Rollins students had the chance to explore all the possibilities at this year’s Study Abroad Fair this past Tuesday, Sept 16, from 12-2 p.m. in the Rice Family Pavillion. With program representatives, student ambassadors, and staff on hand, the fair was designed to help students make studying abroad a reality.
Rollins has long included international study in its fabric, now hosting upwards of 70 percent of students that study abroad at least once during their college career. The school has long encouraged global citizenship and considers it integral to the liberal arts ethos. Executive Director of Global Initiatives Giselda Beaudin emphasized the International Affairs Office’s role in supporting students. “We are a really hands-on study abroad office, and I do think that that makes a big difference for students, because we really try to provide support before, during, after whatever is happening, whatever is going on, whether it’s a good thing, whether it’s a bad thing…whatever it is,” she said.
Beaudin continued, encouraging students to start at the Study Abroad Fair to learn more: “We’re really excited – both of those programs will be featured at the fair, so you can find out about both.” Beaudin considers the fair to be “perfect for someone who hasn’t thought about this yet and just wants to start finding out.”
The International Affairs Office puts on the fair as a larger overview of the 90+ programs offered, including insider information from faculty, peers, and program leaders. “What you have at the Study Abroad Fair is information about every program, plus we have most of our program leaders there. So, for our faculty-led, you can talk to the person who has actually designed and led the program. We also have student alums who come and help, so you can talk to someone who did the program that you’re interested in, which, of course, gives you all the inside scoop that perhaps the staff won’t always tell you and you really want to know as a student,” said Beaudin.
In the 15 years in her position, she mentioned how study abroad opportunities have grown and changed over time to better support students as well. “There’s been a lot of changes in 15 years, all I think that have made it better for students. We actually have two new programs this year – we’ve switched programs [in Argentina], and now we have a new partner that will work for a broad variety of majors. Buenos Aires also has gotten cooler as a city over the years, and it is an incredible destination for studying abroad,” she said. “We’re also opening a new program in Prague in the Czech Republic, which is at a small university in Prague called Anglo American University, and that means our students will be in classes with other international students, other American students, and Czech and Slovak students. So, it’s a really great opportunity! It also has incredible embedded excursions, including multiple weekend trips outside the Czech Republic, and it’s all included.”
For students who are ‘study-abroad-curious,’ the fair is one way to get in-depth information about every program offered. “Sometimes I think students think ‘I’m curious, but I don’t think this is for me.’ And they never make it in our office. They never make it in, or they never make it to the Study Abroad Fair. My biggest advice is: Don’t rule it out until you have a real conversation,” said Beaudin.
In addition to the fair, the International Affairs Office has in-house advising on studying abroad, including opportunities to speak with peers, staff members, and even graduate students who have studied abroad. Advising hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students interested in study abroad can schedule an advising appointment with the International Programs Office on their new platform, ViaTRM, found on RollinsOKTA or MyRollins.
Beaudin considers the new platform to be “a really easy, super new tool that students can use.” This platform includes the new questionnaire that matches your personal and academic interests to programs offered by Rollins.
Right now, Rollins has more students abroad than ever before — a fact that Beaudin says reflects both student curiosity and the college’s commitment to global learning. “We actually have the largest number of students abroad in Rollins history this fall, which is so exciting,” she said. “Living somewhere for four months you will not have a chance to do when you graduate…that’s a really hard thing to come about.”
In addition to meeting faculty and alumni and learning about programs firsthand, attendees also had the chance to enter a raffle for two $500 scholarships toward a future study abroad experience. For those considering their own journeys, attending the annual Study Abroad Fair provides an opportunity to explore available programs and resources.
Comments are closed.