By Kiera McMahon, education reporter
BLACKSBURG, Va. — The Virginia Tech Study Abroad Fair will be held on the Drillfield on Sept. 22, encouraging new and returning students to participate in programs that will give them opportunities to explore the world. The fair will connect students with information about programs and resources available through the Global Education Office (GEO). With the start of a new school year, the fair offers an early opportunity for students to learn how studying abroad can fit into their college experience.
For students unsure of where to begin, the Global Education Office says there are many more options available than most expect. In an interview, Erin Doherty, the outreach strategist and events manager with the Global Education Office, spoke about the efforts the GEO makes to get students interested and prepared for studying abroad. Understanding how study abroad programs are created and advertised can help students remain informed about what the Global Education Office can do for them. Doherty said that the goal is to help students find what suits them best in terms of interest and academic success.
Her comments were slightly edited for length and clarity.
What role does the Global Education Office play in helping students study abroad?
So, we play a major role in it. We have the students come and talk to our peer advisors, talk about the three main things that they should consider with studying abroad, which is what their support needs are, what their budget is, and then their career and academic goals. So, we try and find programs that fit all three of those and then set them up to go talk to their academic advisor to see if any of those programs would fit their academic credits that they have left in their transcript.
So they can sit down with their academic advisor, look at the transcript, see how study abroad can fit in, and then make sure that their schedule aligns to support going to study abroad because we’re here to add to the experience of your time as a Hokie, not add to your time as a Hokie here. So we’re just trying to set you all up for the best success with that.
What are some interests you gauge from new students in regards to studying abroad?
Where they want to study abroad is a big one, and when they want to study abroad. So, are we looking at freshman years? Sophomore years? Junior years? Typically we see sophomores and juniors go in general. So really it’s where they want to study abroad and what they’re interested in.
Are there any particular questions you hear from students?
I know we’re really excited when we hear all the different places that the students want to study, especially outside of Western Europe, because we have some great opportunities in New Zealand, Australia, as well as Japan and South Korea. Just a lot of great opportunities that don’t always come to mind when you first think of study abroad.
How does the Global Education Office spark interest for study abroad programs?
So we have our Study Abroad Fair on September 22 on the Drillfield from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That’s our biggest event of the year. Additionally, we were at Weeks of Welcome. We got to speak to the College of Science freshmen. And then we do a lot of tabling.
We’re always looking to collaborate with different departments and student organizations to create an experience where we can broaden our outreach. We do a lot of classroom outreach with advisors and stuff like that.
What are the biggest misconceptions that students have?
That you have to study a different language to go abroad. There are opportunities to study abroad in a country that is not your native language where the classes are in English. And that’s really cool because it’s not as scary.
Or that you have to do the entire semester. There’s programs for spring embedded, fall embedded, winter break, and summertime. There’s literally a program for everyone.
How does the GEO make studying abroad financially accessible?
GEO as well as other colleges on campus offer a lot of scholarships and right now, we are doing study abroad info sessions that center around financial aid and scholarships so that students are more aware of what their options are, both at Virginia Tech and outside of Virginia Tech to help fund it. In our newsletter, we talk about different deadlines and opportunities that come up. The important thing is study abroad can be affordable and the sooner you are proactive in terms of trying to figure out when you can study abroad and what kind of program, the better chance we have to help you find a way to afford it and set you up for meeting the deadlines for the scholarships to apply for.
What do you hope students take away from studying abroad?
I hope that they come away with a better understanding of how they can impact the world positively, the difference that they can make in the world, as well as, you know, just expanding their horizons. Hokies really do make a big difference, no matter where they go, and I hope that their study abroad program increases their confidence as well as their academic experience.
What is the most important thing that students should know about studying abroad?
Everyone can study abroad. If you’re an athlete, you can study abroad. If you’re in the cadets, you can study abroad. The main thing is, the more proactive you are, the better we can set you up for success to have those conversations with your academic advisor and financial aid. And that comes into talking to our peer advisors and our advising team because we really want to make sure that we’re steering you in the right direction.
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