To Travel is to Live

Written by Sarah Angley 

 

In the past two years I have studied abroad three separate times. Upon entering college one of my main goals was to see the world. And so of course when my mother got that first phone call in which I told her I had gone to a Study Abroad Fair, and had found a program I was going to do, she wasn't surprised. I don’t think, however, that she thought she'd be getting that same call two more times.   

My first trip was to Greece over spring break of my freshman year. There is a stigma around study abroad, where everyone believes that you can't go as a freshman. For many programs that is true but it's certainly not impossible. In fact, only two short months after I returned home from Greece, and only two days after the spring semester ended, I was on a plane headed for Valencia, Spain, where I would live with a local family for three weeks. This past summer I spent a month in Siena, Italy in the dorms at the University of Siena.  

Each of these programs was extremely different, with different groups of people and different purposes. Greece gave me three credits towards my minor, Classical Studies. Spain offered a leadership course and a service learning project in Valencia. I only got elective credits for going, but it has been a great talking point at every interview since. Italy allowed me to take two important classes for my major, and nearly assures that I will graduate a semester early.  

These adventures were an amazing experience for so many reasons. It has helped me to grow personally, as well as professionally. I now understand so much more about the other cultures in which I lived for a time, and I have also seen what it is like to be in a place where your language is not the default, and where you have to struggle at times to communicate simple ideas or statements.

My experiences abroad have come up at every single interview I have had since that first trip to Greece. Employers are interested in my experiences and the knowledge I gained from them, both in class and out while I traveled. Study abroad gives the students who participate unique experiences and that is desirable to their potential employers.  

I have loved each study abroad experience I have had. I love talking about it and sharing my experiences. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have had these past two years and the way that it has changed me for the better.  

My only issue now is where do I go next…