According to the Trinity University website, “Trinity students have studied on every continent except Antarctica, and every semester finds around 250 students in over 30 different countries.”
The Trinity University Study Abroad Program is a big deal.
The rewards are numerous, and the experiences will last a lifetime. The process to get there can be difficult, however. First, you must choose where to go. Then you have to fill out forms and attend numerous meetings before you can make your international dreams a reality.
With the option to go to 35 different countries, it can be difficult to choose a location. According to Trinity’s website, Spain has been the most popular study abroad destination since 2004, and Italy and the United Kingdom generally rank among the second and third most popular choices.
Junior Michael Ventresca, an international studies major, is excited to experience the flair of Latin American culture in Ecuador this spring.
“It is such a huge passion for me to go to Latin America. I want to learn how to speak Spanish. I want to experience the cultures of Latin America, especially the indigenous culture that is prevalent in Ecuador,” Ventresca said.
Ventresca came to Trinity to have his abroad experience and cannot wait to discover the unchartered potential of an incredible country.
“It is everything I am looking for in a city””from the night life to the schools,” Ventresca said. “The Spanish they speak there is a very pure form of Spanish, so it fits into my dream””my academic dream. It is an experience I really want to have.”
Lucy Stockdale, a junior sociology major, will be going to Cape Town, South Africa, this spring. After digging around for a major-specific program, she found the School for International Training. SIT focuses specifically on multiculturalism and human rights, giving her ample sociological experiences while abroad. She feels that this program will benefit her future endeavors immensely.
“Within this program, I’ll get to learn about South Africa’s history and how the apartheid has influenced the Cape Town society today, and I’ll also get to conduct my own sociological study while I’m there, all the while being in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Stockdale said.
Junior Chinese major Lila Ritger hopes to attend a program in Shanghai, China, this spring.
“I chose Shanghai because I studied there with Trinity through the Shanghai business urban studies program two years ago, and I fell in love with the city, the people and the culture. I want to get to know the people better, and I want to further my path of one day becoming fluent in Chinese,” Ritger said.
Once you have explored different destinations, there are many more steps before you actually go abroad, though.
“You need to research where you want to go and what programs work best with you and your major. Nancy [Ericksen] does a really good job helping you look at what classes you need and the necessary requirements. She works step by step with you. She really opened my eyes to a lot of programs,” Ritger said. “It is definitely easier than it is hard. If you want to go abroad, you definitely have the opportunity to do so. It is not the hardest thing to do in the world.”
