Students Comment on Their Time Abroad

NAFSA: Association of International Educators and Abroad View, the global magazine for students, hosted the 2nd Annual Student Diplomat Essay Competition, inviting recently returned U.S. undergraduate study abroad participants to submit compelling stories that articulate how their undergraduate international experiences have helped meet the United States' need to understand global situations and compete in the global arena.

2006: A Selection of Quotes

2007 Student Diplomat Essay Competition: A Selection of Quotes

Ryan Beck
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Study Abroad: China (May 2007)

"We study abroad for the experience: the wonder and excitement that comes from being away from home. But, we also study abroad for the understanding: to watch and learn from people that are different from us. A mutual exchange occurs between study abroad students on college campuses around the world. We travel to these countries and meet their brightest, most promising students. From the relationships that we form we forever affect the rifts that exist between our countries."

Alex Brock
Dickinson College
Study Abroad: Egypt (2006-2007)

"Being an American in a global community means accepting that we are privileged. It also means using this privilege to help our fellow man. We must not be blinded by the imaginary identities we create for ourselves. We are all human beings first, and Americans or Egyptians, or Italians second… Emphasizing difference rather than focusing on our common human struggle to find happiness is what leads to things like the 'clash of civilizations,' a theory which only further draws our attention away from the obvious, simple truth---people are just people."

Sarah David
Johns Hopkins University
Study Abroad: Egypt (fall 2005)

"It will take years to foster democracy in the Middle East, but more importantly it will take people who have a deep understanding of the culture and language of the region. It will take people who have taken the time to live in the region, walk the streets, and interact with the people to develop policies that will encourage democracy without forcing it."

Kelly Garone
Barnard College
Study Abroad: Italy (fall 2006)

"This lesson continues to shape the decisions I make about my life, and will continue to do so far into the future. It has shaped the person I am. Ultimately, I cite my experience in Bologna as the most influential aspect of my undergraduate education. It has shaped me personally and academically, and broadened my understanding of the United States within a global context."

Kirstin Maryott
University of Colorado, Boulder
Study Abroad: Italy (2006-2007)

"My memories from abroad are more than just photos that I can demonstrate to friends, more than fun stories to tell at a dinner table- these experiences are who I am, and will factor into the person that I become. As a more globally conscious citizen, and after retuning a new life in a familiar setting, I am currently learning how to integrate aspects from each of these unique experiences and diverse cultures into the formation of one new unique identity."

Jonathan Peyster
Bard College
Study Abroad: China (2006)

"As we spoke in English and Chinese about everything from Zhou En Lai to Hip-Hop, the power of language to transform apprehension into intimacy became more poignantly obvious to me than ever before....And then I realized that if Americans and Chinese are ever to understand each other it will only happen through intimate conversations like the one we were having."

Alexandra Piscionere
George Washington University
Study Abroad: France, Russia, Denmark, China (summer 2005, 2006, 2007)

"Through all my travels and studies abroad, I have learned that having the ability to appreciate and experience other cultures is a gift that is invaluable to the soul and to penetrating the true meaning of what being American means to me."

Elizabeth Prochet
Florida International University
Study Abroad: Tanzania (summer 2007)

"For me, traveling has opened up a world of possibilities that I once thought I could never consider. Traveling connects me to a world that I used to think couldn't expand beyond my home here in America. After my experience in Tanzania this summer, I have realized that begin a global citizen is just as much about leaving a part of my American culture with the places that I go to, as it is about imparting new cultural experience from abroad in my own life."

Elisabeth Rozanski
University of Colorado, Boulder
Study Abroad: Semester at Sea (summer 2007)

"During the ten weeks, I came to an understanding of what being a global citizen really means; it is not sacrificing your culture or language for another, or expecting others to change who they are, but it is learning what your culture is, what it is not, and seeing yourself through the eyes of other people."

Alex Snider
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Study Abroad, Morocco (summer 2007)

"When you live abroad and share experiences with those you previously though t be so alien, you quickly realize how much more you share. When you acknowledge this, differences in opinion do not become more proof that “they” are wrong and we are right. Instead, it seems to reflect differences in judgment. What I learned is that the only way to rid myself – and our foreign policy – of this baggage, and others of theirs, is to make the humble commitment to try to understand and be understood."

Daniel Stone
University of California, Davis
Study Abroad: France (fall 2007)

"But the potential for the exchange of ideas and understanding between American students and citizens of a host country makes academic programs overseas one of best things America can do for its image abroad and global diplomatic efforts."