CU Students as Ambassadors Abroad
At Education Abroad, we are constantly evolving in order to provide an encompassing and meaningful experience for all students. Sending students abroad that represent the diversity of CU is vital because these students are so often a key point of contact between the U.S. and their host communities. Many nations’ perspectives of this country are drawn largely from the news and entertainment television. Interacting with our students can give our hosts abroad a more authentic impression of the U.S.
For students who feel marginalized at home, going abroad can be an opportunity to explore their culture and identity without the social restraints that they generally face in the United States. These students are ambassadors for the broader American experience, telling stories that are too often lost in translation. First generation students, for instance, often share their stories of overcoming adversity while abroad, expanding global perceptions of what it means to be a college student in the U.S.
Initiatives like the Global Opportunity (GO Scholars) increase access for minority, low-income, and first-generation students by reducing financial barriers, and through one-on-one mentorship throughout their college career. Our recent Passport Day event connected over 100 students with free passports and direct application support.
We want our education abroad students to match the diversity of CU itself. Our vision is for students from a huge range of disciplines, backgrounds, and interests to bring their varied passions with them out into the world, and connect in the ways that only students can. As globalization radically reshapes the ways that people around the world interact, our students will continue to push farther, dig deeper, and hopefully make a positive, meaningful impact on the world.
Last Updated April 2017