Category: We Are Global

• Keara
• Studied abroad as a junior
• International studies major
• German minor
• Studied Abroad at Philipps-Universität Marburg in Germany

I studied abroad in Marburg, Germany. I chose this location because I have always had a passion to learn more about the German culture and language. Additionally, my study abroad program was a perfect fit as it fulfilled my major and minor degree requirements.

I had established goals in person and academic areas. In regards to personal goals, I wanted to meet new people from different countries. I yearned to learn their story, exchange stories and experiences, and share experiences with them while traveling various countries. Throughout my time abroad, I had the opportunity of meeting people from a multitude of countries including: Syria, Serbia, Iran, Egypt, Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil, and Tajikistan. Because of achieving this goal, I have grown as a person, which has allowed me to become more willing to accept and respect people from different countries, cultures, and religions. In regards to academic goals, I was eager to do my very best in all of my courses. Also, I wanted to speak the native language of German as much as possible. I feel that I have successfully completed this goal because I passed all of my classes and became much more fluent in the German language.

During my time studying abroad, I participated in thrilling trips. In Germany, my culture/history class went on weekend excursions to Hamburg, Dresden, and Berlin. These weekend excursions including many educational, yet fun activities. Out of all three German cities, I would say that Berlin was my favorite because we had the unique opportunity to go on a guided tour of the Reichstag building. Outside of Germany, I travel to Paris, France; Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Zurich, Switzerland; Zadar, Croatia; and Prague, Czech Republic.

I believe that Millersville University Students should study abroad because it truly helps them develop a global perspective in which they can continue to build upon. Additionally, studying abroad not only allows an individual to learn about other cultures and individuals, but also have the opportunity to learn more about oneself. In all, studying abroad is a positive, life changing experience in which you will create a plethora of unforgettable memories.

The first tip of advice I would give to prospective study abroad students is to believe in yourself and be confident that you can successfully live and prosper in a foreign country. Secondly, do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. For example. do not be afraid to travel to new cities, try new foods, meet new people, and experience different customs. Lastly, this is a once in a lifetime experience. Embrace this opportunity with excitement, curiosity, and desire to experience a world that is truly unique.

I studied abroad in a town called Wurzburg in the state of Bavaria in Germany. I chose this location because it seemed convenient. It sits near the center of Germany and made traveling to many locations pretty easy. It also seemed like it had a good language program and the town sounded beautiful and like a good place to live for a while. I found all the above to be true.

My number one goal was to drastically improve my German. I definitely was able to accomplish that. Although I am still very far from perfect, I reached a level of competency while I was there that I am quite proud of. I also wanted to step out of my comfort zone socially and learn to be comfortable in situations that I would normally be very uncomfortable in. Here again, I definitely was able to do this even though it was not always easy. I learned to be much more outgoing and talk to people that I barely knew fairly easily despite the fact that I am naturally very introverted and have a hard time approaching people.

Just in general, through living on my own so far away from home, I grew so much as a person and am so grateful that I was lucky enough to have had this once in a lifetime experience. There was a group of students at the university that I attended who planned lots of fun day trips and weekend excursions. I was able to visit many wonderful towns in Germany and beyond with them as my tour guides and fellow international students from all over the world as my companions. All of those opportunities were wonderful ways to get to know other students and to experience Europe to the fullest. I also did some trips on my own or with a friend. Those were also really amazing experiences. I loved traveling around Europe and just seeing the sights and the people and hearing the foreign languages.

Studying abroad will force you out of your comfort zone like nothing else can. It is an irreplaceable and indescribable learning experience in so many different ways from the people you meet to the places you see to the history that comes alive around you. It will be far from perfect and there will days when you will feel frustrated and lonely. But it will undoubtedly be worth it all in the end when you can look back and realize how much more knowledgeable and well-rounded of a person you have become through it all. The advice that I would give to any student heading into a study abroad experience is first of all, choose to stay positive. And secondly, take every opportunity that comes along. You will not regret it. The quality of your experience is entirely up to you.

• Esther
• Studied abroad as a Junior
• Studied at: Universidad de Guanajuato in Guanajuato, Mexico
• Esther is excited to get involved at MU upon her return!

I studied abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico. I choose to study there because I wanted to go somewhere that no one from my school had ever gone. I found a brand new program called CLA that was based in Guanajuato. I was their first study abroad student ever! I found such a role invigorating, challenging, and exciting. I liked the idea of pushing myself as a trailblazer for a new program. I also really wanted to go specifically to Mexico to experience the culture first hand. Due to recent current events and the controversy in the US regarding, specifically Mexican, immigration I wanted to hear all about the ideas, views, and opinions that people have regarding US-Mexican relations on the other side of the border. Another perk is that the cost of living/studying in Mexico is very low!

The most obvious of my personal goals while studying abroad was to improve my command of the Spanish language. I think I definitely accomplished this goal due more to my Spanish speaking friends and host family then to my university classes! I also really wanted to sharpen my social skills. Before I studied abroad I would sometimes get anxious or intimidated in certain social situations, but after spending my semester in Mexico I have gotten over so many of those negative feelings! If I can ask a stranger for directions in Spanish without feeling nervous or work up the courage to tell my host mom that I don’t like, hot chile powder on my mango than I can do anything! My last big goal was become more self-driven. I tend to be someone who is really good at following directions, or making friends when they are presented to me, etc. But while I was abroad I made sure to plan my own excursions and consciously seek help when I needed it and introduce myself to strangers at school just to see if maybe they would become a friend (and many times, they did!)

