Benjamin Volz
Students visit various booths during the Education Abroad fair at the Lory Student Center ballroom at Colorado State University Sept. 12.
Students arrived at the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom Friday, Sept. 12, for Colorado State University’s Education Abroad Fair, an event that highlighted study, work and volunteer opportunities across more than 80 countries. Approximately 680 students attended the fair.
The fair ran from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and featured information about semesterlong, yearlong and short-term programs. Options ranged from as little as a week to as long as a year, with summer programs available to those who prefer not to go during the school year.
Through Education Abroad, CSU sends over 1,600 students abroad every year. Programs range from studying, researching and interning to volunteering and working internationally. The fair also featured CSU faculty-led short-term trips, affiliate partners from other universities and organizations and campus offices that help students with logistics such as passports, financial aid and overseas health care.
First-year student Eliot Denny said he attended the fair to explore Spanish-speaking options.
“I’m interested in studying abroad because I’m bilingual; I speak Spanish and I want to get a chance to immerse myself in an environment of learning Spanish just naturally,” Denny said. “In terms of like, in university, I have to go to classes or clubs, … but if I were to travel to Latin America or Spain, I would have the opportunity to have to use Spanish all the time, just even for little interactions.”
“Students choose to study abroad for many different reasons. Some want to connect with family abroad. Some go to work or do an internship. Others want to practice a language. … A big one is just to test their comfort zone, try something new, meet friends abroad, make connections and see the world.” –Olivia Cole, CSU International Programs coordinator
The event included a table focused on financial access. Evelyn Martinez, a financial aid counselor for Education Abroad, explained how students can build on their existing financial aid to make travel possible.
“In our typical experience, what we’re seeing is that students are using what they already have almost as a foundation; that’s their base,” Martinez said. “And then they’re getting resources like scholarships, or maybe there are programs that offer discounts, and they build on top of that.”
Martinez added that scholarships are available through the Education Abroad office, CSU and external organizations.
“We have great campus partners who are there to help students navigate (cost),” Martinez said.
Olivia Cole, a coordinator for International Programs who organized the fair as part of her role with CSU Education Abroad, said the event’s purpose was to show students the wide variety of options available.
“The purpose of the Education Abroad Fair on campus is to promote study abroad, intern abroad, service learning and research opportunities that students can take advantage of as CSU students,” Cole said. “Students can come to the fair and see all the different countries they might be able to go to, as well as the resources on campus that are there to help make this possible.”
Denny said he was particularly interested in programs in Latin America.
“(I like) learning just essentially what different options are available,” Denny said. “For example, I’m seeing Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and then also Mexico all the way over there. That’s what’s interesting to me and what I’m looking into.”
Cole added that her own study abroad experience was motivated by the desire to push personal boundaries.
“When I was a student, I wanted to study abroad because I really wanted to step out of my comfort zone and try something new,” Cole said. “Students choose to study abroad for many different reasons. Some want to connect with family abroad. Some go to work or do an internship. Others want to practice a language. … A big one is just to test their comfort zone, try something new, meet friends abroad, make connections and see the world.”
With financial guidance, campus support and a range of program models, CSU’s Education Abroad Fair provided information on international opportunities and resources available to students.
Reach Maci Lesh at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.