The GC International Education Center acted as a launchpad this past summer for students as they advanced their degrees in more foreign countries than they could count on both hands. Studying abroad gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in different cultures and environments while taking classes that count toward their major. 

Jarris Lanham, study abroad advisor for the International Education Center, helps students look at different study abroad options and find the best-fitting program for them.

“It has been a privilege to be able to connect GC students to such life-changing experiences around the world,” said Lanham.

According to Lanham, 112 students studied abroad, and several students participated in a Study Away program this past summer. In general, GC students can study in over sixty countries. This summer, our students traveled to the following countries: Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Turks & Caicos. 

Laney Williams, a junior education major, took classes in Montepulciano, Italy for 5 weeks during the summer. 

“I took a travel writing class and a Shakespeare class, but my friends were in classes with psychology, public speaking, and art so there are a lot of different classes for different types of majors,” said Williams. The program also allowed Williams to go on field trips every week to surrounding cities, like Rome, Sienna, and Orvieto. 

Aside from the wide variety of summer programs offered through GC, students are given the opportunity to study abroad during the regular school year. 11 students studied abroad during the 2022 spring semester in South Korea, France, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and England. 

Cameron Alee, a senior criminal justice major, studied in Seoul, South Korea at the University of Seoul for the spring semester of 2022.  

“I had students from everywhere: Belgium, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela; all these different countries,” Alee said. “It was really interesting to see the different students’ perspectives on what we were talking about in class.” 

She also traveled around South Korea to other cities such as Busan, Jeju Island, Gusan, and Incheon. After being in a big city like Seoul for months, she enjoyed exploring smaller towns. 

Alee found that the GC study abroad office offered the help she needed and more. The employees aided her in every step of the application process, especially all the difficulties like dealing with COVID restrictions. 

This fall, nine GC students are taking classes for a full semester in Australia, England, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, and Spain.

The GC International Education Center offers Drop-In Info Sessions Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, at 2 pm at the International Education Center (the Bone House). No appointment is needed. This is the best “first step” to learning about studying abroad.