able to create something of my own and actually get experience in the field, which I have to say, I don’t know if I would have gotten that opportunity in the states. Everything about working at CTV and the internship seminar was incredibly influential and educational, and it truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Czechmates enabled me to gain and develop my personal and professional skills- through new connections, internship experience, and coursework. All aspects of the program complemented each other and I always felt heard and respected during my time in Brno. If you have the ability to study abroad, it is an amazing place to grow and push yourself while still feeling right at home.
CzechMates is a truly personalized program that works with individuals to pair them with organizations that really fit their own interests and goals. it not only gave me a great internship experience, but lasting connections, support networks, and friendships that reach beyond the end of the program.
To attempt to describe in words what this experience meant to me is very hard. Going abroad generally is a special opportunity, but to be a part of the CzechMates program is indescribable. In just one month, I gained a greater perspective for the world, but more importantly, a greater appreciation to be here on this earth. The lessons you learn and personal growth you walk away with are things that could never be taught in a book or a traditional college class. One week into the trip I broke my foot and had to be wheeled around Europe in a wheel chair for the remainder of the trip. If I could go back and do it over again, I would, a million times, even with a broken foot.
I’ve been afforded an amazing opportunity to continue building my expertise in corporate responsibility and it is 100% thanks to my experience in CzechMates. Thinking retrospectively, I am still awestruck in how perfectly this semester aligned with my goals as a professional and as an adventurer. I lived in Brno with active presence, honest engagement, and openness in all aspects, and feel like I had a truly full experience. I’m moving on humbled and grateful for it all, and with full faith that I will one day return to this place, as well as see the people who made it so meaningful. Díky moc, Brno a CzechMates.
By the end of my internship I had learned a great deal about both my new colleagues and friends and myself, and it was difficult to imagine a better way to have spent a semester. Though my options for studying abroad had been virtually limitless, I realized after closing out my time in the Czechmates program that really there had only been one option all along – and it certainly proved to be the right one
Spending the spring semester of 2019 in Brno was a life-altering experience. To live in a place that does not speak your language, with a university that is very different from your own, working on an internship that is anything but conventional is a hard stack of challenges to face. Upon reflection, the positives of this experience show in full detail just how valuable the CzechMates program is for students like myself, offering great potential for personal growth.