Klaipeda, Lithuania

“It was really awesome, just a lot of fun,” senior Gabrielle Kempton says about her Fall 2010 semester. However, Kempton was not at Eastern last fall: she was studying abroad at LLC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania. Junior Kimberly Strauch and sophomore Stephanie Shelly also studied at LCC International last fall.

LCC International, formerly known as Lithuania Christian Fund College, is a truly international school, hosting students from all over Europe and around the world. The University offers classes in a variety of subjects, including Psychology, Sociology and Lithuanian Studies.

It was the Psychology courses that attracted Kempton, a Psych major, to the program. “I actually found out about LCC through my psychology professors,” Kempton said, “I wanted to travel abroad, but there weren’t many programs that fit with my major.”

However, it wasn’t just the available courses that left Kempton loving her time in Lithuania. “My favorite part was meeting all the different people from Eastern Europe,” Kempton said.

Kempton also enjoyed trying traditional Lithuanian dishes, which she describes as “pretty good, but not very flavorful.”

Students were also able to learn Russian and Lithuanian and travel across Eastern Europe. Possible travel destinations include Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; and Riga, Latvia.

The program lasts an entire semester, running from September to December. While LCC International hosts professors from the United States, Lithuania, Russia, Poland and many other countries, all classes are taught in English. Kempton said that the language barrier with locals wasn’t really a problem either. “If you were nice, people would help you out,” Kempton said.

In addition, many of LCC International’s students speak English and Lithuanian, and help work out any communication difficulties American students may experience.