Cornell Abroad's welcome back reception Aug. 31 in the Big Red Barn provided many reunions, including one with, from left, seniors Julia Yoo, government, who spent her spring semester in London; Nicole Florance, psychology, who also was in London in the spring; and Monica Johnson, biology, who spent the spring in New Zealand. Julia Featheringill/University Photography
A crowd of enthusiastic students gathered in the Big Red Barn Aug. 31 for an informal, welcome-back reception for recent Cornell Abroad participants. Administrators of the program, which provides opportunities for Cornell students to study abroad, sponsored the reunion for participants who had spent their last semester in other countries.
Young men and women shared their experiences with admiration and pride as they worked their way around the room greeting familiar faces and hearing new stories. Students, clustered in small groups, bragged about new languages they had picked up on their trips, the friends they had made and the heightened sense of independence they felt as a result of their experiences abroad.
The enthusiasm expressed at the reunion for the Cornell Abroad experience is nothing new to Richard Gaulton, the program's director, who has seen many such reactions in his two years on the job. Every year Cornell sends out more than 500 students for study abroad to a variety of locations around the world. As Gaulton explained, the experience of going abroad contributes immensely to the study of global subjects, such as the economy of underdeveloped nations or the ecology of the rain forest. He also noted the advantages of such programs for the general internationalization of the Cornell experience and for the broadened perspectives it gives students who are entering the post-Cornell world.
A total of 50 countries were covered last year by Cornell Abroad, "an all-time high for the constantly expanding program," Gaulton pointed out. Margo Kaplan, a communications major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said she spent the spring of her junior year in Asia. Her trip included classes and an internship in Hong Kong, as well as several weeks of study in other parts of mainland China.
The effectiveness of cultural immersion, a key element of all study-abroad experiences, depends on the ability of students to communicate with the people in the countries they visit, so linguistic and cultural preparation helps students take maximum advantage of educational opportunities abroad. Some students chose countries in which they can further develop a language already familiar to them. Others, like Jeremy Schwartz, had further aspirations. "When I was 10, my grandparents took me on an African safari," Schwartz said, explaining that the experience remained something vivid for him for the next 10 years.
A biology major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Schwartz spent last semester in Tanzania on a program emphasizing biodiversity and conservation. He said he enjoyed the hospitality of a few households, as well as the opportunity to interview and observe traditional local healers. During the last month of his stay, he completed his independent study project, titled "The Impact of Medicinal Plant Collection on the Forest." Determined to absorb as much as possible, he also learned Swahili and was able to interact freely with many members of the local population. He said he considers that communication to have been the most valuable aspect of his trip.
Several students eager to learn more about study abroad opportunities also attended the reception. A common theme of their questions to former participants dealt with choosing one country over another. Michelle Wankmuller, a junior in the school of Human Ecology, said she is tentatively considering Australia as a destination for next year. A human development major, Wankmuller believes a trip to "the other side of the world" might enrich and further her ideas of culture. At the reception, she had a chance to talk with Vanessa Spero, who spent the second semester of her junior year in Australia. Spero, an animal science major, was enthusiastic about her study-abroad experience. When asked about her motivation for choosing Australia, she put it simply: "When it's winter in Ithaca, it's summer in Australia."
Many former participants urged prospective travelers to "just do it," explaining that study abroad provides a delightful balance of independence, learning and fun.
The Cornell Abroad experience comes in different shapes and sizes. Students can choose from a range of programs offered either by Cornell or through institutions in the countries to be visited. Programs of study vary in accordance with the academic requirements of the university's different colleges. Students should begin early to investigate how a semester or year abroad can be part of their Cornell education. Academic and cultural preparation enables a student to get the most out of their opportunity to study abroad, program administrators stress.
Interested students can meet with study abroad advisers in their colleges as well as with staff members of Cornell Abroad to select a program that fits their needs and interests. Schedules of information sessions are available in Uris Hall 474 or on the Cornell Abroad web site. Students can contact Cornell Abroad by phone at 255-6224, by e-mail at cuabroad@cornell.edu, or visit the program's web site at www.einaudi.cornell.edu/cuabroad.
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