Gus Byrne ’26 is equally at home in a worldwide range of settings. He’s also adept at learning life lessons wherever he goes.
Whether on the Siena campus, working on a farm in his rural Vermont hometown, or traveling the globe, Gus observes how people interact with each other, with their neighbors and with their society.
“I think seeing different places is very eye-opening,” he said. “People perceive the world in different ways, whether that’s socially, politically or culturally.”
The psychology major (with minors in Italian and international relations) said he has been intrigued with the idea of exploring foreign lands since his childhood. His travels have taken him throughout the United States and to Poland, Italy (when his sister was studying abroad there), Hungary, Austria, Croatia, South Korea, Australia and more. Travel is a passionate interest for Gus, but not so he can check off famous sites on a bucket list.
“I feel like I have always wanted to travel and learn about different cultures, from the time I was small,” he explained. “I like to immerse myself in a new place and see how people think differently and interact with their world differently. The differences are subtle, but they are definitely there.”
For example, while on the subway on South Korea, he noted how commuters kept to themselves, respected the space of others, and displayed courtesy to fellow riders – a marked difference from the subway in New York City. He’s observed public protests in other countries and noted that a strong sense of community and commitment to caring for society at large rather than simply oneself is more prevalent in Europe. How about ways to get along with others? In the Czech Republic, there is a high expectation of good manners and friendliness – entering a restaurant or shop without saying hello to people could result in a lower level of service.
“I’ve seen more of a sense of community in other countries, of thinking about helping others, whether that’s on a personal or government level,” he said. “In America, people are more independent-minded and tend to look after their families and themselves first.”
How do these observations translate into life lessons?
“It’s very powerful to see other ways of approaching life because it helps you accept the need to see different sides, and appreciate different ways of living,” he said. “Immersing yourself in a new culture helps you learn to empathize with different perspectives.”
He has a tradition of having someone take a photo of him at each destination in mid-handstand, sometimes a one-armed handstand. Perhaps to symbolize that he’s looking at the world from a new perspective?
When Gus travels, he’s not flying private and staying in five-star hotels. Driven by a desire to learn about different cultures both foreign and domestic, he keeps an eye out for low-cost opportunities to travel. He hits the road (or the skies) with family, friends, classmates or even solo. He said Siena’s Study Abroad office has been big help in exploring options such as travel courses and service trips.
Gus grew up in Chelsea, Vermont (“literally in the middle of nowhere”), a New England town with the requisite white steepled church on a village green. His family’s 90 acres includes forest and gardens, and he has worked every task imaginable on local farms, from handling chickens, sheep and cows, to carpentry, to planting and harvesting crops. While some young people might want to flee such a smalltown environment, Gus considers it one of many beloved global options from which he can learn.
“I try to find the best in wherever I am,” he said. “I love the town where I grew up. Just adapt to the environment you find yourself in.”
Foreign travel isn’t the only way Gus learns life lessons. He served as a student leader for Siena’s Habitat for Humanity service trip to North Carolina this past spring break; last year he worked in South Carolina. His jack-of-all-trades experience on Vermont farms prepared him well for working on a building site.
He’ll be a CURCA Summer Scholar this year, working on qualitative data for a project with Dmitry Burshteyn, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology; Jami Cotler, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science; and fellow student Annabelle Fisher ’25.
What comes after Siena? Gus is exploring options, including a possible Fulbright application and a doctoral program in clinical psychology. He said the Netherlands would be an ideal site for further study. He noted that listening and learning in new cultures is good preparation for being a psychologist.
“You have to listen, pay attention, and put yourself in another person’s place,” he explained.
What’s next on his itinerary? He said he’d like to see Japan, the Seychelles (off the eastern coast of Africa) and Germany, and encourages fellow Saints to look into travel options.
“Just go for it,” he said. “It’s beneficial to get new perspectives on life. Yes, there can be culture shock, but you’ll adjust.”
