Going into the Italian battlefield tour, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I had completed another travel study with UNB the previous year in which I had gone to Poitiers and Paris, France. It had been an incredible trip and was part of the reason why I decided to sign up for another one. But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience with this tour.
Beforehand, I knew very little about the military. I knew the basics of World War II, the kind of things you learned in your high school history class. But this trip taught me so much more. I learned more about Canada’s role in Italy, the brave people who fought (whether they were soldiers or your everyday person), and I even learned things like the difference between a brigade and a battalion. Lee and Cindy had such a passion that made everything so much more interesting. Not to mention, I got to learn about these battles while standing in the exact same spots where they were fought. This wasn’t the kind of education you would receive in a classroom. It was up close, personal, and real. I can’t think of a better way to learn.
The most unexpected thing about the tour was how emotional it was. A moment that stands out to me in particular is when we visited the graves of UNB alumni. I had just finished my second year at UNB and now I was standing in front of the tombstones of men who had once been in my position. It was incredible to think that I had a connection to these men that I didn’t even know. Now, two years later, I will be graduating in a couple of weeks. As I walk across that stage, I know that I will be thinking of them and the sacrifices that they made.
Amanda McFadzen
Former study tour participant
The most unexpected thing about the tour was how emotional it was. A moment that stands out to me in particular is when we visited the graves of UNB alumni. I had just finished my second year at UNB and now I was standing in front of the tombstones of men who had once been in my position. It was incredible to think that I had a connection to these men that I didn’t even know. Now, two years later, I will be graduating in a couple of weeks. As I walk across that stage, I know that I will be thinking of them and the sacrifices that they made.
Amanda McFadzen
Former study tour participant