First Year Experience Spotlight: Fall Excursions in New York for Northeastern University’s NY Scholars
At EdOdyssey, we believe that learning becomes most meaningful when it’s woven into the world around us. When students explore real environments with intention, meet the people who shape a local community, and tap into the power of place, they remember more, connect more deeply, and grow in ways they couldn’t within their classroom walls.
This fall, we were thrilled to continue our partnership with Northeastern University by launching a new series of day trips and weekend experiences for their NY Scholars in New York City and the Catskills. Since 2022, across both coasts, this collaboration has welcomed diverse cohorts of international and domestic students and provided them with opportunities to engage with the culture, history, and natural landscapes surrounding their university—and with one another.
Here’s a look at some of the moments that shaped the Fall 2025 semester.
SHAPING AMERICA: HOPE, IDENTITY, AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
This day trip brought students straight into the stories that have shaped America, from its founding ideals to the personal journeys of those who arrived seeking new beginnings. Touring Liberty and Ellis Islands, students reflected on freedom, opportunity, and resilience, connecting the narratives they discovered there to their own sense of identity and hope.
Later, in New York’s diverse neighborhoods at Essex Market and the Tenement Museum, they saw how everyday lives, which are full of adaptation, struggle, and community, can bring history to life. By moving between iconic symbols like the Statue of Liberty and lived experiences in the city, the group gained a fuller understanding of how identity, hope, and community intersect in shaping both New York City and the country as a whole.
Reflecting on the day, student Melia Chao shared, “I now have a deeper understanding of life for immigrants after moving here, whereas before I only learned about the hardships before and during their travels.”
CITY OF TOWERS: A TALE OF TWO SKYLINES
This day trip began at the centuries-old Met Cloisters, where medieval art and architecture offered a chance to consider how design shapes culture and community. Wandering through Fort Tryon Park with views of the Hudson River, students experienced how art, nature, and history intersect across time.
In the afternoon, they shifted into the pulsing energy of Midtown Manhattan. On a walking tour of iconic skyscrapers and landmarks, students explored how the city’s skyline reflects ambition, innovation, and transformation. They ended the day at the top of the Empire State Building, taking in the panoramic views that gave them a new perspective on how urban spaces evolve.
“I learned all about the development of architectural styles in NYC,” student Walker Piccolo Hill shared after this experience. “I can now see so much more behind the buildings. They have so much that goes into making them and I can appreciate that now.”
HIGH LINE GARDENS TO MADISON SQUARE GARDEN: EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC SPACES
Students began this day trip on the High Line, walking the once-abandoned rail line transformed into a pedestrian pathway that is now layered with art, architecture, and greenery. Moving through Chelsea Market and into the modern landscape of Hudson Yards, they saw how different eras of the city sit side by side, shaping how people move, gather, and experience place, and witnessed how the city continually reinvents itself through bold design, creative reuse, and evolving public spaces.
“As a History, Culture, and Law major, I was interested in learning more about how public space policy shapes local communities, such as Mayor Bloomberg’s decision to preserve the High Line,” student Isabella Fountain said. “I found the adaptive reuse of the High Line as a park to be very inspiring. Architects, business people, and lawmakers worked together to save this iconic yet once defunct part of the city.”
In the afternoon, students went to check out the views from The Edge, which gave them a striking perspective on how NYC continues to grow and redefine itself. They also enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of Madison Square Garden, an insider’s look at an iconic venue where sports, music, and culture come together.
From reimagined industrial sites to cutting-edge design and world-famous arenas, students explored how public spaces influence daily life, shape communities, and guide the evolution and ever-changing identity of a city.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF NYC’S ICONIC STAGE
This immersive day trip invited students into the world of Broadway where the art of storytelling comes alive. Beginning with a behind-the-scenes tour of the historic Hudson Theatre, students explored spaces where decades of performances have taken shape.
During an interactive Q&A with theatre artists, students learned how collaboration, precision, and imagination turn ideas into live performances. Seeing how every role contributes to a production deepened their appreciation for the teamwork, discipline and artistry behind the curtain.
The day finished with a matinee performance of Maybe Happy Ending, the six-time Tony Award-winning musical of 2025, at Belasco Theatre. Experiencing the creative process come alive on stage made the learnings of the day feel more immediate and personally relatable.
“I have always wanted to be an actor,” student Elyse Duffield shared. “This trip helped solidify that I am on the right track with my dreams, and I learned there are many different ways to enter this industry.”
UPSTATE STATE OF MIND: A CATSKILLS WEEKEND RETREAT
Alongside their adventures to explore more of The Big Apple, students spent a weekend in the Catskills that was designed for reflection, connection, and discovery. With crisp air, open skies, and fall foliage as a backdrop, the retreat blended history, nature, and community.
Relaxing after the drive north, students laughed and bonded over gooey s’mores, taking time to settle into the slower pace of the weekend. The next day, a visit to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts brought the legacy of the 1969 Woodstock Festival into focus, showing how art, activism, and culture can leave a lasting mark.
For student Alexandra Imad, this visit was especially meaningful: “Learning about the Woodstock Festival and the people who went was super interesting. It inspired me to vocalize more of what I believe and be part of a community pushing for change.”
On the final day, students took in sweeping views over the Hudson Valley before a tour of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, where they explored sustainable farming, culinary innovation, and the collaboration between farmers and chefs. A farm-to-table lunch highlighted how people shape food systems and communities.
This visit left an impression. Student Alani Petersen noted, “It portrayed a new way I can incorporate my values into a career.” And fellow student Krystal La added, “Their mission pushed me to potentially pursue sustainability.”
Between guided hikes, yoga sessions, and other activities, the weekend offered plenty of opportunities for self-discovery, teamwork, and reset.
“It is very valuable connecting with nature and peers,” reflected student Yashi Korada, “especially when coming from a very academically rigorous environment."
ON THE IMPACT OF FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCES
Student feedback speaks for itself:
97% would recommend an excursion to a friend.
97% felt more connected to NYC and the surrounding area.
95% found opportunities to engage with the local place, people, or history.
94% made meaningful connections with peers.
84% said the experience helped them reflect on what they enjoy learning and what they might want to study or do in the future. Many students also noted that while it may not have connected directly to their particular area of studies, it was still very interesting and valuable.
“I believe that the value of these excursions as NYC Scholar is to connect us with each other and our surrounding area,” said student Elyse Duffield. “There are many different jobs and career paths out there, and these excursions help us learn what we might want to do.”
PARTNERING WITH EDODYSSEY
“EdOdyssey has been a wonderful partner with the Northeastern Scholars program,” said Dr. Shannon Fairley-Pittman, Director of Global Network First Year Programs at Northeastern University. “We’ve been able to work together to really design unique opportunities…Our teams come together, and we process what it means to support first-year students, but also what it means to support local partners.”
Vice Chancellor of Global Experiential Pathways, Dr. Amy Stevens, shared, “EdOdyssey allows us to unlock our locations and opportunities we couldn’t deliver on alone. The EdOdyssey leadership team really listens. They dial in… They build programming that surprises and delights us… When it came to designing a program in New York, we knew EdOdyssey was the only partner we could turn to.”
We’re truly grateful for our partnership with Northeastern University, for the mutual trust and collaboration, and for the shared commitment to helping students learn from the world beyond the classroom walls in a way that fosters connection and belonging, builds confidence and resilience, and puts a bit of extra joy and wonder into their first-year experience.
If you’re interested in creating a first-year experience for your own students, we’d love to help you design something meaningful. Reach out to start a conversation.
