The transition between spring, summer, and fall 2020 semesters drew on the unshakable resilience of our international students and deep care by Stetson. The chronology below offers evidence to this end and showcases obstacles and wins experienced by students in order to successfully rejoin Stetson this fall.
March 2020
With the declared need to place health first, students were encouraged to leave campus. Our international population response was different to domestic students. For many, leaving campus to travel outside of the U.S. created fear of not being able to return to complete their studies. Students who could or desired to go left rapidly, but this represented only 21% of the population. Most students stayed on campus while others left to reside off-campus with friends and family.
April 2020
International students overwhelmingly communicated feeling safest at Stetson housing until the end of the term. This was especially true for our graduating seniors, many of whom were applying to participate in Optional Practical Training (OPT), a post-baccalaureate employment training program. Our student-athletes were also interested in completing the season in the event that they could play. Some students were concerned about the impact leaving might have on scholarships and academic progress. A smaller group wanted to simply prolong their time away from home. Several students had to stay because of airports closures worldwide. By the end of April, a growing number of students began requesting financial help for accommodations to reside in the U.S. during the summer or assistance with departure from the U.S. Unfortunately, the federal CARES Act had no provisions for international students.
May/June 2020
U.S. immigration laws prohibit the employment of international students. Without financial recourse, homelessness was certain. Recognizing the dire need, staff at WORLD: Rinker Center for International Learning initiated a collaboration with offices across the Deland campus to seek summer funding to support international students affected by the pandemic. For example, Financial Aid, Development and Alumni Engagement, and Grants, Sponsored Research and Strategic Initiatives worked aggressively with WORLD to offer students $250 mini grants from the Stetson Student Support Foundation to offset the cost of first week of food and housing. Friends of Stetson also stepped up to offer just-in-time financial help.
96.2% students return fall 2020 180 total enrolled
Then, a significant win arrived in the form of a $35,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Foundation to assist 19 students with housing, food, toiletries, and travel.
By the end of summer, almost $50,000 raised in grants and donations for 2020 summer housing & meal support. As a result, students from Armenia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Kenya, Latvia, Mexico, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Uganda were supported. And, no international student at Stetson fell out of federal compliance for a pandemic-related reason.
Students communicated deep gratitude for the care they experienced. An International Student Emergency Endowment Fund was created to aid students with emergencies. The fund is in need of additional resources to reach the $25,000 minimum required for endowment status.
July 2020
On July 6, federal regulation changes threw the entire international learning community into upheaval. The ICE guidelines required international students to leave the country if universities offered required courses online. In addition, enrolled students were required to be physically present in the U.S. to complete studies online and maintain international student status. Our students indicated being afraid, angry, confused, uncertain, depressed, losing hope, and downright frantic over the possible loss of traction in continuing their studies. Frequent communication from Stetson to students and parents via webinars, emails and WhatsApp messaging became an imperative, as was translating how the ICE guidelines would impact each unique situation. Fortunately, the guidelines were overturned and returned to previous status quo.
August 2020
Students began arriving on campus early to complete the required 14-day quarantine. Several had to quarantine in another country before arriving at Stetson. Their willingness to self-isolate for as many as 28 days indicates students’ grit and a strong sense of connectedness and belonging to Stetson.
Today, our international students are thriving and taking courses while residing on-campus, off-campus, and abroad (above). In sum, students’ resilience and Stetson’s community of care created brighter futures and a powerful win for our students.
Mohammed H. Batarfi – a December 2019 Stetson graduate that is now completing his Post Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) with DuvaSawko got a promotion during the one-year-extension of his F1 visa status.
