A mural in the hallway near the Study Away Office highlighting UW-Superior’s connectedness to the world. The Study Away Office is located in Swenson 3095.
Photo by Kerrigan Vig
Willingness to take risks and understand how to work with people of different cultural backgrounds are invaluable skills to an employer. One of the easiest ways to convey these skills is to participate in a study abroad program. “International experience is one of the most attractive things to an employer,” said Anya Russom, Study Away Coordinator at UWS.
With COVID-19 vaccines being distributed across the United States, there is hope that life will soon get back to normal. This newfound hope is causing more students to start looking into study away options.
While study away programs provide many benefits, the Office of International Programs is keeping safety top of mind. The office continues to follow both CDC and state department travel warnings. These warnings allow the office to determine how quickly they will be able to make travel arrangements home for students, and a student’s ability to get timely medical care.
If students still want to experience a new location, meet new people, and expand their understanding of themselves and the world, but do not feel comfortable leaving the country at this time, the National Student Exchange is an option for students.
The National Student Exchange is a program that allows UWS students to pay UWS tuition to attend 190 schools in the US and Canada. Some of the locations students have gone to include Hawaii, Florida, and Alaska.
A good fit for any study away program is the student that wants to go. Students might think that they cannot go because they need accommodations, they don’t have the financial means, or it won’t fit into their academic plan. Russom highly encourages any student interested in traveling to make an appointment with the study away office to discuss how they can accommodate students’ needs to make it a reality.
For students that want to wait a year to see how the pandemic goes, that’s also ok. Russom recommends that students plan for at least a year for any of the study away programs. This time allows students to prep financially, mentally, and emotionally.
If you are looking for more information, you can visit Russom in the Study Away Office in Swenson 3095. Study away questions can be directed to studyaway@uwsuper.edu. The Office of International Programs is located in Old Main 337 and can be reached with questions at iss@uwsuper.edu.
