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Mentor Advice

Question

How has study abroad affected my current profession?

7 Replies from Mentors

  • mentor picture Kofi Atta Annan
     
    Kofi Atta Annan
    Former United Nations Secretary-General
    United Nations
    The focus which I found [as an international student] has never failed me… Perhaps it was...
    The focus which I found [as an international student] has never failed me… Perhaps it was that experience that set me on the road to where I am now.

    My first experience of studying or indeed living abroad happened thanks to a fellowship from the Ford Foundation, which took me to Macalester College as a young man. Given all that's happened to me since, I guess a start with the Ford Foundation can lead to anything!
  • mentor picture Rae Rae
     
    Rae Rae
    Senior Year Student
    Loyola Marymount University
    I learned many skills at my internship in London which have proved to be a helpful resume...
    I learned many skills at my internship in London which have proved to be a helpful resume builder. Language skills I learned in France have been useful as well. I would recommend you find a program that offers an internship placement if possible, as many employers look favorably on foreign internships. Also you may find that you love your line of work in your host country. I have a friend who was actually offered a position in London at the end of his internship, and he is going to move back to England after he graduates to take the job! Studying abroad can provide you helpful contacts in your chosen industry, as well as give you experience that other candidates may not have.
  • mentor picture Tom Cole
     
    Tom Cole
    U.S. Representative
    United States
    There is no better way to learn about a culture and the world outside the United States,...
    There is no better way to learn about a culture and the world outside the United States, than first-hand…In the political arena, I have found that my personal experience gained from studying abroad has been vitally important in understanding legislation concerning foreign policy. We live in a very diverse world--knowledge gained while studying abroad will be an asset to you no matter what your plans are for the future.
  • mentor picture Priscilla
     
    Priscilla
    Graduate Student
    University of California at Berkeley
    I am currently a second-year graduate student in the German Department at the University of...
    I am currently a second-year graduate student in the German Department at the University of California, Berkeley. The three years I spent in Germany definitely influenced my decision to go to graduate school and to focus on German language and literature. While living in Germany, I connected to the culture and the people and I did not want to lose this connection. This fall I am teaching German 1 for the first time at the university and seeing my students get excited about learning German has proven to be a very rewarding part of my experience at graduate school. It is a wonderful thing to be able to share my love for German Studies with others.
  • mentor picture Malaika Marable Serrano
     
    Malaika Marable Serrano
    Assistant Director of Global Communities
    University of Maryland
    Study abroad has had a tremendous affect on my current position. I wouldn’t be able to do my job...
    Study abroad has had a tremendous affect on my current position. I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I hadn’t studied abroad. It’s also been helpful to have knowledge and experience living in different parts of the world (and in both “western” and “non-western” countries).
  • mentor picture Christa Sanders
     
    Christa Sanders
    Associate Director NYU in Ghana
    New York University
    Beyond travel and study experiences, study abroad has also influenced my career decisions. My...
    Beyond travel and study experiences, study abroad has also influenced my career decisions. My passion for the international education field and firm personal belief that a study abroad experience is a necessary and life-changing experience has greatly influenced my desire to have an international career. My personal mission to open students’ minds to the world through international education has blossomed through my work in Madrid, Spain with Syracuse University and Voices of Changes (an organization I co-founded to help support American students of color abroad). Most recently, I have had the opportunity to manage NYU’s new study abroad program in Ghana where I direct the daily program activities including the coordination of academic courses, excursions throughout Ghana and West Africa, cultural activities, conferences, etc. Having the opportunity to develop a study abroad program on the African continent continues to be extremely rewarding experience, one that fulfills me personally as well as professionally each day.
  • mentor picture Seraphina
     
    Seraphina
    Senior Year Student
    Loyola Marymount University


    Seraphina, Student, studied in Japan
    Hear Seraphina’s plans to return to Japan for graduate school.