Financial aid opens studying abroad opportunities

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Camila Fernandez and Christian Portilla / FIUSM Staff

When Grace Taylor was an FIU undergraduate, she won a scholarship to study abroad at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan as an international exchange student, and said it helped her find independence.

“Getting to know people from different cultures, living in a different environment, speaking in a totally different language – it’s a kind of experience that you wouldn’t get otherwise if you didn’t study abroad,” Taylor said.

As a coordinator in the office of Study Abroad, Taylor helps students understand the impact that despite the expenses that come with traveling, studying abroad can be affordable.

With possible financial aid from a wide variety of scholarships, grants, and loans, the Office of Study Abroad aims to help students immerse themselves into different cultures and gain independence.

“There are funds available in many places. If you go study abroad, you’re going to get a different experience than if you’re just taking classes here at FIU,” Taylor said.

This summer, University students from different majors went abroad through different programs to gain a more international approach for their prospective careers.

Groups of students traveled to Spain, Australia, Brazil, and France, to name a few.

“The most challenging aspect of my study abroad experience was balancing work and play,” said FIU alumn, Nelson Garcia.

Garcia studied abroad to Seville, Spain with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication Seville Study Abroad Program.

“I stayed out late, indulged in everything Spain had to offer, and explored every chance I got. When it was time to hit the books, I really had to focus,” said Garcia.

During a three-week period, SJMC students collaborated with mass communication students in Seville to produce multimedia projects for non-profit organization clients and partners.

Alumna Mayra Quiroz worked with APICE, a Spanish non-profit organization for clinical research. She was in charge of audiovisual materials and interviewing clients with epilepsy – a brain disorder that causes seizures.

“I learned a tremendous amount from interacting with real people affected by this condition,” said Quiroz. “The most important thing I learned was how it is not only the person with epilepsy who suffers – it is the entire family.”

Working alongside APICE, students like Quiroz, helped to secure more funding for future epileptics who should need assistance. However, besides leaving Spain with new work-related skills, University students left as a family.

“What I enjoyed most about the study abroad experience is the relationship and bond I created with my new FIU family,” said Garcia.

“We worried about each other, laughed together, cooked for one another, and created an unforgettable life event together.”

Some learned the difficulties of sticking to a healthy regime while traveling abroad, while others strengthened or began to learn Spanish.

Also, they understood that from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, it is ‘siesta,’ a time when businesses close for an afternoon break.

Stephanie Wong, a junior psychology major, studied abroad as an international exchange student at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia.

According to Taylor, the University’s International Student Exchange Program allows students to pay FIU tuition, rather than having to pay tuition from the host country. This makes studying abroad more affordable.

“The best part of my experience abroad has been who I’ve become as a result,” said Wong. “If you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.”

-camila.fernandez@fiusm.com