Anne Smith Leskow ’84

A guidance counselor at school first introduced me to Hood College and I was intrigued. I liked the idea of being farther away from home, which was Longmeadow, MA at the time.  I got on campus and I fell in love; it was just so beautiful! Although I didn’t know what to major in, I liked the variety of majors plus I could play lacrosse.  I was sold.

When I graduated from high school I knew I wanted to spend a semester abroad. Since I love the British Royal Family the decision to spend it in London was easy.

I remember on the first day of classes trying to find my Economics class. I went to the wrong classroom in the wrong building. I remember being very embarrassed asking the professor to confirm the course title, unfortunately not the course name on my schedule. He went back to his lecture. I ran out of the classroom to hunt for the correct classroom.  I got over that quickly. Aside from the classroom mix up I don’t remember any other drama. I embraced it all.

The experiences were completely different. At Hood I lived on campus and had meals prepared for me in the Dining Room. I knew or knew of most people on campus, a very controlled environment.

In England I attended the City of London Polytechnic. There was no defined campus, my classes were all over the city. In fact, my Art History class met at The National Gallery, the Tate Gallery or the Victoria and Albert Museum! Housing was in the South Kensington area of London, down the street from Harrods. Plus, I mastered “The Tube”, London’s underground system. Definitely something I never did on Hood’s campus.

There were so many cool experiences. I got an awesome photo of the Queen on Remembrance Day, November 11. I saw so many historical sights with my own eyes, not on TV, but what made me proud is when tourist stopped to asked me for directions. I was fully engrained in the lifestyle.

GO FOR IT!  Dive in headfirst. There is so much history, art and pop culture to explore.  Live in an international city. You will return home more confident and you will never regret it.

Thank you for including me in this project. It was wonderful to relive the memories.