Meet Your Advisor - Phoebe Stears-Macauley

Learn all about USAC Program Advisor, Phoebe!

Where did you study abroad?

In high school, I was a Rotary Youth Exchange student to Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, for a year.

I immediately fell in love with embracing the unknown and learning about other cultures! On that trip, I lived with three lovely host families and made lifelong friends from all over the world.

When I came home, I immediately started planning my next adventures and signed up for the USAC programs to Haifa, Israel, and Stellenbosch, South Africa. I had such a different experience in all of my programs. I learned and grew so much and made so many memories!

What is your favorite memory from your time abroad?

In Thailand, the Thai New Year is celebrated in April, which is a very hot and humid time. To celebrate the New Year, there is a tradition similar to “spring cleaning,” but it’s for your soul — and with water guns! The locals take to the streets to celebrate by spraying each other with water, hoses, buckets, or whatever they can find. I danced down the streets with my closest friends and celebrated this cleanse with the biggest smile on my face.

What is your favorite place you have traveled to and why?

I will never forget the first time I visited the old city of Jerusalem. There is so much history there and you can really feel the energy of being around some of the most significant religious sites in the world. I cried really hard at the Wailing Wall and I will never forget seeing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified and buried. Pro tip: don’t forget to look at the ceiling and all of the beautiful artwork throughout the church. Also, the best shawarma in Israel (in my opinion) is in the old city. I had to go back every time I was in the area.

What is your funniest travel memory?

During my first few weeks living in Israel, I worked up the confidence to plan a long weekend in Jerusalem with my roommate. We embarked on our trip and used the public train system — the first time for both of us.

Back home, I had a knack for directions and thought it would apply to Israeli public transportation. Not here! I must have put us on every wrong train there was and we were so far away from our destination that we had to share a taxi back to Tel Aviv with another lost couple. Our only hope was to catch a connecting train to Jerusalem there. It was stressful, but looking back, I just laugh. Sorry roomie!

If you could go on any USAC program, what would it be and why?

While I would go on any of the USAC programs in a heartbeat, the program in Lyon has always appealed to me. I love the French language and I want to get a better grasp of it. I have not spent much time in Europe and would love to learn more about France and take advantage of how you can easily visit other nearby countries.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love western horseback riding! I joined the University of Nevada, Reno equestrian team in 2020 and have made connections with all the great horses I have been working with! I hope to buy my own horse one day and join the Reno Rodeo Flag team!

What is a weird fact about you?

When I was little, I had a tree outside of my bedroom window that was visited by a lot of birds. I always thought their chirps were laughter, and I cried to my parents about the birds laughing at me.

What’s on your bucket list?

I have always wanted to visit every continent and I am already more than halfway there. I have already started doing research on an Antarctica trip!

What’s a meme that describes your life?