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Mentor Advice

Question

How has your child benefited from studying abroad?

1 Replies from Mentors

  • mentor picture Starlett Craig
     
    Starlett Craig
    Academic Program Director
    Clemson University
    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.