Mohammed Batarfi ’18
Mohammed is an international student from Saudi Arabia that graduated Stetson University with a bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Sciences focusing in Computer Information Systems. With the support of Stetson WORLD, Mohammed was able to apply for OPT, with the goal of stepping into a working space, putting his gained knowledge and skills to use, and starting a career. To do so, Mohammed began his research for jobs in all platforms possible. He recalls having to complete multiple interviews a week, especially during his last semester at Stetson. Mohammed’s efforts paid off and he was accepted to DuvaSawko – an emergency medicine RCM service founded and operated by Emergency Department physicians” in Ormond Beach, Florida. Mohammed assures that the hiring process was not overly complicated. To get the position, he completed interviews with the CIO of the company and the Department of Human Resources and took an evaluation test, which landed him the job.
Initially, Mohammed learned about the position during his last semester at Stetson. As the CIO of DuvaSawko, Tim Branz, was a Stetson graduate, when Duvasawko was in need of a Software Engineer expert, Branz contacted one of the professors in the Computer Science Department. Mohammed learned about the job via his professor and started the application process. He was able to work in the company as a part-time employee with a required CPT status – Curricular Practical Training. That international employment status is available to all F1 students meeting specific criteria set out by USDCIS. CPT allows international students to partake in any work/study, internship, fellowship opportunity that directly earns credit toward graduation in their selected major. After finishing Stetson, Mohammed changed his status to an OPT student.
Mohammed has worked in the company for around a year now, and DuvaSawko rewarded his hard work with a promotion from the position of Software Engineer to DevOps Technology Manager. In his new position, Mohammed is responsible for the whole technology stack of the company which includes all servers, systems, databases, application tools, third-party vendors, and security. Although the promotion multiplied his work responsibilities, Mohammed, who has completed OPT and is now working remotely from his home country, truly enjoys his job and finds it to be full of amazing opportunities.
To the current Stetson students who also plan on doing OPT, Mohammed recommends starting their research and application process as early as possible and to avoid getting discouraged by outrageous requirements from the employers. Saying so, Mohammed recommends applying for positions even in cases when the student does not entirely match the requirements of the employer. This is because he believes that companies may have strict requirements in hopes of finding the ideal employee, however, while interviewing the potential candidates, they usually make some compromises and select the best-suited candidate.
WES (World Education Services) recently published a report “How Is COVID-19 Impacting International Higher Education in the United States?“
The COVID-19 crisis has profoundly disrupted U.S. higher education, affecting both institutions and people, including students, faculty, and staff. To understand the potential impact of the coronavirus on U.S. international higher education, WES Research surveyed prospective international and immigrant students interested in studying in the U.S.; and U.S. higher education professionals who work in various areas, such as admissions and student services, to support international and immigrant students. This report is based on the survey responses of 615 prospective international and immigrant students and 199 higher education professionals.
The report provides insight into how the pandemic is affecting the plans of prospective students, as well as the adjustments U.S. institutions are making in light of the crisis. It explores:
Factors impacting prospective student interest in studying in the U.S.
Institutional views regarding fall enrollment
Support services to assist international and immigrant students
WORLD is fortunate to give the spotlight to another hardworking and ambitious alumnus from Stetson. This time WORLD is featuring Anirudh Bhatnagar – a Stetson alumnus from India who graduated from the university in Spring 2018 with a degree of BSc Physics. After graduation, Anirudh was accepted to the University of Copenhagen to complete his master’s degree with the major of Quantum Physics. His expected graduation date from the University of Copenhagen is Spring 2023.
Anirudh talked to us about his time at Stetson – his favorite moments, the challenges he faced, and advice he could give to the current international Hatters. His favorite thing at Stetson was the close-knit and diverse community in which he was able to meet people from different backgrounds and with different passions. He met his best friends at Stetson, who he has stayed in touch with even after his graduation.
Anirudh’s advice to the current international students is to not fear making mistakes. He says “It is only natural to slip up and mess up at times…”
Anirudh Bhatnagar
Although Anirudh recalls his time in the U.S. and Stetson as one of his favorite periods, it did not pass without difficulties. The biggest challenge for him as an international Hatter was constantly dealing with accidental mess-ups. He says that every year, something had gone wrong. However, the WORLD office and Roxanne Lewis were always supportive of him and managed to help him fix whatever came up. With this being said, Anirudh’s advice to the current international students is to not fear making mistakes. He says that it is only natural to slip up and mess up at times because studying abroad and adapting to a new culture and ways of living is a challenging process.
