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Why YOU should #StudyAbroadBecause

This past Tuesday, December 9th, I was invited to the White House to attend the White House Travel Blogger Summit on Study Abroad and Global Citizenship.

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Me on the Christmas White House tour! #WHTravelBloggers

Why? Well I believe President Barack Obama said it best:

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How exciting is it to see the U.S. Government starting to really push this issue/opportunity on young people?! Clearly they see the value studying abroad can have in shaping mind sets and goals of the young American workforce.

Heck, they even just created a new Study Abroad Office dedicated to it!

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Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff, The White House.

When people like Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff, and Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce,  care about this issue, you know it’s an important one. Clearly they all know the importance of it first hand, cause almost every senior level official had done a semester abroad. (I am actually very impressed by this.)

Employers realize the value in hiring individuals with cross cultural knowledge, and the experience and understanding that comes from living in a foreign country. The knowledge and appreciation that comes from learning and experiencing how another cultures live their day to day lives can have a very profound impact on a young person’s life.

Travel opens your eyes to the world around you and lets you see things through a more tolerant and more knowledgable lens. Not to mention, it’s a heck of a lot of fun. Studying abroad allows you to continue your studies WHILE getting the opportunity to travel. How great is that?

Don’t be like me.

 “One of the biggest regrets I’ve ever had was not to use my University’s Study Abroad Program. I was one of the 50% of students going into University thinking I would, but never did.”

I did however do the next best thing, a Working Holiday Overseas, literally right after I graduated.

Where was one of the first stops on my travels? To visit my best friend Kristy, who was in Singapore on a semester abroad. There I witnessed first hand how easy it was to make friends, as they were all living in dorms together in a building off campus. Every weekend she would tell me of all the short trips they would take to Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand. (All these countries are a very cheap, short plane ride away from Singapore.)

If you are in University, seriously take advantage of this incredible opportunity. If you want to travel, don’t think you have to wait till school is over. Make it part of your studies NOW!

I know there are many of you reading this right now, wishing, dreaming to travel. This is your moment, today is the day to start planning. Whether you are in High School or University, go talk to your school’s councillor and ask them about what programs they offer. As well as, below are some links and resources to help you on your way.

Links + Resources 

Department of Health and Human Services Programs for U.S. Students to Study and Train Abroad

Watch the summit below!

Let’s get this trending!

Join the conversation. Tweet with the hastag #StudyAbroadBecause and become part of the mosaic!

Have you studied abroad? Know someone who has? Why should students study abroad? Chime in and let your voice be heard. Click the ADD ME button to add yourself to the #StudyAbroadBecause mosaic.
Patent pending, Hyperactivate

7 comments

  1. GREAT post! I never did it because I didn’t want to leave my boyfriend (now husband), which ended up being a good choice since we now live abroad in Amsterdam! :) But I completely agree…travel and living in an unknown community helps you grow so much as a person and can shape your life. I worked in the office at our school where the students turned in their applications to go abroad and for three years I wanted them leave and come back with nothing but amazing stories! Go out there and explore! What better way to travel than have it be part of school?!

  2. Viktor says:

    Hey Nadine! Look, the vagabrothers left a link in the description (of that video they recorded with you about studying abroad )that was broken, a “404”, do you have acess to that material? Thanks!

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