By Baylee Weaver, Newswire Intern
Peru, China, Spain, Hong Kong, Italy, India, South Korea — the places Xavier students could go are almost endless. Every year, to inform students about the different paths they can take through study abroad, Xavier’s Center for International Education (CIE) helps organize a Study Abroad Fair on campus.
At the Study Abroad Fair, students explored the many study abroad options available to them. When students approached the fair, they were greeted by rows of tables decorated to represent the countries where the programs are located.
Each table had one or two upper-class students or faculty members, who have been on the featured study abroad trip, stationed there to answer questions students may have about their country or studying abroad in general.
Common concerns among students at the fair included payment options and what the various programs have to offer.
Xavier offers scholarships and fellowships that help make studying abroad affordable. Many of these scholarships are offered to students in specific majors, such as the Global Educators Scholarship, a $1,600 scholarship offered to health and human services majors who want to study abroad.
Last week, Xavier students explored various study abroad opportunities at the Study Abroad fair.
Scholarship opportunities are not limited to major-specific programs. Students can find more information about study abroad scholarships on the “Scholarships and Grants” page of Xavier’s website under the “Education Abroad” section.
Each program offers different credits depending on a student’s major. The faculty-led programs Xavier offers can range from 10 days to six weeks. Most of these programs offer three to nine credit hours and are typically offered during winter, spring, or summer breaks.
Xavier also offers semester-long programs. Through many of these programs, students live with host families and connect with local communities through service activities and language-building programs.
For students wondering whether or not studying abroad is worth their time, many student and faculty testimonies urge participation in programs abroad.
“People grow a lot; they come out to be changed people by the end,” Cynthia Stockwell, Assistant Dean of the Williams College of Business said.
“Xavier does a good job creating immersive opportunities here and abroad,” junior Philosophy, Politics, and the Public major Rachel Claxton and a student employee at the Center for International Education said.“When else are you going to be young and have a financially possible and pre-planned trip ready for you?”
The Study Abroad Fair provides Xavier students with an opportunity to learn more about the possibilities available to them outside the United States. Students who arrived at the fair without fully understanding the breadth of Xavier’s study abroad programs left with answers to their questions and, for many, greater excitement about the opportunity.
For students who want to learn more about studying abroad or who are unable to attend the fair, Xavier’s website provides extensive information about the programs offered. Informational sessions about specific programs will also take place in the upcoming months.