Anirudh is currently in India, getting ready for his departure to Denmark in a few months to start his master’s degree. He told us about his employment experiences after graduation. He worked at two jobs – one in the U.S. and the other in his home country India. His first job upon graduation was at an Aerospace company called Satcom Direct as a technical analyst in Florida. Returning to his home country where he had not been for almost a decade, Anirudh started working at the Indian Institute of Technology as a Research Associate. In this position, he worked on developing theories on various projects. He is grateful for both of these experiences as they had helped him improve himself and solidify his topic of interest for his further studies as a graduate student.
Anirudh recalls his time at Stetson with much gratitude and believes that becoming a Hatter was one of the best decisions he had ever made.
(l-r) Students Sydney Arrington, Peter Greubel, and Matinicus C’Senger pose with AIR Guatemala founder and President (and Stetson Professor Emeritus, ), Dr. Anne Hallum in front of AIR’s Training Center
Over the summer, the Stetson students, Sydney Arrington, a Public Health major/Spanish minor, Peter Gruebel, also a Public Health major; and Matinicus C’Senger, double major in Economics and Philosophy and an Environmental Sustainability Fellow at Stetson, did a summer internship with AIR (Alliance for International Reforestation, Inc) Guatemala. During the experience, the students were able to work closely with local farmers to learn the practice of Regenerative Farming. The students also spoke Spanish during the entire time of the experience.
WHAT IS AIR GUATEMALA?
AIR is a non-profit organization improving human and environmental health in Guatemala. With operations in Atlanta, Georgia and central Guatemala, AIR has trained over 4,000 farm families and planted almost 6 million native trees in Guatemala. For over 25 years, AIR has implemented a community-based, five-year approach with great results and success. AIR is a winner of the 2017 Equator Prize from the UN Environment Programme because of this successful model. All salaried employees are local professionals, so ninety-two percent of funds and donations go straight to the field to implement projects and programs: Rural school programs; tree nurseries; farmer training; and efficient, custom stoves. AIR was founded in 1992 at Stetson University after Dr. Anne Hallum, Stetson University political professor, visited Guatemala for the first time and observed first hand the rural hunger and malnutrition, the barren mountainsides and mudslides, and the strength of the Maya people.
GOALS, PROCESS AND ACADEMIC PURSUITS:
Each year, one to three Stetson students are selected to participate in the AIR Guatemala internship program. All of their program expenses are covered by a generous endowment by Drs. David and Leighan Rinker. The main goal of the internship is for the student to provide tangible benefits to the local residents. Likewise, the experience is designed to align with the academic pursuits of the students.
Learning goals for the student interns include:
Discover the value and method for farming with trees (“Regenerative farming” aka “agroforestry”) for better anthropological and environmental well-being: The students planted trees where they brought the most benefit for the communities: Acatenango, Xibalbay, Paquixic, and Montellano.
Learn the effect of working with residents instead of for them. Residents requested help constructing efficient stoves from AIR Guatemala. Students constructed 3 stoves for two days, resulting in transformational lessons since they saw the living styles of the Mayan families, the hazards of breathing smoke all day, how close the families are and how fully their connection was to surrounding nature.
Shadow the president of AIR Guatemala, Dr. Hallum. During the second week, a large group of volunteers arrived from Florida and Georgia, and all three Stetson students were enormously effective in welcoming these volunteers and showing them what they had learned the first week. Dr. Hallum also had all three students accompany her on important meetings with the AIR staff. The interns were especially helpful in an unforeseen way: Dr. Hallum was prefacing a network technology of registering via GPS the exact location where each tree was planted, and then “selling” the planted trees to a company in Hong Kong for purpose of combating climate change. The staff—and Dr. Hallum—had to learn how to use this technology and naturally, the Stetson students were very comfortable with this fascinating technology and taught the staff the functions of it.
