The Study Abroad Fair was held last Wednesday in the Haley Center lobby. Multiple study abroad vendors, representing Auburn Faculty-Led programs, answered questions about studying abroad while encouraging students to experience different cultures across the world.
"Study abroad in general opens up a totally new world," said Sarah Frances Webb, a spokesperson for Academic Programs International. "You are not only out of your comfort zone, you are experiencing a new culture, a new language possibly and it really just puts the world in a bigger perspective. Being able to travel abroad and seeing different issues in other countries really changes student's lives."
American Institute for Foreign Studies is one of the oldest program providers and was founded in 1964. They strive to be one of the most inclusive providers in the market, so they even include airfare.
"I think especially in the South where we don't have a tradition of study abroad it can be truly life changing," said Jane Thiele, South Central Regional Director of American Institute for Foreign Studies. "It can be really transformative. It really builds self-confidence. It makes you realize what you can do and what you are capable of. There is nothing like opening a paper map and trying to figure it all out."
Global Lead is another study abroad program that offers students a different experience from the regular classroom.
"Our program is different because it offers an integrated experience," said Jen Wilson, a spokesperson for Global Lead. "We do leadership coaching with some amazing leaders. We are working with Pat Dye, he may be coming on one of our programs this year. Wherever we are we do work with community projects that are really worthwhile. We went into the slums of Cape Town last year and our students spent a day living in the slums on $1."
Kevin Scott, Director of Global Outreach for Global Lead, said their program instills leadership skills in students by putting students in new situations.
"We want to get students out of the country and out of their comfort zones," Scott said. "Students get out there and see things they've never seen before and at the same time they learn leadership. These students come back with leadership skills so they can impact their campus, their cities and their communities at home."
The Peace Corps also provides students with the chance to help and work in less fortunate countries for a 27 month period. The Peace Corps goals are to help interested countries meet the need for trained men and women, help promote a better understanding of the United States in the countries where Peace Corps volunteers serve and help foster a better understanding in the United States of the countries where the volunteers serve.
"It is a competitive application process," said Mike Robie, a regional recruiter for the Peace Corps. "From start to finish the application process takes about a year and it is a 27 month commitment."
The Peace Corps offers two graduate programs. One is called the Peace Corps Fellows Program, once 27 months in the Peace Corps are completed students can start their masters program and are eligible to receive scholarships. The second is Masters International and student completes their peace corps experience in combination with their graduate work.
For more information on study abroad programs visit the Auburn Abroad Web site at http://www.auburn.edu/academic/international/oie/auburnabroad.
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