Campus News

Study Abroad Fair helps students realize dreams

Published Oct 13, 2015

Students look at the prizes they can receive after getting five stickers for their passport.

Excitement filled the air as students realized their dream of studying abroad could become true.

The Study Abroad Fair had 24 programs represented. They also gave away prizes and popcorn.

On Oct. 7, the Center for International Studies held their annual fair to provide students with the knowledge they needed to help students study abroad.

The fair had 24 programs represented, which included faculty-led and partner programs. The study abroad office offers more than 250 programs.

Jesica Severson, the study abroad coordinator, said there are 22 faculty-led programs departing in summer 2016. Three of the programs leaving include Environmental Issues in Costa Rica, South African Biodiversity and Human Development and Exploring Film, TV and Sports in Rome, Italy.

The Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies Michael Slattery is one of the faculty members for the trips to Costa Rica and South Africa. Slattery said the trip to Costa Rica focuses on the ecosystems and geology of the rainforest.

The South Africa trip, Slattery said, has an emphasis on rhino conservation in areas such as the Amakhala Game Reserve. Students on this trip will also experience South Africa’s rapid population increase by visiting Soweto to understand apartheid and its geopolitical aspects.

“These experiences are truly transformative,” Slattery said. “It gives students hands-on experience that doesn’t happen in the classroom.”

The FTDM program going to Rome is a chance to take two classes at once, Colin Tait, an assistant professor in the FTDM department, said. The first half of the trip focuses on the sports culture in Rome and the second half of the trip focuses on Rome as a cinematic city.

John Sprague, the CIEE representative, helped students with their questions during the fair.

The two partner programs offered by TCU are the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES). Both programs offer multiple programs to multiple locations.

Severson said she was impressed with the amount of participation in this year’s fair.

“Everybody is working to send students abroad because they know how important it is,” Severson said. “This is the single, most impactful learning experience a student can have.”

The summer study abroad application opens at 9 a.m. on Oct. 8. The deadline is Jan. 15.