As members of this community, we all know that in the fall of 2006, Goucher became the first college in the nation to require all of our undergraduates to study abroad at least once before graduation.
Our study abroad program has grown tremendously since then. Students now choose between 60 programs—including a wide variety of innovative three-week Intensive Courses Abroad and traditional semester and academic-year options—on six continents in 32 countries.
They explore biodiversity in the Galápagos, teach in rural schools in South Africa, and contextualize the social and political changes shaping China. Starting this summer, they also will have the opportunity to collaborate on short documentaries in Nazareth, Israel, and see firsthand Cuba’s rapidly changing business environment. For more information about the possibilities presented by Goucher’s study abroad programs, click here.
“We continue to see that the rich array of Goucher semester partner programs and our signature Goucher ICAs provides our students with exceptional opportunities for heightened self-awareness, deeper respect for other cultures and different political and economic systems, greater ability to tolerate ambiguity, increased maturity, and a more sophisticated and nuanced view of the world.” says Daniel Norton, associate dean of international studies.
At Goucher, we believe international awareness is a requirement for anybody who wants to lead a satisfying and successful life in today’s global community and that study abroad experiences are integral to a complete liberal arts education. We want students to immerse themselves in different languages, culture, and traditions so they can see for themselves how other countries’ politics, history, and technologies affect their lives—and how their lives and learning can make a difference in the broader world.
A recent large-scale survey conducted by the Institute of International Education showed the positive, long-term impact study abroad has on students’ world view and self-confidence. The survey also confirmed that study abroad is a defining moment in students’ lives and continues to impact them personally and professionally long after their experience.
Goucher President Sanford J. Ungar has been the driving force behind Goucher’s push for global citizenship through study abroad. He also always has taken a keen interest in talking with students to hear about how their lives and attitudes have been shaped by international study. Each fall, Ungar invites students to his home on campus for two study abroad welcome-back receptions to have informal, unscripted conversations about their experiences.
Many of these students agreed to share some of their thoughts and observations for a new series of short videos. They talk about their favorite memories, professional development, self-realizations, friends they made, and the really, really cool places they visited. Check out their videos below by clicking on the images, and be sure to check out the accompanying photo booth series.
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Travis Miyashiro ’15 Video China |
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Rebecca Mark ’14 Video Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Berlin |
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Geetika Gupta ’14 Video |
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Matt Forgues ’14 Video Chile |
For more student videos, click here.