What Parents Say

There are many different benefits that can result from a study abroad experience. Each student will take something unique away from their program. Here are a few that previous students consistently mention:

Personal Growth
We’ll be the first to admit that our returned participants probably rarely come back saying, “Those courses (or that internship) were so amazing, I wish I could go back and learn more about that!” It’s more common to hear them talking about how they fell in love the with place, people and lifestyle before any mention of “study” comes up. It’s the personal growth, oftentimes hard to verbalize, that usually has the most profound and longest-lasting impact on our participants. The independence, self-reliance and appreciation for differences are a few aspects that contribute to growth. After all, if you can navigate a complex public transit system in a foreign language, doing the same in English automatically becomes easier.

Professional Growth
The professional growth that our participant experience is incredible. Study abroad participants come away with transferable skills, such as adapting to new environments, overcoming adversity, appreciating cultural differences, and intercultural competency. We always recommend putting an overseas experience on the resumes of our participants. Not only may it strike a chord with potential employers, but it also demonstrates that the candidate took a risk, stepped into the unknown, and came through as a stronger person as a result.

International Experience
A study abroad experience gives your student the opportunity to enhance his or her studies by adding an international component that is not available on your home campus. In other words, what better place to learn Italian than in Italy? Study abroad not only allows your student to learn more about the world outside of the U.S., but also helps him or her understand his or her own culture and national identity. An intern abroad experience may take the international component a step further, as interns work alongside locals and get exposure to differences in workplace environments and how businesses operate abroad. Employers are increasingly looking for international experience, even in a place unrelated to where they operate – it shows that your student is open to traveling and appreciates cultural differences.