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