Looking to study abroad?

To raise awareness about Portland State’s international capstones and short-term faculty-led programs, the Education Abroad Office is hosting its winter Education Abroad Fair this Thursday.

The purpose of this year’s fair is to introduce any interested students to international capstones and faculty-led trips, as well as how to incorporate study abroad experience into one’s academic goals.

Pat Rumer, an adjunct assistant professor in the College of Urban and Public Affairs, said that for students “wrestling with the idea of joining the Peace Corps, or becoming an English teacher in a foreign country,” studying abroad is the perfect way to test the waters and decide if it is the right choice.  

While senior international capstone experiences are two weeks long, faculty-led education abroad trips can range from two to five weeks, Rumer said.  

Rumer recently led a two-week trip to Chiapas, Mexico where the group of students studied tortia cooperatives run by women.  

Because of the small group size and short amount of time that the students have on the faculty-led trips, That everyone was extremely engaged and involved in the projects, according to Rumer.  

While reading is a good way to get a glimpse of the world, in the end the only way to really experience and understand the world is to get out there, travel and gain new experiences, Rumer said. The study abroad program is a great way to do this.

Andrea Gorman was one of the students that went with Rumer to Chiapas. She said she was “blown away by the opportunities” that she had there. According to Gorman, she took the trip to study microfinance.

Gorman said that every day there was something new and incredible to do or experience. She said that going on a trip like this gave her a vastly different experience than if she had gone on her own.  

Studying abroad also gave Gorman an international perspective.

“Situations we create everyday in Portland affect people around the world,” she said. “It’s good to see how [these actions] affect people.”  

In addition to gaining an international perspective, Gorman said that this and one of her other study abroad experiences in South Korea gave her the confidence to travel and made her less wary of the unknown.  

According to Denae Overman, a student worker in the Education Abroad Office, normal financial aid applies to all study abroad programs. In addition, there are a number of scholarships available specifically for students that want to study abroad.

One such scholarship is the Gilman scholarship. According to Gorman, the Gilman scholarship gives out many large scholarships to students who want to go abroad in non-traditional countries, especially those outside Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

There are more than 2,300 Gilman scholarships given out every year and the award can be up to $5,000, according to the program’s website.

According to Gorman, studying abroad is also a great way to learn a language, and there are a large number of programs that do not require language proficiency. However, she also said that it could be helpful to already know the language of the country one is studying in.

All students interested in studying abroad are encouraged to attend the Education Abroad Fair, which will be held on Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Multicultural Center. 

Gorman also said that in addition to the fair, students who want to pursue a study abroad experience should contact an adviser.  

“[The advisers] will support you through the whole thing,” Gorman said. “If you have the chance, it’s not impossible. I know people with children who’ve done it. Someone even took their daughter. I would totally recommend it.”