Freed-Hardeman study abroad group happy to be home

HENDERSON, Tenn. — The Freed-Hardeman University study abroad group who were overseas when terrorists bombed the Brussels airport say they are happy to be home.

“Woke up Tuesday morning to a friend saying ‘wake up, wake up, there’s a problem in Brussels,'” Freed-Hardeman junior Mary Shannon said.

A group of 19 Freed-Hardeman University students and staff returned to Tennessee one week after terrorists bombed Brussels.

Professors Richard and Barbara England say students were making their way back to Belgium on the day of the attack after a session of free travel. They say they used Facebook to make sure each of their students was safe.

“There were lots of tears, lots of emotions, lots of happy parents and student who were happy to see their parents and to be back,” Freed-Hardeman University Fine Arts Chairman Barbara England said.

After a week of waiting, students and staff are back on campus thankful they were able to make it back safe.

“We all worked together to ensure the safety of the students and to get them safely back home, and that was the No. 1 priority,” music professor Richard England said.

Although students say the university’s decision to cut the study abroad trip short was bittersweet, they ultimately are happy to be home.

“Happy to be back on campus and really happy to be back in America,” Shannon said.

“After being abroad, I learned that I appreciated my country even more so in different ways,” Bowman said.

Both Richard and Barbara England have been traveling with Freed-Hardeman study abroad programs for more than a decade. They say the terrorist attacks will not stop them from going to Europe with another group of students.