UW Oshkosh students tell about the IMPACT of study abroad
Lauren Lidbetter, Spain, 2008
It has been a great 4 ½ years in college and as I am approaching graduation in a couple of weeks the only regret I have is not to have studied abroad more. I meet the most amazing people while studying abroad, had the best experiences and am sad that I will never have such an amazing opportunity again. Sure I will travel to Europe many more times in my life but living there and studying there was unforgettable and one of the best learning experiences ever. I have been looking at my pictures about every other day. Since we have left the people that are in Oshkosh from the group have meet up a few times. It has been weird going from seeing these people almost everyday to once a week or not at all. We communicate on facebook but it is not the same by any means. Many members in the group are thinking about doing another trip in January 2009. I would love to go so maybe I will see where I am at with my job. One thing is for sure, I will be recommending the travel abroad program to all of my friends still in school.
Erin Rammer, USA Summer Camp (Japan), 2007
Studying abroad has been a defining experience in my life. I've always been interested in traveling, but being able to completely dive into a new - and sometimes frightening - experience has challenged and enlightened me more than I could have ever hoped. I feel that not only have I become more culturally competent, but I also have the tools to do anything and go anywhere in my life. I can't imagine my college experience without my experience in Japan.
Lindsay Mahlberg, European Business Travel Seminar, 2007
I am so thankful I attended this business study tour because it really opened my eyes to how international business really works. We learn all about it in classes and how globalized our world is becoming, but there is only so much you can grasp by sitting in a classroom and learning about it through lectures. By actually traveling abroad and learning about the business aspects of a different country, I can really understand how it all works.
Matthew Diker, , European Business Travel Seminar, 2007 (graduate student)
As a graduate student, I was a bit hesitant to sign up for the European Business seminar. Would dedicating ten days of vacation time taking a class really be worthwhile? As it turned out, the European study trip was more than “just a class” it was the experience of a lifetime. Our visits to the cities of Munich and Prague provided a glimpse of doing business in a global environment. Oh, we saw the normal tourist attractions, but our tour guides also gave us a chance to experience European culture outside the normal tourist scene. Try getting that from your next Apple vacation! The European study tour provided the perfect end to my graduate experience.
Kim Eveland, Education, Society & Culture in Modern Greece, 2007
Studying abroad will help anyone to expand their knowledge and give them experiences a classroom setting or textbook will never provide. Being a part of an entirely new cultural setting is exciting. Education abroad introduces you to a new culture, a new way of life. I am very thankful I was given this opportunity in my life!
Kathy Gombos-Miller, Spain, 2006 (writing to Senator Feingold)
As a non-traditional student who has not only studied abroad in three countries but has also had roommates from Rwanda and El Salvador, I can only scratch the surface when I tell you how these experiences have impacted me.
I have grown to respect and love the differences in cultures. I am no longer biased and I believe that there is so much that we have to gain by supporting our students’ studies abroad.
My increased awareness for human rights and dignity, as well as my appreciation for the vast differences of the people in our great nation, these United States of America, has made me realize that these differences are our strength. These differences of culture, creed and ethnicity create a balance and make us the great nation that we are. This is what continues to bring new people to our shores.
I recall with distinct clarity a conversation I had with my host mother in Spain about the people of Islam in our country. She was very surprised that I had friends who are Muslim and that I respect their culture and religion. She told me that I changed the way she views Americans.
When students leave our great country and venture into other lands, they begin to see the world in a much larger view. They begin to care for not only their own country and the problems of their own culture and people, but also for that of the entire world.
Now, when I watch the news, I watch the world. I am no longer just interested and concerned about the earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis that hit our cities and coasts, but I worry about my friends in Barbados and in other lands.
Senator Feingold, I am no longer just a citizen of the United States of America. I am a citizen of the World. Please support these students and provide the funding they need to become students and citizens of the world. Feel free to share my letter with other Senators and concerned citizens.
This page was last updated on: September 23, 2009