Learning about the Mayan and Ladino cultures in Guatemala. An overarching goal is that students learned about the regional cultures while planting trees and building stoves in rural communities. For instance, one day, the women of the communities brought lunch in the field where the students were planting trees —they carried tortillas and hot soup in containers on their heads. The team also participated in two school programs with Mayan dances which the class students had prepared especially for AIR visitors.
FOOTPRINT LEFT IN GUATEMALA
The three students supported the construction of three fuel-efficient stoves which involved mixing cement, soaking and laying bricks—each stove required six-hours of work. The stoves have a chimney to ventilate smoke and prevent lung diseases; they also help to conserve trees.
Sydney Arrington helps build a stove for local residents.
The volunteers this summer—including the three students—planted approximately 2,000 trees. The trees were strategically located to prevent soil erosion and improve crops with nitrogen-fixing roots; prevent mudslides, and to protect water sources. As previously mentioned, the students taught AIR staff members and Dr. Hallum how to use the technology for photographing and syncing each tree. By the end of the two weeks, the team had registered and sold 886 trees to a company in Hong Kong.
Peter Gruebel plants trees in Guatemala
The three students also participated in two rural school programs—helping to judge environmental contests and playing with children.
THE ADVENTURE DOES NOT STOP THERE!!
Apply to join this journey and work with Guatemalan communities in Summer 2020!!! Applications are due by February 1, 2020.
This article was written based on Dr. Anne Hallum’s annual Air Guatemala report.
On Friday, October 18, I had the honor of giving a presentation to Stetson’s University Board of Trustees about my previous internships and the impact they have had in my professional life. This article is about the most recent one I had this 2019 summer in the United Nations Institute for Training and Research New York Office (UNITAR NYO).
I had the honor to work under the supervision of H.E. Ambassador Marco Suazo, UNITAR-NYO head of office ambassador, and Mr. Pelayo Alvarez, programme coordinator. Both of them served as invaluable mentors during this journey. I also worked alongside with remarkable young professionals, who I am happy to call my colleagues. UNITAR is a training arm of the United Nations, whose mission is to develop capacities to enhance global decision-making and to support country-level action for shaping a better future. The organization provides training and capacity development projects to assist mainly members of the least developed countries. In my time here I gained experience in finances and multilateral diplomacy.
TAR team: Camila Morales ’20 (far left)
UNITAR allowed me to work in tasks that enhanced my two areas of studies: finances and world languages and cultures. I was able to hone my financial skills by presenting the project and budget proposals to members of the Permanent Missions to the United Nations and other organizations. Likewise, I was able to strengthen my technical skills by administering the underground finances and by developing the finance and statistics sections of the Midterm Summary Report.
During the internship, I assisted the office by supporting the logistics and program management to meet and work alongside mission representatives such as ambassadors and diplomats. I also supported developing and leading projects that equipped members of the diplomatic community with the capacity to contribute to the United Nations deliberative process and policy-making.
The most remarkable thing about my internship was the mentorship I received from my supervisors and my colleagues.
The UNITAR-New York Office team would always promote collaboration and professionalism. We were incentivized to take part in learning more about the United Nations and its projects. For example, I had the opportunity to attend the elections of the 74th President of the General Assembly, and the meetings of the Security Council. The UNITAR-New York Office also allowed interns to take part in the organization and the implementation of the UNITAR Economic and Social Council resolution.
We were invited to attend bilateral meetings among high officials of the United Nations. Additionally, we had the opportunity to manage and develop capacity building events which were co-organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development Goals and UNITAR for the SDGs Learning, Training and Practice Center during the High-Level Political Forum.
Camila Morales ’20 in a bilateral meeting of the United Nations (4th from right)
The professional background I acquired in UNITAR was exceptional, but the unique opportunity to be directly exposed to the United Nations system I experienced in UNITAR was invaluable. This is a chapter in my life I will forever treasure.
