Diversity

 

Can I afford it?  Will it make me more competitive for jobs and graduate school?  Will I graduate on time if I go abroad? Is study abroad for people like me? This page is full of testimonials from current and former students of color who went abroad because they knew the answer to the questions above was YES. Talk with your friends and student leaders about their experience abroad and how it benefits their plans for the future.

 

The world awaits you, whether on a short- or long-term study abroad program led by Texas A&M faculty, a non-A&M program of your choice and then transfer credits back to Texas A&M, an internship with a company abroad, or on a volunteer service project.  Everyone at Texas A&M wants to help you, but you have to take the first step!  Stop by our office and talk to a Peer Counselor or a Study Abroad Advisor!  Don't forget to read the testimonials below about how study abroad experience helped prepare students of color for the competitive job market upon graduation.

 

 

Jacob Michaels '06 Finance Major from Wichita Falls, Texas

Currently an English Teacher in Seoul, South Korea

Many Americans don’t know much about South Korea, and many people assume that I live in some relatively poor country with poor sanitation and meager possessions. Another misconception is that South Korea is the same or similar to North Korea. South Korea is actually one of the wealthiest countries in the world; much of this wealth is created from manufacturing and high-technology. Did you know Hyundai, Samsung, Kia, and LG are all Korean companies? Did you know Samsung actually makes cars? I didn’t know that until I came here. It’s incredible what’s happening in other parts of the world that we don’t know about, so you should travel and find out!

2005 Business Learning Community Field Trip-France Participant

 

 

There is Funding for Study Abroad Back to Top

Stacks of 100 dollar bills

You CAN study abroad and there are funding resources for study, internships, volunteer work, and independent research experiences! Not including personal funds, approximately 80% of all Texas A&M study abroad students fund their experience with a combination of grants, scholarships, and loans. The surprising thing about most scholarships is that students have a good chance (25% - 42% on average) of receiving them if they just apply!

 

You may have to write an essay or two, but that one hour may earn you a large amount of money. How much do you currently earn for an hour of work? Don’t miss out on these scholarship opportunities!

 

Students can also write letters to companies to be sponsored for  study, internship, research, or volunteer/service program. A company can send a check in the amount this wish to the financial aid office with a donor form. You can visit local businesses in person or mail letters. Visit the Financial Aid office website at https://financialaid.tamu.edu/AllForms.asp#Scholarships

 

Visit the Financial Resources section of our website for information on scholarships and how to use your financial aid package.

 

 

Plan to Build Your Résumé & Graduate on Time Back to Top

Another concern for students is that an international experience does not fit into their academic plan or they can not earn credits toward graduation. In fact, if you ask your academic advisor what electives, humanities, or even core curriculum courses you need, you can search for programs offered by faculty in your college, or research non-TAMU program providers (universities or companies) who offer the same courses at different universities. The pre-approved credits can be transferred to your transcript and you can graduate on time.

 

The key is to do your research a year or more in advance! Map out your courses by semester, then find the semester or summer in which a program you want to attend can help toward your major. Ask professors or academic advisors about courses abroad, and talk with a Study Abroad Advisor for more assistance.

 

After students return from their international experience, they add the knowledge and skills to their resume. Employers may send you abroad in the future to work with an international team, or you may work with international colleagues in the United States. College is here to prepare you for the workplace, so make it your priority to study, intern, work, research, or volunteer abroad. Students understand the world and issues that affect the company they will work for, and they have developed international relations and communicate with people of different cultures and backgrounds.

 

Rocio Sotelo '06 Finance Major from Houston, Texas

Currently a Financial Analyst at Intel

The spring semester prior to graduation, I interviewed with Intel Corporation, a tech leader around the world. After graduation, I moved away from Texas to Arizona and began a job as a Financial Analyst. Two and a half years later, I’m working on very interesting international projects. I started a project 4 months ago and it allowed me to travel to China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and Costa Rica. Currently, I’m a Senior Capital Financial Analyst which means I manage specific approvals to buy capital for our manufacturing sites in Asia and Central America. I believe my broad international experience I mentioned during the interview process differentiated me vastly from other candidates from universities such as , Berkeley, UCLA, and the University of Texas.

Mays Reciprocal Exchange and WISE Abroad Intern Program Participant

 

 

Think About Your Future Career Back to Top

Students like you have lived, studied, worked, traveled, and had a fun and adventurous experience by exploring a new world, leaving the comfort zone they know, and creating new comfort zones. Students who are successful think that earning funds is possible, and they talk with advisors and professors for guidance. Students build their confidence, professional skills, communication skills, and their resume highlights why they are best for the job.

