Listen Now

"It showed me that I didn't know as much as I thought I did" - Chelsi Colleton Chelsi Colleton knew from a very young age that she wanted to study abroad, and she did just that when she went to South Africa. In this episode we'll hear about her multiple trips, and how Amherst College reacted to / is reacting to Covid-19, and what's changed since the pandemic. This is a very good listen if you're interested in international education as a possible major or career choice, but still checks all the boxes if you're down to hear some classic study abroad stories.

In this episode, Citrus College's John Morris discusses what his school did during the pandemic, and informs us what it was like to study abroad in Amsterdam.

In this episode we learn how Camille Carr was able to get everything but the flights paid for her study abroad trip to Columbia.

"One of my biggest passions for sending students abroad is opening up their perspectives and their world views to see that maybe there are other ways of thinking about things" - Jamie Fleming SHOW NOTES Why Jamie decided to study abroad [0:47] Three different locations! (but be aware of the challenges) Rolling up her sleeves and crafting her own journey [2:24] Bad luck with visas [4:31] Moving to northern Ireland and France after graduation [5:47] And then Vietnam and Italy Reaching out to students who haven't had the opportunity to travel through faculty led programming [7:24] "I'm not the same person I was when I graduated high school" [8:40] Why Jamie chose to work at Purdue University Fort Wayne [10:02] Lot's of development happening in Indiana's second largest city Recommendations [11:46] The Book Thief  This American Life  The Holy Post

Stacie Berdan really hit it out of the park in our interview today. If you want to ready yourself after graduation and learn what to be prepared for upon job interviews after you graduate regarding your time abroad, you should definitely give it a listen. Experience is an understatement with this best selling author, who tells us some travel stories of her own and gives great advice on the before, during and after of your trip. SHOW NOTES The path Stacie took to get to where she is today [1:20] Becoming an author [2:16] When is the best time to study abroad? [4:31] What's best for you? What is the best way to prepare for your study abroad journey? [6:32] Thinking about your objective How to maximize your time studying abroad [8:36] Missing a connecting bus but rallying to get on it [10:31] A lesson in not really understanding or knowing your audience well enough [14:41] The importance of finding someone to help you interpret the culture Food Stacie has missed from her travels [19:36] Southern Indian food takes the cake, so to speak Making the most of your experience after you return home [22:44] Job interview and resume strategy Advice if you're on the fence about studying abroad [28:46

In another Study Abroadcast first, Michael Bittinger and Stefanie Walsh give a dual interview as advisor, and student, respectively. They both have stories, they both give encouragement, and they both agree that you should study abroad more than once, and give practical advice on how to do so in this episode. SHOW NOTES Finding a program that was a perfect fit [1:30] What Michael tells students about studying abroad [2:50] Why your major doesn't need to dictate study abroad Receiving multiple forms of financial aid [3:30] The Purdue Moves Initiative [4:33] Stefanies living and class situation [5:37] Living in The Student Hotel Faculty led programming [7:15] Going to a new destination almost every other day Understanding the differences Visiting other countries [8:56] Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Belgium, Spain, England, Rome Over 70 Faculty Led programs at Purdue [9:51] Going over spring or winter break Almost missing a flight [12:42] Vulture droppings! [15:40] Dutch pancakes [19:00] How studying abroad has changed Stefanie's view of the world [19:49] The importance of community People having your back Adapting to different laws and values How studying abroad affected Stefanie's major [23:15] Thinking you're inter-culturally competent [24:44] Encountering a wide range of experiences Why Stefanie decided to go to Purdue [26:39] Why Michael decided to work at Purdue [28:07] Recommendations A Higher Loyalty by James Comey This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class by Elizabeth Warren We Need To Talk by Celeste Headlee Ishmael by Daniel Quinn The Daily Left, right, and center 99 Percent Invisible Final Advice if you're thinking about studying abroad [32:35]

“I got lost, I did not cry, it was honestly just like running a mile, I was just happy I made it back.” — Cierra Powell Our first Gilman Scholarship award winner is on the show today, so yeah; kind of a big deal, and Cierra took advantage of it, in a big way. I haven't interviewed anyone yet, who innovated her study abroad experience the way she did. Her passion lies in studying the inefficiencies of foreign aid to 3rd world countries. She's a true scientist, and a small country located on the Northeast side of South America by the name of Ecuador turned out to be her laboratory. Listen to this interview if you want to receive a Gilman Scholarship. I repeat... Listen to this interview if you want to receive a Gilman Scholarship. She was able to go because she received a Gilman Scholarship which we learn in the interview is more than mere funding given for education. It goes beyond the trip, and lasts a lifetime. “One day you will be called upon to break a big law in the name of justice and rationality.” - James C. Scott  

"It definitely opened my eyes to how spoiled we are in the U.S" — Che Moya If you're thinking about living abroad, or teaching abroad, then this post is definitely for you. Che Moya lived in Asia for 7 years and met his wife in Thailand. Che does a great job of articulating his journeys and you will get juiced if you're thinking about living, abroad.