Camila Morales,’20, is a security analyst in the Roland George Investments Program at Stetson University. Morales, a senior finance major, works at WORLD: Rinker Center for International Learning.
As Robert Burns, regarded as the national poet of Scotland, so eloquently wrote: “Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, the hills of the Highlands forever I love.”
Ample camaraderie is evident among students and faculty during Stetson’s Summer Scotland, with the Urquhart Castle in the background. Students who participate in the summer program earn four credits upon completion.
The endearing qualities of Scotland have inspired many a writer and poet over the years. Travelers from every corner of the globe also have been enchanted by Scotland’s beauty, typically describing it as “mystical” and “awe-inspiring.”
For Stetson students, a study-abroad program, now going into its fourth year, is providing them with the opportunity to experience that splendor firsthand in Inverness, a city in the Scottish Highlands and the northernmost city of the United Kingdom.
“I had never traveled outside the country before, so it was suggested that Scotland would be a good first study-abroad experience. It was a life-changing experience, and I caught the travel bug after that,” said Caylyn Gunby ’19, a double-major in international studies and world languages and cultures whoparticipated in the program in the summer of 2016. Gunby added she since has participated in two additional study-abroad programs in Austria and Thailand, plus an internship in France.
Such a trip has that kind of impact.
Summer Scotland is centered at The University of the Highlands and Islands – Inverness College.
The Inverness program, called Summer Scotland, is a multi-university, faculty-led consortium including professors from Stetson, Jacksonville University and Utah Valley University, all congregating at The University of the Highlands and Islands – Inverness College to teach students management and marketing as they relate to the international community. With approximately 8,500 students, Inverness College is the main campus for The University of the Highlands and Islands.
The program occurs three or four weeks over summers. Summer Scotland 2019 is set for May 28-June 27.
“Five years ago, we got together with Jacksonville University and suggested Scotland as a great place for a study-abroad program,” cited Paula Hentz, director of international learning at WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning at Stetson. “We wanted to build something that included best practices and incorporated case-study projects with local Scottish businesses. Utah Valley University and Inverness College joined the consortium, and it has turned out to be really beneficial for students.”
As part of case-study projects, students work with local companies on real-world business issues.
As part of these case-study projects, students are paired with local businesses (five students per company) and work on real-world business issues. They apply their coursework and offer solutions to actual problems to help the businesses, presenting a final report at the end of the project.
Group projects vary based on the current business needs. In the past, companies have included WOW! Scotland (a travel company); a fashion designer who has designed items for the Queen; Robertson Construction; Walker (an international shortbread company); local craft breweries; a Highland bakery that provided baked goods for the 2012 London Olympics; local social enterprises that support youth; and Cobb (a hotel company).
“This represents an incredible opportunity for students to not only get real-world experience but also real-world international business experience — learning how to do business in another country with another culture. It’s a great challenge for them,” Hentz added.
In 2016, Gunby and her team worked with Café Artysans, a social-enterprise café in Inverness that uses some of its profits to help homeless Scottish youth.
“We helped with advertising, met with the director and talked about growth and international outreach,” Gundy said. “We focused on social-media coverage and how to better reach out to Americans.”
Carol Azab, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration, teaches, lectures and represents Stetson on the program.
Students who participate in the program are offered a choice between two courses — Global Marketing: Business Without Borders and Principles of Management — and earn four credits upon completion. The course counts as an elective for nonbusiness students.
“These study-abroad programs teach students about international business and how countries operate and do business differently because of cultural nuances,” said Carol Azab, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration, who teaches, lectures and represents Stetson on the trips. “In Scotland, people are more laid-back than we are when it comes to their business culture. And it’s important for students to be able to adapt to whatever company they’re working for, wherever that may be.
“When I see students presenting at the end of the program, I feel so proud. Their marketing proposals and plans get praise from these companies, and they’ve resulted in direct changes and improvements made in many of the businesses. It’s a life-changing experience for these students, who come back more enlightened and also improve academically.”
