Study Abroad - Share Your Experience

What our Students and Faculty are Saying about the Study Abroad Experience

Mr. Troy Spicer
Faculty Member, School of Nursing. Director, ABAC Health Center

“I participated in a global studies program when I was in my senior year of college. I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree in nursing. Several of us in my class enrolled in a three-week program to Haiti lead by one of our professors who had extensive contacts in the local health care system on the northern shore of the island. She travelled to Haiti at least twice a year to help out in the volunteer clinics.
To say that this was a life changing experience is a huge understatement… I spent the majority of my time working with a 70-year old nurse practitioner who trained and supervised lay health workers and held clinics in the rural countryside. We treated illnesses that I had only read about in books: typhoid fever, malaria, dengue fever, etc… Participating in this program was one of the most worthwhile and memorable things I have ever done.”

Jonathan Cassiday
ABAC Graduate, Rural Studies (Arts and Culture Track) Major

"At first mention about the trip to Greece I was eager to participate. I was both excited about foreign travel but was worried about what I would experience while participating in study abroad. On my particular trip I was the only student from ABAC, but I met students from across many other states as well as other countries. Dustin Bass taught one of my classes and it was nice to have a teacher from our school with me on the trip. I also had a class in Greek Culture which counted as one of my electives. The Greek culture class was quite informative and we went on a lot of fun trip throughout Greece. On our free weekend I traveled with some of the other students in the program to Athens which was a great experience. I would highly recommend any opportunity to study abroad as it is a rewarding experience that will stay with you forever. I am looking forward to the time in which I can travel abroad again!"

Dr. Eddie Seagle
Professor Emeritus and Agronomist
CSI: Seagle
Consulting Services International
www.csiseagle.com

“Study abroad programs are one avenue to introduce students and faculty to other cultures and their way of life and business. The experience is priceless and one never knows what foundation is being formed for a new tomorrow. There has never been a better time in history than now to have such an opportunity.
From the classroom on the ABAC campus to the Great Wall of China, many opportunities are out there just waiting on proper networking and commitment. For example, the Asian window is now open and the economy in China is booming. The “ABAC Turf Team in China” group of students and faculty experienced such an opportunity in 2009. They were exposed to the language, the culture, the food, and the scenery throughout China and were welcomed with open arms and smiles. For this group, the program was an experience of a lifetime and priceless! Then, in 2010, ABAC student Phillip Shippey completed a six-month internship at the South China Botanical Gardens in Guangzhou. And, in 2011, ABAC alum Jay Hemphill was selected as the golf course superintendent at Foshan Country Club in the Guangdong Province.
Study abroad programs are an integral part of how we live and do things around the world. Whatever continent, country or culture you so choose to experience, simply put … go for it and just do it! You will never regret your choice and you will always have the memory to appreciate and embrace.”

Dr. Brian Ray
Associate Professor of English

Study Abroad can be a life-changing experience. As corny as that sounds, it’s true. I had the opportunity to study in Germany when I was in high school, and when I was doing my graduate work, I went on a summer Study Abroad trip to England. Both of these trips had a profound effect on how I view the world around me. Both were a lot of fun as well as being educational. That education was only partly in a classroom though. The experience of immersing oneself in the culture and ambience of a different country is almost indescribable. The excitement of the experience, and the wonderful richness of understanding I gained about people from America and other countries will stay with me always. Now, I have the opportunity to teach on Study Abroad programs, and I cannot recommend taking advantage of the opportunity highly enough. It is even more important now, in our 21st century world of global interdependencies that American students become aware of how our culture, our economy (think about future job opportunities), and our social outlook interact with the rest of the world. Oh yeah, and it’s a lot of fun, too! Students get to do things that they cannot do at home, not just because they are different, but because some experiences just cannot happen where we live.

Want to Share Your Study Abroad Experience with other ABAC Students?
Your pictures, stories and testimonies could be featured on the ABAC Study Abroad webpage. Contact Rebecca Cofer at rcofer@abac.edu or 229-391-4918.