What if you had all the time and money to travel wherever you liked? Where would you want to go?
I spend quite a lot of time daydreaming about traveling and experiencing a new culture. When I come across beautiful and extravagant scenery of various countries, I can’t help but imagine what the place would have to offer me. The knowledge and experience I would gain from the sightseeing, climate and people would be stories I would tell for years to come.
I am interested in studying or working abroad at some point before I graduate. The high cost and the lack of financial resources somewhat discourage me. But I attended the first Education Abroad Fair of the year on October 4th in the Smith Ballroom, and I grabbed numerous brochures about study abroad programs and international internships.
Community development is my field of study. I have decided that I want to get some hands-on experience working with disadvantaged populations. I have heard from one of my peers, the IE3 program has many global internships to offer (http://ie3global.ous.edu). The two internship locations I am most intrigued by are South Africa and Nicaragua. I would like to gain a better understanding about sustainable community development as well as global issues such as gender inequality, racism, and poverty in developing countries.
To learn more about education abroad, visit this site:
http://oia.pdx.edu/ea/
Or you can visit the study abroad office in East Hall, 632 SW Hall St.
Drop-in hours:
• Tuesdays: 12-1pm
• Wednesdays: 1-2pm
• Fridays: 10-11am
Jeanie, I liked your article. It brought back to me travels that I have made over the years. Even though some were expensive…I never regretted spending that money. Travel can give you an education and perspective not found in any book.
Nice job Jeanie.
Thank you, Mike. I definitely agree, I know the experiences I would gain from Education Abroad would help me grasp concepts and global issues I would not fully understand in a classroom. I hope to find resources to help support my academic career outside the country.