"Once you're out in the real world, and working, you might have more money, but you won't have more time " —  Kim Diehl de Yanes Kim did great in this episode, and made me feel like I was still in school, contemplating whether or not to study abroad in her office. Her story is unique, too, as she ended up living in Honduras for three years because of who she married.  I'll let Kim explain... SHOW NOTES  Getting her first international experience in high school through Michigan 4-H [1:19]  Going to Guayaquil, Ecuador  Living in Honduras for three years  Advice to students who are thinking about studying abroad [3:40]  FOMO (Fear Of Mission Out) Xavier's  study abroad programs   Semester program options  Regular Xavier tuition bill - costs dependent on the cost of living  Xavier specific study abroad programs [5:50] Spending her entire summer savings in five days [8:00] Homemade flour tortillas [8:55]  Tamales in banana leaves Why Xavier? [9:56]  Great proximity  Free sports tickets A student learning Russian [12:04] Moon Handbooks [12:39]  Frommer's Guidebook that tells you which side of the bus you should sit on Figure out the apps that are best where you're going   WhatsApp Site Visits [15:30] Advice for students thinking about studying abroad [17:33]

In this interview, IES's Keith Dipple teaches us what faculty led programming is. 

"Learning how to understand and be comfortable in uncomfortable situations helped me, and I learned from them" — Kirsten Queoff In this interview we hear about Kirsten's "GLOBAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING IN SPAIN AND MOROCCO TO COMBAT SEX-TRAFFICKING" faculty led program. The interview is different from any other interview I've conducted on The Study Abroadcast because of the subject matter. Kirsten does a great job of explaining her time, and what the program consisted of while she was moving between the two countries. 

"Who Am I, what does it mean to be from where I'm from, and how do I explain that to people who are not from the U.S.?" — Kirsten Kohler I think it's safe to say that Kirsten Kohler enjoys Germany, and learning German. You'd have to, to spend 11 months there.  Kirsten lived in the town of Freiburg where she was able to take day trips to France, and Switzerland. She taught, she interned, she learned, and she walks us through every step of the way in this detailed tale of a year in Freiburg, Germany...PROST! 

"We're really fortunate to live in a time where it's so easy to keep in contact with everyone. I feel like 20 years ago none of that would have been possible." — John David (@johndavidmullins) John David, a pre-med student, was the first person I've had on the show that studied abroad in Vigo, Spain. In this interview he  introduces us to a language that most people don't know about called Galician. Galician is an Indo-European language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, according to Wikipedia. What that means is that it is a mix of Portuguese and Spanish according to John. This interview is packed with stories, recommendations, and information. If you're thinking about Spain, living with a host family, or learning Spanish, this interview is definitely for you.

"It was what I needed to keep propelling me forward in the degree that I was pursuing"  — Tara Efobi (@taraefobi) Tara Efobi studied abroad and the process worked for her. She was studying fashion and now works, in, you guessed it; fashion. The destination for the interview was Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, which is part of Scandinavia. Tara, however, (like most students) did her fair share of traveling during her time there. This is the first time I've interviewed someone where something didn't go wrong, so it was a 'running on all cylinders, full speed ahead' journey. Tara was also the first student on the show that rented a bicycle during her time abroad, which I think is a terrific idea. Did I mention she's got a decent Instagram and Youtube following? Fashion ✅ Influencing ✅ Time of your life...✅ I genuinely had a lot of fun on this interview, and I think you will, too.

The reason he went to Kenya  is actually because of a class project. With out giving away too much detail; the project dealt with water supply trying and how to improve the current process that takes place.  You'll have to listen to figure out the how and why. There are also two firsts in this episode: First: The first time I've interviewed someone who studied abroad in Kenya and... Second: The first time studying abroad affected the trajectory of someone's major Henry laid it all out like a blueprint, and if you listen, you can probably get a few pointers so you can make your study abroad experience stick out from all the others.  SHOW NOTES Henry's logical explanation for choosing to study abroad in Kenya [1:39] The philanthropic outcome of the water vests [4:07] The intricacy of Henry's project and study abroad [5:21] Getting a grant to help with the costs of the project [8:25] The exact length of Henry's project [9:23] Getting to know the ins & outs of Kenya [10:00] Mixing and mingling on the project [12:01] Ok, so on every episode I ask for an interesting story or something that went wrong. Henry; as luck would have it; kept a journal of his daily activities, so we got a great recollection of stories from this gnarly trip to Kenya [12:36] A) Did they all speak english and B) Were they all black? [18:08] "The Kenyan food was incredible" [20:28] Drinking the tea in Kenya [23:32] Why Henry changed his major because of study abroad [24:29] Why Henry chose Wisconsin [27:17] Recommendations [32:32] The Other Wes Moore Failing Upwords