Definitely one of the coolest excursions I went on was when my program director took me and my boyfriend (who was conveniently visiting me at the time) to Mexico City! We went to a bunch of museums, cathedrals, and Frida Kahlo’s house, we toured an enormous Aztec ruin called Teotihuacán, and went on a boat ride with Mariachi bands playing for us the whole time! But the coolest part of this trip was that our “tour guide” was a philosophy professor from UNAM (the biggest and more prestigious university in Mexico.) His name was Daniel and he knew EVERYTHING there is to know about Mexican history, culture, anthropology, etc. His parents were famous Mexican archaeologists and Daniel would go on digs with them. He was there as a young boy when his parents helped discover many famous Mayan ruins!

During my Easter vacation I got to go to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. Both places are beautiful beach towns/cities with so much to do! I also went for a weekend with one of my good friends to his father’s organic ranch in the middle of the desert! We herded cows, ate a cactus, hiked a mountain. It was amazing!

Millersville students should study abroad because being “alone” in another country is one of the most efficient ways to grow as, 1. a capable and self-sufficient young adult, and 2. a culturally aware, empathetic, and globally-aware human being. You would be surprised how much you don’t know about different cultures in the world. And you will never fully understand another culture, and how other cultures perceive the United States, until you go there. I think it is so important for students to travel outside of this country to realize that there are just as many opportunities and experiences waiting outside the US as there are here at home.

Study abroad, get out of the country, learn another language! A study abroad experience is honestly one of the best things you can do for yourself. My other piece of advice is: get out of your comfort zone! Don’t just go where your friends are going! From my own experience and what many friends have told me from their experiences, a general rule is; the less American students you study abroad with, the more you will gain from the country you visit. This is especially true for students who want to study abroad in order to learn another language. If you DO decide to study abroad with a close friend or in a school with a large number of American students make a “NO English” pact at the beginning of your experience or decide on specific times when English is and is NOT allowed. This is fun and helps students not use their American friends and native language as a crutch for the whole semester.

I studied abroad in Haifa, Israel for the Spring 2017 semester. I wanted a location a bit more off the beaten path, and Israel appealed to me for its ancient history, as well as for being in a location completely new to me.

My goals in going included stretching myself, gaining a wider perspective of the world, and experiment with living abroad, as it is something I am considering for the long term. The people I encountered taught me so much and I feel like I gained a deeper understanding of topics like conflict in the Middle East, through there’s still much to learn. Furthermore, I loved the independence of living abroad and having to problem solve when situations came up.

My program took us on field trips almost every weekend, but there was also a lot of opportunity for independent travel. I got to visit the West Bank, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey, and France.

For other students considering studying abroad, I would highly recommend it. It’s scary and challenging, but it’s the things that push us that cause us to grow. The benefits are so rewarding, from becoming more globally aware, to increased confidence.

My advice to students studying abroad would be to fully embrace the opportunity, event when it’s hard and you feel like holing up in your down room. Get outside, join a club, explore the area, etc. It will go by fast, and there’s so much potential growth and learning that can happen when you’re fully invested.

• Nikole
• Studied abroad as a junior
• While at Millersville, Nikole was the Secretary for the Society on latino Affairs, a Student Ambassador (SHARP team), and is in Delta Phi Eta honors fraternity.

 I studied abroad in Chile because I love South America. My mom is from Uruguay and I lived there for 1.5 months right before going to Chile. I chose Chile because I liked that I could live in Viña del Mar, but also experience the city life by going to school in Valparaíso. I also enjoyed all of what Chile had to offer in regards to nature. The North of Chile is extremely different from the South, and I was fortunate enough to experience both regions. One weekend I got to go sand boarding in the desert, and the following weekend I was skiing in the Andes. Chile is a huge country and I still have so much left to explore of it. Chile has something to offer for everyone. You can relax on one of the thousands of beaches, or take a hike to a beautiful destination.

Academically, I wanted to speak as much Spanish as possible so that I could feel comfortable with the language and become completely fluent. I was able to do this by becoming friends with Chileans, which forced me to only speak in Spanish. I needed to put in the effort and make and spend time with my Chilean friends so that I could meet my goals. Personally, I wanted to break out of my comfort zone and become more outgoing. I tend to be more of an introvert, but through this experience, I was able to break out of my shell. I made friends and built connections with people from all over the world, and I even volunteered to teach English classes to Chileans twice a week. Becoming more outgoing also helped me to accomplish one of my other goals, which was to immerse myself in the culture. I was able to accomplish this by becoming friends with Chileans, building a relationship with my host family, and being actively involved in school activities and events.

Weekend trips to Santiago, sand boarding, bike and wine tour, day trip to Cajón del Maipo to bungee jump and hike the mountains, rafting and hot springs in Pucón, surfing in Pichilemu, San Pedro de Atacama desert and the geysers, day trip to Horcón, visited two of the houses of author Pablo Neruda, and skiing in the Andes. I also had the opportunity to spend a week and a half in Peru.

My advice would be to not hesitate; just do it! This is a once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and get out of your comfort zone, because you don’t want to live with any regrets after your study abroad experience is over. Always be open minded and willing to try new things. Most importantly, know that you are going to make many mistakes, never be afraid to make these mistakes and don’t be embarrassed when you do, because that is how you grow personally and learn the most.