College: York St. John University
Major: Business management
As a little girl, she used to lie in bed with her mom and talk about all the places they dreamed of going. Raised on “Harry Potter,” Holly Cochran already had one place in mind: England. Enamored with the charming culture, music and history, her heart was set. Once she realized she was more interested in the study abroad portion of college rather than actual studies, she made the decision to apply to colleges out of the country.
“I did a study abroad program with the University of Cambridge [to study] business management,” Cochran said. “I went by myself [at] 16 and that’s how I knew I wanted to be in that specific country.”
Cochran’s mom, Kay Cochran, agreed the program with Cambridge helped foster her daughter’s dreams of London. Although she said she would miss her daughter like crazy, she is excited for the opportunities coming her way.
“The experience opened her eyes to the fact that there’s a big world out there with all kinds of fun and interesting people,” Kay said. “She came back motivated and full of confidence to do what she needed to get accepted to York.”
Aria Gabler, senior and Cochran’s best friend, said she is excited to watch Cochran on this journey. However, she said she is sad to see her friend go so far away.
“It was very bittersweet because we were all so so happy that she got in — it’s what she’s been talking about wanting to do for a long time,” Gabler said. “It clicked after a little bit that she was gonna be super far away, but I think that’s okay.”
Cochran is going to York St. John University, which is about three hours north of London. She said the opportunity of traveling far from home for college is not as out of reach as one might think, as finances such as rooming, food, tuition and flight are about the same as most American colleges.
“I’d love people to know that it’s really not as out of reach as it feels like, I’m a pretty average student,” Cochran said. “You don’t really need to be the picture perfect academic student to do something like this.”