Students start some coursework online prior to their arrival in Inverness. Once there, they have regular class time, Monday through Friday, and also interact with advisers to work on their case studies. Additionally, they hear local guest lecturers talk about topics such as the effects of Brexit (the U.K. leaving the European Union), the general business environment and business practices in Scotland. Students have the option to stay in the dormitories at Inverness College or with a Scottish host family.
Further, there is cultural immersion. Among the highlights is a guided tour of the Isle of Skye, the largest and most northerly large island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.
“It was stunning,” Gunby recalled. “We actually went to Fairy Pools [on the River Brittle in the Isle of Skye].”
As part of their study (and adventure), students investigate the legend of Loch Ness, the deepest lake in the United Kingdom.
Other excursions include visits to Loch Ness, the deepest lake in the United Kingdom and where students can take a boat tour and hear stories about the Loch Ness Monster; Urquhart Castle, one of Scotland’s most iconic castles on the banks of Loch Ness; the Quiraing, a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish on the Isle of Skye; and Edinburgh, the ancient capital city of Scotland.
Also, this past summer students participated in mini-Highland Games, so they could try some of the activities. Previously, they had watched the actual Highland Games. “We learned about Scottish food, music, sports, folklore and even got to hear Gaelic from the local Highlanders,” noted Gunby.
“We want students to step out of their comfort zones,” Azab said, simply.
“It’s a chance to build intentional opportunities for students to meet local people,” Hentz affirmed. “Everything we do there is geared toward giving our students the most immersive cultural experience possible.”
For Gunby, who missed not having black pudding and sausage when she got back to the States, her Scotland experience opened many doors and widened her eyes. And she will never forget the Scottish people, while she also became close with other Stetson students who participated in the program.
“They’re so friendly and much more laid-back then we are,” she said about the Scottish. “People understand how to enjoy life there, and that taught me something about how to live my life.”
When Gunby graduates this spring, she plans on teaching English abroad, as a gap year, then attending grad school to get a master’s degree in international affairs or global development.
The study-abroad effect is transformative.
“I believe in student learning and stepping out into the world as a life-changing experience,” Azab concluded. “Helping students realize this is very rewarding to me. In the end, we’re celebrating differences, and this is a beautiful thing and a great lesson for these students to learn.”
Artist Alaska Gilmour let friend Natalie Greenshields name her entry in Stetson’s 29th Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition “because I honestly didn’t think it would win anything,” Gilmour said of her quasi-anthropomorphic ceramic bust of a Brahman bull. Gilmour’s ceramic, named “Rage,” won the Ann West Hall Best of Show Award.
The exhibition runs through Dec. 7 at the Hand Art Center on Stetson’s DeLand campus. Sixty-two student artists submitted 129 works to be considered for the show.
Stetson art faculty chose 77 pieces from 36 artists to be exhibited. Gisela Carbonell, Ph.D., curator of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College and exhibition judge, chose the winners of six awards. Stetson students voted on the Student Choice Award.
All Stetson students regardless of major were eligible to participate in the exhibition. This year’s show includes works by 16 non-art majors.
Gilmour, a junior with a double major in psychology and studio, currently is in Thailand as part of an exchange program.
Alaska Gilmour Photo/Stuart Gilmour
By email, she said she “just thought it would be cool” if Greenshields titled the ceramic “because she went to the effort of entering it for me on my behalf. When Nat told me what she had called it, I burst out laughing. I told her it definitely wouldn’t win anything now with a name like that, but I guess I was wrong.”
A fifth-generation native of Zimbabwe, Gilmour noted her family, who still lives there, breeds Brahman bulls. “I’ve grown up around these floppy-eared cows my whole life, so I guess that was my inspiration for the piece,” she said.
Gilmour said there “are not a lot of higher education options in Zimbabwe” and she chose Stetson because of Florida’s warm climate “and I liked how small Stetson is and how much history it has.”