"I always tell students that studying abroad was the most defining thing of my college experience" — Julio Castro  I love when I have study abroad advisors on the show because they do a good job of getting students to take the plunge and study abroad. This episode is no different. Julio Castro did a great job of recollecting his time of Spain and Germany, respectively. He also reminisced about transitioning into his own job while he was still studying abroad, which is a very real concern for lots of students who study abroad towards the end of their college careers. SHOW NOTES  What was going through Julio's head prior to leaving for Spain [2:02] Why Julio picked to study abroad in Spain and Germany [3:43] The added travel that comes with Julio's position as a study abroad advisor [6:45] What it's like to miss a flight while you study abroad [8:22] Remembering the currywurst  [9:20] How studying abroad changed Julio's life [10:53] Why Julio chose the college he did (this is as good of reason as any) [12:46] Becoming and Instagram [14:08] Advice to those who are thinking about studying abroad [15:25] If everyone spent a semester overseas there would be now wars — Unkown

Marty Tillman (@tillman_marty) and I met at The IIE Global Summit in NYC at The Grand Hyatt Hotel* a few months ago and really hit it off. We were introduced by Amy Baker (@amybakerThePIE) from The PIE News, which is a media company for professionals within the international education industry...which is exactly what Mr. Tillman is. Instead of the traditional Q&A we focused more on the value that comes from studying abroad in the area of employability after ones return home and beyond. I was tickled to find out that Marty had written an article that had been strongly recommended by one of my previous guests for anyone who is thinking about studying abroad. Our government is actually quite bullish on international education as evidenced by the plenary speakers who were invited to speak at the event; The Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State Defense Language and National Security Education Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom  were all in attendance. and gave memorable speeches (and discussions) on how the global economy is changing and how the education system needs to change with it fast. *The Grand Hyatt was actually Donald Trump's first hotel revitalization project in Manhattan and is actually slated to be torn down soon. SHOW NOTES  Decades of international education experience 📆 [2:36] Getting a start at the SIT Institute and the issue of employability 🏫 [3:57] The value of experiential learning 💪 [4:30] The value study abroad brings to employment 😎 [5:53] The importance of WHY 🌎 [9:15] How to decide where to study abroad 🗺 [13:35]  Why internships are more highly valued than a traditional study abroad program 👨‍💻 [16:50] The AIFS Guide To Student And Career Development  📘 [17:38] Interning in India During Graduate School and Masala Dosa 🇮🇳🥙 [21:39] Reading a book by an author from your home country 📚 [23:20] Marty's advice to students who are on the bubble about studying abroad 🙌 [24:18] Viewing studying abroad as a window that opens new opportunities 🧐 [25:36]

"You have to decide how big (or small) you want your world to be" — Phil Boltz (@PhilBoltz) If you've ever wanted to learn about Kazakhstan, this interview is for you. Fresh off a recent a trip, Phil really gets into the nuts and Boltz 😂of what the country is like and how quickly they are developing.  I'm proud to say that this is another study abroadcast first and Phil really knocked it out of the park. Enjoy learning about Kazakhstan, I did. SHOW NOTES Everything you needed to know about Kazakhstan [2:10] Running smoothly while air born (again and again) [6:47] Phil touches on the Kazakhstanean cuisine [10:40] Growing up in Muncie, Indiana and coming back to Ball State [12:51] The Intensive English Institute [12:11] Recommendations [15:15] Me Talk Pretty One Day  Rocketbook Yandex DiDi Advice someone thinking about studying abroad 🙌 [19:12]

In this episode Claudia Gonzalez took a break from obtaining a Master's degree and sat down for a few minutes to discuss her faculty led programmed trips to China...both of them. That's right! Claudia actually went to China twice. Listen to this episode, and you won't be afraid of getting lost, like Claudia and her friend did. This interview is perfect if you're thinking about taking a faculty led program, or studying abroad in China.  A big thank you Claudia Gonzalez for taking the time to do the interview.  SHOW NOTES Claudia's voyage into faculty led programming [1:11] Doubts prior to leaving for China [3:03] Life in post olympics China [3:56] Experiencing The Temples in Beijing [4:37] Why Claudia decided to go to Beijing twice [5:39] Exploring the rest of China and getting lost in it [6:07] Getting turned around in a red light district Authentic, Chinese cuisine [9:01] The Beijing Duck! How Claudia's experiences have affected her since she returned [9:34] Embarking on her Master's degree at Eastern Illinois [10:25] Recommendations & Advice [11:19] Catcher in The Rye 

SHOW NOTES The birth of SCHWARZMAN SCHOLARS [2:08] The application process ✍ [4:10] Eligibility requirements [5:16] Defining and defying your version of leadership [7:37] Collaborate and playing well with others [8:52] Number of scholars currently selected annually through a competitive process [10:37] Sharing stories and carrying out the mission through a steadily growing alumni network [12:16] Duration of trips [12:50] Recognizing the knowledge and network of China [14:32] Going to the same university as current and past presidents of China [16:10] Recruiting an eclectic group of students from around the world [16:52] Application deadlines for both processes and what happens upon selection [18:57] The role language plays in the process [21:40] Doubts recipients face prior to their trip [24:21] Learning from diverse backgrounds [27:50] Schwarzman College [30:10] The capstone project [34:15] Excursions for the scholars [39:46] Schwarman's Youtube channel [43:48] The magic of the mundane [46:07] When is the best time to apply for the Schwarzman [49:18] Christian's Book Recommendations [53:10] Media recommendations [56:42] Re-applying for a Schwarzman Scholarship [59:00]