 

We live in an interdependent world, relying on information from different sources, so knowledge, skills, traditions, and cultures will be shared on your study abroad program. Make study abroad part of your Aggie traditions, and return with an enriched perspective of the world outside the United States. You have many skills and talents to share with others abroad and here at home!

 

Robert Butler '06 Finance Major from Dallas, Texas

Currently a Rotary International Scholar in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Perhaps the best thing that I gained out my international experience was the ability to interact with others from many different cultures. In a study abroad program, you’ll meet people from all over the world with very diverse backgrounds. I also learned how to adapt to new situations. To say that I successfully moved to a completely different country, on a new continent, thousands of miles away from home, where the spoken language was not English amazes me.

(Pictured in yellow shirt)

2005 and 2006 Mays Reciprocal Exchange Program Participant-Barcelona and Madrid, Spain

 

 

Advisors are Here to Assist You Back to Top

Student sitting at a desk talking to a Study Abroad Advisor.

Attendees of a April 2008 Student of Color Focus Group stated that they are interested in study abroad. The Study Abroad Programs Office has 23 staff members available to answer your calls, respond to emails, and assist you in person. Advisors enjoy assisting students in making the best choice of where to go abroad, giving students financial resources to apply to, and preparing them for international travel and logistics.

 

Stop by our office and talk to a Peer Counselor or a Study Abroad Advisor!

 

http://studyabroad.tamu.edu/contact.asp

 

 

Rachel Hardaway '10 Architecture Major from Dallas, Texas

The Study Abroad Advisors helped walk me through the entire process from meeting deadlines for getting my passport, turning in my application and finding financial aid.  One advisor, in particular, gave me tons of ideas about how to raise money, encouraged me to make it happen, and not to wait until the last minute.  Aside from turning in paperwork, she shared her experiences with me so that I knew some of what to expect.  I'm glad she helped me because had she not, I wouldn't of had the push to do the things I needed to do.

 

2008 Fall Barcelona, Spain  Architecture Program Participant

 

 

Leave the Nest Back to Top

Students of color report they use social networks like Facebook, My Space, Twitter, and My Aggie Network, blogs, IM, and other forms of online communication to chat with their loved ones back home. This helps even while they are thousands of miles away. Skype is a low cost internet phone service (free if calling from computer to computer), and some students send weekly email updates about their travels, studies, new friends, and experiences.

 

Some students realize after being in the foreign country, they do not need to communicate home every day. Students learn the rewards of living with other students from all over the world, and students learn to grow stronger and more independent. In reality, if you have left home for college, you can leave Texas A&M for a while to discover new places and make new friends wherever you choose to have your international experience. Most students say time passed quickly, and they were not ready to leave. Some students even decide to go abroad for a second experience!

 

Joel Castillo '06 Sport Management Major from Houston, Texas

Currently a Manager of Jamba Juice

I saved up money for the Germany program, [and received] scholarships and loans. I earned Psychology 304 and Kinesiology 421 credits. I didn’t email or call home much because I wanted to avoid being homesick. I approached every day as a new experience waiting to happen and I kept my senses open to any and everything. I use my international experience to be open minded to people of international backgrounds. They are people who have similar humanistic desires that are satiable by services that my company can provide.

2007 Germany Sport Management Program Participant

 

 

Concerns While Abroad Back to Top

Glimpse Abroad Survey

As you plan for your experience abroad, you may wonder "Will I be the only 'one' like me?" or "How will I be treated?"  You probably have the same thoughts any time you try something new such as leaving home to go to college.  Before you sign up for a program or go abroad, research the racial and social climate of your destination.  Knowing the history of and the current issues facing your host country will help you prepare for a rewarding experience abroad.  Talk to your friends about their experience and browse through the resources listed below.

 

In 2007, Glimpse Abroad surveyed students who had studied abroad during 2006 and 2007 and "...over 79% of students did not feel that they experienced more racism abroad than they do in the U.S."  While every student's experience is different and it varies from country to country, you may find most people's knowledge of the United States comes from television, movies, and music.  Be sure to develop strategies to overcome any stereotypes that people may have about the U.S.  In most cases, people are curious to learn about you and American culture.  Use this as an opportunity for a cultural dialogue about the media portrayal of one another's country. You are are representative of Texas A&M and the United States, so you can be an ambassador of diversity and equality to the country where you live and study!

 

 

Resources Back to Top



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