By Chloe Dyer
The first floor of Estabrooke Hall was lined with tables featuring colorful poster boards, glossy brochures and enthusiastic travelers encouraging students to participate in exchange programs at the University of Maine Study Abroad Fair, held this past Thursday, Sept. 10.
The biannual event, held at the beginning of each semester, typically attracts a couple hundred people, mostly prospective students eager to travel.
The fair offers students opportunities from a number of different exchange programs including UMaine direct exchange, Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) abroad, USAC and many other programs that make it possible for students from all majors and backgrounds to go abroad.
While many students feel that they cannot go abroad for differing reasons, UMaine Study Abroad Advisor Amy Kumpf assures that this is not the case.
“I think it is one of our best outreach opportunities for students,” Kumpf said, adding that it gives students the opportunity to get a perspective on what it is like to study abroad.
Michael Bore, a second-year student, hopes to travel somewhere in the Middle East for his study abroad experience. As an international affairs student who is also in the National Guard, this is ideal for his future after college. He said he hopes to learn about the culture while abroad.
“I think [the study abroad fair] lets students know the different opportunities. Everyone is going to offer something different,” Bore said.
In addition to learning about programs from study abroad advisors and peers, UMaine students had the opportunity to hear from actual exchange students.
Laura Stewart, a third-year student from the United Kingdom, is abroad for the year at UMaine. She volunteered at the UMaine direct exchange table, advising students about the Direct Exchange program that UMaine has with the University of Birmingham. She said that, last year, UMaine students were the ones encouraging her to go abroad, and now she is giving back by doing the same.
This academic year, there are 115 students already abroad or planning to go in the spring semester, and 140 went from UMaine last year, according to Kumpf. The most popular destinations for UMaine students are the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, but Kumpf assured that there were about 700 programs, and only a couple require language proficiency before going abroad, even if the country is not English-speaking.
“There is always a means to being able to study abroad,” Kumpf said.
She explained that there are hundreds of scholarships, financial aid from UMaine and host universities and plenty of direct exchange programs for students worried about finances. This fall, nearly $134,000 was awarded in scholarships to students going abroad.
Sam Godenzi of Perth, Australia studied abroad this past academic year at UMaine.
“I wanted to participate in the quintessential college experience,” Godenzi said of her decision to go abroad.
Godenzi explained that university life in Australia can be quite different from the U.S., as many students commute. She also said one very different thing about the U.S. was the Greek Life.
“The overall atmosphere was exciting, full of spirit, and I felt like there was always something going on, I loved it!” Godenzi said of the school atmosphere. She added that people were always very welcoming, and curious to learn where she was from.
“The program was very accommodating. I always felt helped and acknowledged,” Godenzi said of the study abroad program at UMaine.
While this is Kumpf’s first year as study abroad advisor, she comes from a background of knowledge about exchange programs and living in other countries. Kumpf previously worked at a university in Ecuador. After finishing her master’s degree there, she was offered a job assisting students from the U.S. and other countries to come to Ecuador.
“It was a place I really connected with, and I enjoyed being around Ecuadorians,” Kumpf said of the experience.
Students who might be worried about their ability to study abroad are encouraged to come into the Office of International Programs, located in 240 Estabrooke Hall, as early as their first year, although this is not required. At the office, students can find Kumpf, an enthusiastic world traveler with a passion for advising and helping students.
She encourages everyone to think about doing an exchange program.
“It definitely develops their cultural capacity,” Kumpf said about students traveling abroad.
Kumpf explained that employers will look for exchange programs, because it shows the ability to work with a “great diversity of people.”
“[Studying abroad] helps build your self confidence,” Kumpf said. “Being able to adjust to cultural and language differences are skills that you can learn abroad and transfer back to future employment and personal life.”