By Gracyn Van Bemmel //
There are many study-abroad opportunities for students who wish to expand their academic experiences beyond Hood College.
Hood partners with various programs: CIEE, CEA CAPA, CCIS Study Abroad, CIS Abroad and Amideast. These programs offer both short- and long-term programs in many different fields around the world, from Spain to France to China to the Czech Republic.
There is an additional option, Semester at Sea, where students spend the semester on a ship and travel to 10-14 countries, “Suite Life on Deck”-style. Though, this program is not affiliated with Hood, so financial aid packages do not transfer.
When choosing a program, students should consider their personal goals, where and what they wish to study, cost and their grasp on a foreign language if they wish to go to a country in which English is not the dominant language.
But first, why even study abroad?
“Why not?” Scott Pincikowski, the chair of the department of global languages, said. “Study abroad is a transformative experience that will teach you about yourself and the culture you’re going to and your home country.”
For students worried about the financial burden of traveling abroad, options exist to ease the costs. There are scholarships that students can apply for that might help offset the cost of going abroad.
The Beth Darroch Coggins ’81 and Kristina Coggins Heck ’81 Memorial Travel Fund is a $2,500 scholarship that helps to cover travel costs for a semester abroad.
The Stella Elizabeth Ziegler Foler ’28 and Marylouise Herrmann Foley ’64 Endowed International Travel Fun is a $1,500 to $2,500 scholarship for Hood students of junior or senior standing to help cover tuition, travel, lodging and other costs associated with a study abroad experience between four weeks and a semester.
The Mary Hansbrough Sneckenberger ’64 International Travel Award is a $1,350 scholarship for a student of junior or senior standing studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.
There are more scholarships and sources of financial aid, both internally through Hood and externally, such as through the study abroad programs.
Students may also find the prospect of leaving the country for such a significant amount of time to be intimidating. However, there are other study abroad options for those who might prefer a shorter duration or who might wish to travel with other Hood students and/or professors.
It isn’t uncommon for professors to take groups of students on alternative spring break trips or J-Term trips, both in and out of the country.
In the past, students got the chance to go with Lisa Marcus to Montreal during the J-Term, Paris with Elizabeth Atwood during spring break and Barcelona with Robert Casas during the summer.
Upcoming trips to look forward to include a trip to Quebec that will take place Feb. 14 to Feb. 17 with Rick Roth and his wife, Scotland with Tricia Strickland and Amy Kilpatrick and Costa Rica with Marisel Torres-Crespo.
Students interested in learning more about these study abroad opportunities can reach out to these professors at marcus@hood.edu, kilpatrick@hood.edu and torrescrespo@hood.edu.
Students who wish to learn more general information about studying abroad and whether it is the right path for them can contact Pincikowski at pincikowski@hood.edu.
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