Studying abroad is a special part of the college experiences, as students leave their homes to engage cultures and communities around the world while gaining valuable career and industry skills, as well as class credit.
Sydney Zeff, a third-year mass communication major and intern at the International Education Center, knew from her first study abroad experience in London, England, that she wanted to continue studying abroad during her time at GCSU.
“It was a really transformative experience,” Zeff said. “It was the first stepping stone into my love for travel and really broadened my global perspective.”
Zeff spent three weeks during the summer of 2023 studying marketing at the University of Westminster, where she collaborated with other students from all over the world, including Thailand, Brazil, Germany and Spain. Her experience in London left her with a passion for working internationally. In the summer of 2024, she returned to Europe, this time for a two-month internship in Dublin, Ireland.
“I was placed with a public relations agency in Dublin, Ireland, and it was an awesome experience,” Zeff said. “I feel like I gained so much professional experience from it.” Through working with an international public relations agency, Zeff was able to connect with clients and branches of the company all over the world.
“When you’re studying abroad, you’re pushed to talk to new people, experience new things, get into an environment that you may have never been in before and really be in a different part of the world,” Zeff said.
Many GCSU students have had similar experiences. Wiley Bundy, a current biology graduate student, traveled to Zambia in the summer of 2022 with GCSU hydrology and geology professor, Samuel Mutiti, during her time as an environmental science undergraduate. Bundy spent six weeks in Zambia working on a project funded by the National Science Foundation to research the use of plants to remove heavy metal pollutants from the soil and how those plants could then be reused.
“My favorite part was being submerged in a different culture for six weeks,” Bundy said. “It was amazing to be there for so long, and since Zambia is a younger country. We got to talk with government officials, and they were really open to us coming and talking to them.“It was also so cool to be able to apply my knowledge from school for my research.”
Rachel Spayd, a senior English major, journeyed to Paris, France this past summer as part of a three-week program with GCSU philosophy professors, Sunita Manian and James Winchester. Spayd’s favorite part was the various field trips the students participated in, including excursions to the Louvre Museum and Musée d’Orsay.
“I think in general being in another country surrounded by another culture gives you so many more opportunities to learn that you never would have had staying in the States,” Spayd said.
According to the International Education Center’s website, students can study in over thirty countries all over the world, even Antarctica. Programs range from just three weeks to an entire academic year, with programs for core and major-related classes, internships, research and service learning.
There are many scholarships and funds available to students, as federal and state financial aid programs, including HOPE or ZELL scholarships, can be applied to study abroad programs. Including GCSU’s New Horizons Scholarship which offers support to any GCSU undergraduate student of under-represented study abroad populations who may be participating in any type of study abroad program.
In addition to GCSU’s New Horizons scholarships, GCSU’s National Scholarship Coordinator Anna Whiteside is available to help students apply for national and state scholarships.
Any students interested in studying abroad can attend one of the information sessions hosted by the International Education Center at the Bone House, directly across from the Old Governor’s Mansion, every Tuesday at 12:00 pm and Thursday at 2:00 pm.
