Where Can Study Abroad Take You? Read Our Student Profiles and See!

Take a look at the outstanding achievements of University of Maryland study abroad alumni and get inspired.  See how thinking outside your borders can open up endless possibilities.

Do you have something amazing to tell us about your post-study abroad life?  Drop us a line and toot your own horn!  We want to know about your awards, honors, great new jobs, etc.   

Amazing Study Abroad Alumni

Kassi Absar -- Former SAO Staffer!

Kassi is headed to the Basque country in Spain to work as a North American Language & Culture Assistant.  A recent UM graduate, Kassi majored in GVPT and was in GVPT Honors and College Park Scholars.  She studied abroad during the winter in Argentina with the Politics of Globalization course and to Sevilla for a semester.   

Alissa McInerney -- Former SAO Peer Mentor

Alissa is volunteering in Israel with Save A Child's Heart before heading off to medical school in Fall 2010.  She works with children from around the world who come to Israel for life-saving heart surgery.  Read her blog to follow her amazing adventures and to see the impact one person can have.  At Maryland, Alissa was a Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics major, a member of the Maryland Equestrian team, and studied abroad in Florence, Italy. 

 

Jenna Aidikoff, an Outstanding Woman!

Graduating senior Jenna Aidikoff is a bioengineering major who studied medicinal plants in Peru during Winter 2009 with Peru: Medicinal Plants in the Peruvian Rainforest and in Winter 2008, studied in Italy with the Italy: Ancient Greek and Roman Culture in Context program.  Only one graduating senior in the state of Maryland can be awarded a Maryland's Top 100 Women Circle of Excellence Award and Jenna's outstanding achievements certainly qualified her for this honor.  Jenna was involved with SGA and ODK National Leadership Honor Society, served as a Resident Assistant, and volunteered with people with Down's Syndrome.  Her well-rounded resume was enhanced by her study abroad experience. Jenna says this of her experiences abroad:

I have had the pleasure of going on two winter abroad adventures -- to Italy in 2008 and Peru in 2009.  It is easy to get into a regular routine in college and forget about what is going on at home much less around the world.  Both opened my eyes to how wonderful and diverse the world is.  In Italy, everywhere we went we were standing on thousands of years of history and were surrounded by a culture that is a product of all of that time as well.  I remember sitting on the plane, reading our textbook and of history that took place in B.C. Peru was even more of a thrill!  I got to explore how villages up the Napo River use the plants they find around them.  Every plant we pointed to our professor was able to tell us a name and a use. Seeing the different ways of life has enriched my learning in ways I could have never imagined and has made me appreciate the rich cultures that are in all of the people around us!

Study Abroad Creates a Video Star!

Check out senior Jamie Adasi in a promotional video for the city of Salamanca, Spain. Jamie participated in the UM study abroad course,  Spain: Salamanca & Barcelona in summer 2008 and had an amazing experience.  Jamie is another study abroad super star -- she is an RA, a Terrapin Involvement Intern, and a Convener for the Peer Leadership Council.   

Study Abroad Alumni Awarded Fulbrights!

Three alumni of Maryland study abroad programs have just been awarded prestigious Fulbright Awards, which is the nation's largest international exchange fellowship program.  Awardees include Jacqueline Foelster, who studied in Argentina with our Politics of Globalization summer program; John Rios, who studied in Oaxaca, Mexico on a UM faculty-led winter term program; and Christine Finke, who studied German via our summer program, Germany: Tuebingen, Intensive German Language and Culture.

Ashley Jurinka, who studied in Tuebingen, Germany on a UM exchange program and was part of the inaugural class of Maryland-in-Berlin students, was named an alternate for an English teaching grant to Turkey.

Yana Jmourko and Team Win QUEST Project of the Year!

Civil Engineering major Yana Jmourko, who studied Classical Myths in Paris via a UM summer study abroad program, developed a project called Shutters4Scholars, which provides cameras to Ukranian orphans and raises money toward scholarships.  Yana and her teammates created the award winning program with seed money from QUEST and plan to expand it to serve more students in Ukraine.  Way to make a difference!

Four Study Abroad Students Win Gilman Scholarships!

The Gilman National Scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. Four students from UM won this prestigious award:  Jennifer Chen, who will study in Japan via an exchange program; Minh Hang Bui, who will go on an exchange in Taiwan; Makeda Fikre-Selassi, who is studying in Spain; and Stephen Valencia, who will go on an exchange in Japan.  Congratulations!  

Want to see where a Gilman can take you?  Check out former UM Gilman recipient Michelle Yeron's website.  Michelle says this about her experience: 

I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad to Santiago, Chile as well as Buenos Aires, Argentina where I took intensive language courses. I studied at La Universidad de San Andres and Andres Bello. These programs not only helped me to improve my Spanish speaking abilities, but enabled me to live with Chilean and Argentine families, become submersed in their culture, expand my multi-cultural perspective, and of course travel all over South America. It was an experience of a life time and I would not have been able to do it without the help of The Gilman International Scholarship along with a University of Maryland study abroad scholarship and my financial aid. 

From Maryland-in-London to Harvard Law!

Cory Black graduated from the University of Maryland in 2005 with a degree in Government & Politics and an Honors Citation.  He is now at Harvard Law School  -- who knows where the Maryland-in-London program can lead?!

Congratulations to the UM chapter of Engineers Without Borders, winners of the 2009 VidTerp student generated video competition!  See their moving piece on a project in Burkina Faso that paired local communities with UM engineering students to bring electricity to rural villages.  Find out how you can get involved with Engineers Without Borders -- check them out on the web.