Growing Globally: A Guide to Studying Abroad
Waking up to the sites of Paris. Eating authentic food in Chile. Seeing ruins in Cambodia. Seeking adventure in the streets of Thailand. A short list of experiences NAU students can have studying abroad.
“There is no reason why one should not study abroad? It’s a very transformative experience, I think that it helps everyone in a sense that they have learned a lot about themselves,” Holmes said. “Just seeing the world through another perspective, really opens your eyes to what you have here and helps you realize you’re part of a global community instead of just your own.”
Emma Holmes, the assistant to the Vice Provost, Harvey Charles, decided to study in Thailand for a year as a freshman. As a student who had not
established herself well enough at NAU, decided that going abroad would be an easy decision, and it was.
“Everything was new for me at NAU, I hand’t really made friends and what not,” Holmes said. “I feel that for me personally, if I had waited to study abroad I feel that I would have had a tougher time leaving the friends here.”
With the help of financial aid she was able to make that trip to Bangkok, Thailand happen.
“If you go on the CIE website you will see a long list of scholarships that you can apply for,” Holmes said. “But the main ones are the Go, Gillman, and No Excuses Scholarship.”
Once she arrived back, during the rest of her time at NAU she got more involved with the abroad program and became the assistant to Harvey Charles, the Vice Provost for International Education after graduation.
The Center for International Education provides students with information regarding their programs along with professionals that can answer any specific questions. Those may include, how many study abroad programs are there, is there financial assistance for those who need it, and what are the details that go into studying abroad?
“It’s really easy to study abroad, though most don’t realize” Emma Holmes said. “The advisers are really helpful at NAU, they are always here to answer questions, calls, emails etc, whatever you need they can help you.”
Andrew Sarracino, NAU abroad adviser, and former abroad student at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo Japan, talks about his experiences and how he brings his knowledge to his job.
“Once you have traveled to another country it is hard to not bring it up, it’s like word vomit,” Sarracino explains. “So being able to tell other people about my experience as my job seemed to fit; Doing this job allows me to share my knowledge but I am also constantly learning of new countries and cultures.”
Andrew Sarracino, one of many advisers in the Blome Building on Old Main campus, that can answer any question when it comes to studying abroad. For those who are truly interested in studying abroad, students must then figure out where they want to go and if that fits with their academic plan. Once students figure out the logistics it’s a only a matter of applying for scholarships and getting in all the paper work in one time.
“There are so many wonderful opportunities for college students to explore different cultures and ways of doing things,” Zachary Tobin, NAU abroad adviser at the Center for International Education at NAU. “It becomes more difficulte when you get a job or start a family to have an experience like that. The window can sometimes be smaller that you realize, which is why you have to go get it.”
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