Ever wondered what you’ll be doing after college?  What career you’ll be getting out of bed for every morning, what job you’ll spend your days doing? EC Fredonia students are learning how the University can answer their questions and help them reach their goals.  Should I work in college?  Get an internship in my field?  How do I write a resume and apply for a job in America?  This week students in the Upper elective class will learn all about career planning and what services are available to all SUNY Fredonia students.  Jennifer, from the Career Development Department, took the class to a computer lab and worked with students to develop their resumes.  They discussed using action words to describe your skills, abilities and accomplishments and how to package it all for a potential employer. Students will also learn more about resumes, elevator pitches, interview preparation and practice, and ways to follow-up once the Fall Semester starts.   Study English in USA

As you may have read, its County Fair week, but that’s just the start of the summer festivals in Fredonia are surrounding area.  EC Fredonia Students have an exciting August ahead of them! August 5-8 The Gerry Rodeo: see cowboys (and girls) in NY.  Bull riding, bucking broncos, barrel racing, roping stunts and much more at 8pm every night.  They also serve a famous Western BBQ dinner from 5-8pm.  This is the 71st Gerry Rodeo, which is the longest running rodeo this side of the Mississippi River!  Gerry NY is about a half an hour drive from SUNY Fredonia. August 7-9 American Grape Country Wine Festival: Western New York is home to many wine vineyards and the growing and producing of wine is a staple industry of the area.  Needless to say, we love wine!  Every summer we celebrate this love of wine with tastings, food pairings, and demonstrations at the Chautauqua County Fair Grounds.  Friday night is the preview party entrance 6-10pm, Saturday noon-7pm, then an after party 6-10pm, and Sunday noon-5pm.  Prices vary for days and events. Come celebrate grapes and the tasty drinks they are made into. August 14-16 Dunkirk Lighthouse Festival: The historic Dunkirk Light House hosts a festival to celebrate the importance of this prominent feature in the development of the area.  There will be historical reenactments, weapons demonstrations, light house tours, food and vendors.  Learn about local history with a day at the lake! August 22nd Beach Bash: party at Wright Beach in Dunkirk, soak up some sun and play in the waves, while listening to live music, enjoying various food trucks and vendors.  There is even going to be a sand sculpture competition!  Wight Beach has recently been improved with a new break wall, beach access points, and beautiful clean sand.     August 28, 29, 30 Fredonia … Read more

This week is the 132nd Chautauqua County Fair!  The fairgrounds are just down the street from EC Fredonia and currently teeming with people.  From July 27th until August 2nd there will be rides, vendors, fair food, animals, and performances of all kinds.  The gates open at 9am, the midway (rides) open at 1pm daily and the cost is $10. Every local Western New Yorker grew up looking forward to the fair every summer.  It is truly one of the quintessential summer experiences in Fredonia.     Performances include car races, bull riding, magicians, and comedy shows.  Food vendors have all the fair food staples: fried dough, waffles, curly fries, hamburger, hot dogs and various other food truck delicacies.  Go down for the day ride all the rides you can handle, see every farm animal you can imagine, and experience summer small town American style!   Study English in USA with EC Fredonia!

EC Fredonia students spent a day in nature last week.  Jacob, from the University International Department, led an excursion to Allegheny State Park with Teacher Micheal and Teacher Claire.     Western New York isn’t a big urban area.  We don’t have cities with millions of people or skyscrapers.  However, we do have a whole world of things you can’t find in a city.  Our world is of trees, streams, gorges, hills and wildlife.  The Western New York region prides itself on its public parks.  These are wild, natural places, where ecological preservation is paramount.  That means that it is important to us to take care of the wild land we have, so that everyone has a chance to escape to the forest and connect with the natural world.  It’s easy not to notice a blooming flower or singing bird during your busy school or work week, but when your on a hike through the forest you notice and appreciate everything, from deer trails to the way the sun filters through the leaves.     Students followed trail markers, as to not get lost in the woods.  They climbed giant rock formations and stopped for a rest (and a photo op) at the top.  A downed tree even made for an excellent bridge!  After adventuring through the lush green and perfectly dappled sunlight, they made their way down to the beach (yes there is also a beach) for lunch and a soccer match. Summer days, sunshine, and a lot of new vocabulary words!   Study English in USA with us, in Fredonia–come for the education, stay for the adventure.

This Saturday is American Independence day, also known as, The 4th of July.  This holiday celebrates the United States of America being recognized as its own country, independent from Great Britain.  Across America families and friends gather to have picnics, cookouts, go swimming, and after the sunsets: FIREWORKS!!     Fredonia neighbors the City of Dunkirk, which is right on Lake Erie (one of the Great Lakes).  On the 4th of July, Dunkirk has a massive fireworks show right on the lake.  The entire community comes to “ooo” and “aaaa” at the amazing colors and the boom of celebratory explosions right overhead.  Many natives say this is their favorite part of living on the lake.  During the day on Saturday there will be vendors and lots of food and live music in the park on the lake and at dusk the fireworks will begin.  The firework display usually lasts about 30 mins and at the very end is the Finale, where they launch all the rest of fireworks one right after another, making the pier rumble! It doesn’t get any more American than The 4th of July, and there’s no better way to celebrate than a community party at the lake.  See you there!! Come Study English in USA with us!

EC Fredonia students and SUNY Fredonia international students visited Darien Lake on June 25th. It was the perfect weather, and they had a fun time in the huge American amusement park. Especially, they enjoyed roller coasters very much. EC student Tony said that he rode the Man of Steel roller coaster three times! And Mamiko wants to go again, because even with an entire day at the park, they didn’t have time to try the waterpark.  So stay tuned for another Darien Lake adventure featuring the Lazy River and The Brain Drain !   A special thanks to our partner in adventure, Jacob, Assistant Director, International Student Services at SUNY Fredonia, who spent the day with the students.  He said he isn’t a huge fan of roller coasters, but there is so much to do there that, no matter what you like, everyone has fun at Darien Lake!     Come Study English in USA with us!