We asked our CEA Alumni Ambassadors what they would say if they has 60 seconds to convince a friend to study or intern abroad. In celebration of International Education Week, here are the top 3 reasons you should go abroad.
The Friendships
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| Samara Rosenthal, University of Arizona |
"Studying abroad was the best decision I have ever made. You get to travel the world, meet amazing people and go on new adventures while you are studying and learning things that will help you in your future. I never thought I would come back to America with 20 new best friends. The friendships that you make while abroad are unreal. You become so close with the others in your program in such a short amount of time. Who doesn’t want to travel to a different country every weekend? This is so easy to do when you are studying abroad. You will be able to check off those places you have always wanted to go to in no time. If I could relive any part of my life, it would hands-down be the four months that I lived in Italy. So, if you ever have the opportunity to study abroad, please do it!"
Samara is currently an Alumni Ambassador at University of Arizona. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy in the Spring of 2017.
The Unparalleled Experiences
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| William Manson, University of Kansas |
"I would say I made the choice to study abroad too. I had the debates in my head. Should I do this? I am scared, it may be expensive… whatever fear you had, I had it as well. Despite those concerns, I am sitting here right now imploring you to do this. It is the most incredible experience you will ever have in your life. You will learn so much about who you are, you will gain so many lifelong memories, and you will meet so many amazing people. This is not some study abroad person telling you to do it. I am a student. I am your peer. I am telling you right now that this experience is unparalleled. You have an opportunity to make a lasting impact on your own life! Trust me, if you do it you will not regret it. The only thing you will regret is not taking a chance and studying abroad when you had it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Take it."
William is currently an Alumni Ambassador at University of Kansas. He studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain in the Summer of 2017.
The Personal Accomplishments
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| Kayla Shepherd, Belmont University |
"Do it. If you have the opportunity to study abroad, do it. This has been the most rewarding experience, and I am absolutely dreading the end of this semester. I've learned so much, not only in my classes, but about myself. I've made new friends, and I now know that I can live 4,000 miles away from my family successfully. I had an incredibly difficult time at the beginning of the program, but I can safely say that this has been the best semester of my life, no matter the ups or the downs. Because I know that I can live far away from home and be just fine, I already can't wait to see what the future holds when it comes to opportunities to go and live abroad. Maybe one day, I'll work for a study abroad company. Maybe one day, I'll pick up and move outside the United States. I know that these are all very real possibilities, but I'm not sure how confident I would have been about them before studying abroad."
Kayla is currently a Senior Alumni Ambassador at Belmont University. She studied abroad in Paris, France in the Fall of 2016.