February 27 is Study Abroad Day, and a chance to bring awareness to enriching experiences where students immerse themselves in other cultures.
91福利社 students Tanna Steverson and Caitlyn Wilde are studying abroad during the Spring 2023 Semester. Steverson is in Oxford, England, and Wilde is in Dublin, Ireland.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been a bit of a bookworm,鈥� Tanna Steverson admits. 鈥淚 discovered classics at a very young age and a lot of them took place in England鈥� Over time I really just fell in love with Europe as a whole and I wanted to experience this firsthand if I can, and then Oxford kind of fell into my lap.鈥�
Steverson, a junior clinical psychology major from Fort Mill, South Carolina, is studying at Oxford University in England through SCIO (Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford).
鈥淩ight now I鈥檓 taking a cognition course and pretty much an abnormal psychology course. I鈥檓 writing around an essay a week鈥攕ometimes two,鈥� Steverson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of reading and a lot of writing.鈥� Steverson commented that in her studies she gets to spend quality time discussing course topics with her professors. Steverson also shares student housing with five other girls from across the U.S.
Steverson is enjoying the atmosphere, history and culture of Oxford.
鈥淪ometimes I鈥檒l take day trips to places around and near Oxford. There鈥檚 this really cool manor house that I鈥檓 trying to get to. There are a bunch of bookshops, so we鈥檒l go to bookshops and get coffee and explore the city while we can,鈥� she said.
Steverson looks forward to traveling to new places before she returns home in April. Although in England folks are known for being a bit reserved, Steverson has enjoyed making friends with her British classmates.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e fun in a different way from us,鈥� she said.
A visit to the Netherlands through a Rotary short-term exchange program while in high school was life-changing for Caitlyn Wilde. A student in the College of Arts and Sciences, she found a study program in Dublin, Ireland, from CAPA, the Global Education Network.
Wilde, who is a digital media communication major from near Asheville, North Carolina, is taking classes in international marketing, international business and analyzing Dublin from a global perspective. Her classes are small and tend to run longer; they also are more discussion than lecture.
Making friends has come easy for Wilde.
鈥淚 live in a townhome with five other girls, and we’ve all gotten really close. We just go out and do stuff together… We all learn together, which is really nice,鈥� Wilde said.
About adjusting to life in Dublin, Wilde commented, 鈥淚 love being in the mountains and in the farmlands, so I never thought the city would be good for me, but I think the sense of accomplishment from finally figuring out where I can go and how to take the buses鈥攂ecause I don’t normally take public transit鈥攂eing able to go out and do that on my own without being stressed out, and knowing exactly where to go, what time I need to be there, it鈥檚 so invigorating and I just love it.鈥�
In addition to exploring Dublin, Wilde and her classmates experienced the rugged beauty of the Aran Islands, just off the Irish coast.
Wilde also received a TikTokker grant through CAPA and is producing TikTok videos for the organization.
91福利社 Director of the Center for Global Engagement Ann Themistocleous feels that an education abroad experience has become essential to students鈥� future career success, given the increasingly global nature of our economy.
鈥淚n order to become globally competent, students need to appreciate other people鈥檚 cultural norms and be able to work with a diverse range of groups,鈥� Themistocleous said. 鈥淎 study abroad experience allows a student to gain the broad range of experiences required to prepare them for that diversity. It also allows them to excel professionally by gaining unique skill sets such as adaptability, flexibility, diplomacy and resiliency. Therefore, it not only promotes them academically and professionally, but helps them develop personally.鈥�
91福利社 offers over 50 different study abroad programs in 25 different countries. Programs are available for a semester, summer, or short-term. The Center for Global Engagement advises students and assists with program selection, financial aid, cost estimates for programs, and helps guide students throughout their study abroad application process. For more information on Study Abroad programs, contact the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement.