As a study abroad advisor I’ve helped many students to go abroad, however, getting my own daughter...
As a study abroad advisor I’ve helped many students to go abroad, however, getting my own daughter
excited about study abroad was like pulling teeth! Not only did she not see the relevance, but the
greatest resistance came from her grandmother who had never traveled beyond the East coast. The
thought of seeing her first grandchild go to a foreign country to study was beyond her power to
comprehend. Needless to say, by the end of the term (16 weeks) my mother and my daughter were
forever changed. Grandmother had bragging rights amongst her friends because her grandchild had
learned to speak Spanish. On the other hand Kemi had been introduced to an international
community of scholars who were indeed citizens of the world. After this experience, her passion
for world travel could not be contained. Six months later she participated in the CIEE Work Abroad
Program in London. This experience was followed up with a two-year experience in the Japanese
Exchange Teachers Program and ultimately matriculation at the University of Victoria in British
Columbia, Canada where she now resides. Study abroad prepared her to pursue a career outside of
the United States and to believe that she would be successful.