Study Abroad Fair!

Kyora Wallace, Staff Writer |

On Thursday, Apr. 14, Hunt Union hosted a Study Abroad Fair for the students. Because of the pandemic, our study abroad program has been shaky, but everything is slowly but surely going back to normal. Many students didn’t get the chance to study abroad or had their experience interrupted because of COVID-19.

The fair was set up in the International Lounge of Hunt Union. After checking in, you would receive a “postcard.” To encourage guests to check out the tables, you would receive a sticker from each table. After receiving five stickers, you would be eligible for a gift card to get some merchandise at the Red Dragon Outfitters. The different tables included locations like Germany, the United Kingdom, Korea, Greece, and more.

In addition to the informational pamphlets regarding the different travel options, each table also had an assortment of candy. I got to speak with the Student Office Assistant for the Office of Global Education, Olivia Schuler, and she spoke highly of the fair. She said “It’s a chance for our Global Education office to get our programs on display for students. That way they can get more information about our programs across the world and diverse ways they can broaden their education outside of Oneonta.”

This program offers so many different and exciting opportunities. Our study abroad program in Finland offers students the opportunity to study there for three weeks in the Summer. During those three weeks, you get to learn about sustainability, law, ethics, and even video game design. In addition to studying, you will get to go sightseeing, travel to various places and make some new friends. Schuler said, “I’ve learned the different ways that studying abroad affects students. They come back and may have a new piece of their major or themselves they discovered by being somewhere other than America.”

“This is a part of experiential learning week,” Schuler explains. She went on to say, “We have different departments that offer students different opportunities to work.” Working overseas is part of the study abroad program. You can go to a different country to teach English, work with kids, or even do farm work in exchange for room and board. Not only is study abroad for current students but this is also an opportunity for graduating seniors as well.

One of the main takeaways from this fair and this article is to take advantage of your resources! Our school offers so many different experiences and opportunities from the Career Development Center to the Red Dragon Lair. The Experiential Learning Center is located in Hunt Union. Make an appointment with the Office of Global Education and one of the advisors can guide you based on where you want to go and what your major is. Most of the deadlines for the upcoming semesters have either passed or are coming up soon so make your appointment today. And tell them I sent you!