Scott Stuetzel

It took Scott Stuetzel a few days to grasp that Austrians don’t smile at strangers in public, which was difficult for the outgoing Southern Californian. Scott was alone and in freezing cold Vienna, and the culture shock almost made him go home. 

After talking with his parents, and God, he realized how much he wanted to study abroad, which completely changed his experience. 

A marketing major, Scott knew before entering college that he wanted to study abroad; he describes himself as adventurous. He started meeting with the Office of Global Studies (OGS) his freshman year, so he could plan a course of action to complete his major requirements, and study abroad in four years. 

While in Vienna, he took German language classes at the Deutsche Institute, business and other classes at the University of Vienna, and a private history class. 

Once Scott got over the smiling thing, he took every opportunity presented to him while studying abroad.

Not understanding the public transportation, or having a firm grasp of the language, he started to think of himself as exploring rather than being lost. Getting out and about, though, helped him get the hang of both the language and transportation.   

On his first Saturday in Vienna, he visited a flea market. There he met a Syrian refugee who was living in Austria. He bought one of her handmade tapestries and heard her family’s story. “That’s something I wouldn’t have experienced had I stayed in my dorm. It was something so beautiful.” 

He lived in the Europahaus, the international student dormitory for anyone studying in in Vienna. Scott met friends from all over. His roommate was from Serbia and two of his other good friends there were from Ukraine and Kazakhstan. He even joined a swim team with some of his friends. 

Through a contact from his program advisor, he took a private history course, which counted for one of his general education history components at PLNU. They went to museums and sat in cafes and talked about history. “It was a really cool cultural experience because I got to blend into the Viennese culture way more than I would have in a classroom.”

During his six months abroad, he also visited London, Barcelona, France, and Ireland. He wanted to get the most out of his time there: “I could not sit still.” 

After returning, Scott started volunteering in OGS to coach students through the study abroad process. He wants to encourage students to take the opportunity and get out of their comfort zones. “It’s an amazing experience you will never regret.”
This trip will not just be in his memory forever; it will also be on his resume. He’s worked with professor, Dr. Kim Hogelucht, to incorporate his study abroad experience into his resume. He says that if any career ever takes him over to Europe he will be prepared. He doesn’t feel like his has a comfort zone anymore, and this experience has given him the confidence to take on life’s challenges.