Her main mediums are oils and ceramics, but she had never worked in the latter until she took a class under Professor Dan Gunderson in her first year.
“I had to beg them to let me into the class because it was already full, and I took the class without much intention of pursuing ceramics,” Gilmour said. “But I fell in love with the medium and loved working with Dan.”
Gilmour is uncertain which of her degrees she will pursue as a career path.
“I get bored easily so I’m sure I’ll chop and change careers,” she said. “It’s good I have two very different degrees to follow. I’ll definitely carry on making art throughout my life – I’m just not sure if it will be professionally or just as a hobby. Life is too fleeting to have a set plan, things change all the time and therefore so will I.”
If you Go: The 29th Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition runs through Dec. 7 at the Hand Art Center on Stetson’s Palm Court/Quad, 139 E. Michigan Ave., DeLand. Admission is free and open to the public. Designated parking is available in the lots at East Arizona Avenue.
Center hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday. Closed on national holidays, holiday weekends and fall, Thanksgiving and winter breaks. Information: 386-822-7270.
Story is an adapted excerpt from an article originally posted on November 28, 2018 at Stetson Today
Cuenca, the capital of the Azuay province and third largest city in Ecuador, is the economic center of the southern Sierra. With its 8,000-foot elevation, cobblestone streets, cathedrals and colonial parks, Cuenca is perhaps the country’s most charming city. And, not coincidentally, Cuenca recently has enjoyed resurgence as a safe, low-cost and generally pleasant locale for expatriates to rediscover and for retirees to live.
At Stetson, Cuenca also represents an opportunity for students to travel abroad, using this natural wonderland, believed to have been founded around 500 A.D., as their own classroom.
The next lessons are scheduled for June 1-30, 2019, when up to 10 students will gain a “total immersion experience,” according to Bill Nylen, Ph.D., professor of political science, who will serve as faculty mentor.
“That part of the world is absolutely fascinating,” Nylen said. “I live for cultural immersion. … I’m really excited about this trip for all kinds of reasons.”
Among the planned sites to visit with the students are churches, parks and museums, along with indigenous communities and the picturesque countryside, where all four of southern Ecuador’s distinct cultures (Hispanic, Cañari, Saraguro and Cholo) will be on full display.
Students on last summer’s Cuenca study abroad (L-R): Merida Mikell, Jessica Chamberlin, Emma Logue, Noah Katz and Abby Ault
For students, also included in the trip is a mandatory Spanish class plus optional instruction, with the study falling under a four-credit course. Each student will be hosted by a family. The cost, excluding airfare, is roughly $3,000 (including meals and room/board).
The response from students who traveled to Cuenca last summer?
Noah Katz, a senior history major, went on and on about his experience, which even entailed attending a church mass with his host family (all in Spanish) and a wedding — both “unofficial” adventures. He concluded that the trip “exceeded expectations” before exclaiming, “I had a wonderful time!” For good measure, Katz added that he remains in touch with his host family.
Beyond Cuenca
On the upcoming trip, Nylen will replace Bob Sitler, Ph.D., Latin American and Latino Studies Program director and professor of world languages and cultures. One of the reasons is that Sitler is planning 12 days in Yucatan, Mexico, Dec. 28-Jan. 8, with four students.
There, subjects will range from seven ancient ruins and eight natural landscapes to nine Mayan villages. In preparation, this fall the four students are taking a classroom course — mostly taught at Sitler’s home — then returning for a post-trip spring course that will encompass project and presentation work.
“This is about seeing, feeling, smelling. And most students respond very well to that,” Sitler commented.
Their study abroad is part of a concerted effort by faculty, as well as a curriculum requirement, through Stetson’s Latin American and Latino Studies, a multidisciplinary and experientially oriented program that encompasses social, cultural, political and economic systems of regions. Students, who receive a minor, must complete at least one experientially oriented credit-bearing course as part of their academic requirements. This may include a Mentored Field Experience, study abroad in Latin America and/or approved internships.
In the past, students have studied in Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Belize, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador and Puerto Rico.
