YOUNGSTOWN — The world view from a small town can be somewhat narrow, but Samantha Sloan is determined to branch out.

The fourth-year Youngstown State University student recently returned from a four-month study abroad program in Finland, where she was immersed in the culture and said she learned more than she expected about the country, its people and herself.

“I feel like I got more comfortable and confident in who I am,” said Sloan, who was one of 1,500 U.S. college students to land a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study overseas. “I think I’m more tolerant of differences of opinion.”

The 2019 Badger High School graduate, who grew up in Kinsman, said she chose Finland because she had been there in 2019, visiting family. Sloan, 21, received course credits at the University of Jyvaskla in central Finland, where she focused on social sciences and philosophy.

She’s an art education and political science double major, expected to graduate in fall 2024. She said she hopes to teach for a few years before deciding where to go for graduate school. She could see herself in the Peace Corps or working for the government in foreign service, she said.

Sloan said the trip, which was postponed twice during the pandemic, helped broaden her understanding of the world at large.

“It made me realize the U.S. isn’t the center of the world,” she said.

LIFE ABROAD

While there, she visited the Finnish Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, the European Union and the EU parliament, meeting with diplomats, parliament members and journalists. She stayed in an apartment and biked, walked and took a bus to get around.

She said the experience was somewhat isolating, as there were language barriers and she met one American during the trip.

The self-described introvert said the country is quiet, and while Americans are used to small talk, you very seldom hear it in Finland. Something as simple as asking someone how they’re doing is uncommon, she said, because the question is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Little eye contact is made when out in public, she said, and the Finns are cognizant of other people’s personal space.

When she returned to the U.S. before Christmas, she said she felt a little “reverse culture shock,” and it took her some time to get used to the American way of doing things again.

“It felt very loud here,” she said.

Sloan, the daughter of Rebecca Nieminen of Kinsman, said the trip also made her more mindful of energy conservation, the environment and food waste.

A PERFECT TIME

Nate Myers, YSU’s associate provost for international initiatives, said the university offers more than 60 study-abroad programs and said there’s never a better time to see the world than during college.

“At this time in their lives, it’s perfect,” he said. “They can get this amazing cultural experience.”

A semester abroad is usually cheaper than it is here, Myers said, explaining that students who participate typically have better employment outcomes, a better starting salary and a deepening realization that not everyone shares the same perspectives.

As part of her scholarship, Sloan is required to do a service project that will take her to Trumbull County schools to discuss her experience and the study abroad program.

RUSSIA WORRIES

Finland is in northern Europe and borders Sweden, Norway and Russia.

Sloan said she was worried about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but overall felt safe while traveling.

Many Finns are fearful that Russia will invade Finland, noting Russian cyber attacks have become a reality, Sloan said.

“There’s still concern about what Russia’s going to do,” she added.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership. Sloan said it’s a controversial issue, and many people wonder what Finland will be obligated to if not accepted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine began one of the deadliest European conflicts since World War II.

“I didn’t realize how scared the Finns were of Russia until I went over there,” Sloan said.

During her orientation in Finland, Sloan said she learned that above all else, the Finnish people value honesty.

She said there’s a lot of emotions regarding Russia’s foreign policy decisions.

“I think a lot of people are just really angry at Putin,” she added.