Joanna Myers Studies in Strasbourg, France

2011 Sep 30

Joanna Myers of Bronston, a senior at Centre College, is spending the fall semester studying abroad in Strasbourg, France.

Strasbourg is located just across the Rhine River from Germany, about three hours by high-speed train from Paris and about an hour north of Switzerland. It is sometimes called "the crossroads of Europe" because of its location at Europe's center. Centre-in-Strasbourg allows students to study European culture, politics and economics while furthering their study of German or French, and many Centre students travel extensively throughout Europe during their free time.

Its famed Gothic cathedral, begun in 1176 C.E., sits on this island-city's highest spot-the same spot on which sat a Roman fort when Julius Caesar was in the area during his Germanic campaigns of the first century B.C.E. Strasbourg's political significance grows each year with the increasing importance of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the Court of Human Rights that are located there.

Myers is the daughter of Alan and Catherine Myers of Bronston and is a graduate of Southwestern High School.

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges, at 42nd in the nation, and ranks 27th for best value among national liberalarts colleges. Forbes magazine ranks Centre 34th among all the nation's colleges and universities and has named Centre in the top five among all institutions of higher education in the South for three years in a row. The 2010 Open Doors Report, published by the Institute for International Education, ranks the College second in the nation for percentage of students who study abroad.