And, with Spanish being the most studied language on campus, the program is especially popular across a campus that clearly is bullish on study abroad. In all, 24 study abroad trips, the most ever at Stetson, have been proposed for 2018-2019, according to Wendy Viggiano, program coordinator of International Learning.
Notably, the Mentored Field Experience is a program sponsored by the Latin American and Latino Studies department that began in 1995, fully funded by alumnus Mark Hollis ’56, a university former trustee. The program covers the expenses of up to four students each summer on professor-led trips to South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Before visiting a country, the students must spend the spring semester in the classroom, preparing for the trip by learning the history, politics and culture of the nation, as well as submitting a research proposal. During the trip, the students collect data for those projects, culminating with a fall-semester, post-travel evaluation course and presentation of their research at Stetson.
Essentially, students travel the world and learn by doing, one real lesson at a time.
Said Sitler: “This is the opposite of staying in an envelope.”
-Published at Stetson Today on November 26, 2018 by Michael Candelaria
International experience used to be a “nice-to-have” criterion in a graduate’s resume. Today, it has become one of the most important components of a 21st century education. Many new studies show a direct impact of study abroad on creativity, cognitive ability, and student success. In addition, studies show that study abroad plays an important role in developing a global mindset and skills necessary to succeed in the workforce. Below are studies showing the value employers place on international experience and whether a graduate’s career prospects actually improve as a result of this experience.
Career Success
The Erasmus Impact Study: Effects of Mobility on the Skills and Employability of Students and the Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions
This independent study prepared for the European Commission finds that internationally mobile students have better chances of finding a job after graduation. Their unemployment rate five years after graduation is lower than non-mobile students. Results show that around 65 percent of employers consider international experience important for recruitment, and over 90 percent are looking for transversal skills enhanced by study abroad, such as openness and curiosity about new challenges, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Gone International: Mobile Students and Their Outcomes; Report on the 2012/13 Graduating Cohort
This UK Higher Education International Unit report finds that graduates who had studied, worked, or volunteered abroad were more likely to be employed within six months of graduation. The data also shows a significantly lower proportion of graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds who were mobile were unemployed compared with those from the same backgrounds who were not mobile. Graduates with international study experience earned more, on average, than other graduates.
Recent Graduates Survey: The Impact of Studying Abroad on Recent College Graduates’ Careers
The IES Abroad Recent Graduate Study shows that study abroad alumni find jobs sooner after graduation, related to their majors, and at a higher starting salary. Study abroad students also have better graduate and professional school acceptance rates. Ninety-seven percent of alumni secured a job within one year after graduation, compared to 49 percent in the general college graduate population.
GLOSSARI – Georgia Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research
An assessment by the University System of Georgia found that students who studied abroad had a 17.8-percent higher 4-year graduation rate than those who did not study abroad, particularly among underrepresented minority and low income students.
Employer Perspective
The Outcomes of Outbound Student Mobility
This summary of academic literature over a 50-year period by AIM Overseas shows that over 60 percent of employers agree that an overseas study experience is a positive on a résumé. Additionally, 72 percent of employers agree that knowing a second language adds to the appeal of a prospective employee.
How Employers Value an International Study Experience
Based on responses from 10,000 recruiters worldwide, this QS Global Employer Report found that employers are looking for the skills and experience gained through the overseas study experience when hiring graduates.
Faktaa – Facts and Figures: Hidden Competencies
Prior studies mention that employers value international experience. This study by CIMO and Demos Helsinki concludes that employers recognize only those skills that are traditionally linked to international experience like tolerance, language skills and cultural knowledge. A substantial number of skills that are also linked to mobility were not visible to employers. The study concludes that young people need more guidance in making competencies such as productivity, resilience and curiosity gained from their international experiences more visible.
This post was originally published in the fall 2015 edition of IIENetworker magazine, “The Impact of International Education.” This issue analyzes distinct aims of international education and discusses ways to improve how we measure its success.
