Campus Currents

By Dylan Pichnarcik, publications intern

As rain fell on a cool September day in Framingham, dreams of a Mediterranean sun flowed through the inquisitive minds of students who, looking for excitement and adventure, sought out a cross-continent journey at the Study Abroad fair hosted on Sept. 24. 

“I’ve always wanted to study abroad," said Jada James, clutching brochures from various partner global partner institutions. 

James said she hopes studying abroad will open her eyes to a new environment and will have the opportunity to meet a new group of people. 

“I think it's really important because you want to be an all-around person. You want to be able to communicate and feel comfortable in different places and you can only do that by taking yourself out of your comfort zone,” she said. 

Study Abroad Director Joanne Farley said she believes studying abroad helps support student growth in self-development. 

“You're going to be put in new situations that you might not encounter here. So you'll develop your problem-solving skills, you'll be more independent, you'll develop your communication skills, and you'll also gain a cultural competency so that you know you'll be able to speak easier with people from other countries and different backgrounds,” Farley said. 

In addition to FSU’s global partner institutions, members of the faculty also host guided tours. 

Professors John Palabiyik and Carlos Ponce of the Management and Business & Information Technology department are hosting an upcoming trip to Panama to highlight the importance of the Panama Canal as a “gateway” for 95% of business between North and South America. 

Palabiyik says international travel, whether done independently or with faculty, changes a student’s global perspective and curiosity. 

“It's the actual starting point of education,” Palabiyik said. “You start to be curious about what they are talking about. So you start to be curious about their language. You start to be curious about their culture and their lifestyle, and you start to compare your country to other countries. I think it's a jump start for the student's curiosity.”