As an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa, Anna Patty (B.A. journalism, Spanish '03) had never been on an airplane. That all changed when she decided to study abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica, for an entire academic year. Nearly twenty years after her study abroad experience, Patty is now owner of Be The Good Consulting, LLC, a marketing, public relations, and fundraising firm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Patty recently took time to reflect on how her study abroad experience has shaped her career.

Andrew Broderick (B.S. human physiology ’16) studied abroad in Newcastle, Australia, as an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa. Now in the doctor of physical therapy program at the University of Iowa, Broderick took a break from his studies to share information about his study abroad experience, as well as advice for current UI students considering study abroad.

Elle Wignall (B.A. English ’13) studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland, as an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa. After graduation, she returned to Ireland for a nanny position in Cork, Ireland, before returning to Iowa to work as a business communications consultant at Wells Fargo in Des Moines. Below, Wignall reflects on the importance of studying abroad and the long-lasting impact it has had on her life and career.

Ladroma studied French, Spanish, and International Studies: Development at the UI. A presentation about a study abroad program piqued his interest in the possibility of studying in France. A Regents Study Abroad scholarship paved the way for Ladroma’s opportunity to immerse himself in the European culture. One benefit of studying abroad that Ladroma didn’t anticipate was meeting his future wife, Ashley (DeCarlo) Ladroma, B.A, communication studies, French, at a presentation in Lyon, France. The couple grew up just 38 miles from each other (Ashley is from Harlan, Iowa), but first met in France.

Mila Brassart (B.A. finance; B.A. French; International Business Certificate, ‘14) had one goal for her college years: conquering the French language. “Ever since I was in high school I had the very specific goal of first learning French, and then working for an American company overseas,” the McHenry, Illinois, native said. “Ignited simply by appreciating the language and culture, whilst having the comfort of having American roots.”

Diane Jahnel, originally from Anamosa, Iowa, graduated from the University of Iowa in 1977, where she studied psychology and art. After a 34 year career in IT at Pearson, Jahnel retired and is now living in Paris, France, where she’s spent the past two years teaching English as a volunteer, taking French classes, and traveling.

Yezi Shen graduated from the University of Iowa in 2015, where she studied journalism and mass communication, and cinema. Since then, she’s returned to her home country, China, where she now works in television programming.

Originally from Irbid, Jordan, Nayef Saleh Al Gharaibeh graduated from the University of Iowa in 1988 with his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics. He returned to his home country where he currently teaches physiology at the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), and has also held positions as the chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, director of the JUST Health Center, and the vice dean of Faculty of Medicine.

Cheng-I Chu, “Chu,” graduated from the Ph.D. program in health policy and management at the University of Iowa in 2001. He now resides in Hualien, Taiwan, where he is the professor and department chair at the Department of Public Health, Tzu Chi University in Taiwan.

Dr. Darren R. Grafius is originally from East Lansing, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Iowa in 2012 with a degree in geography. Today, he resides in the United Kingdom, where he moved to be with his partner, and now works as a post-doctoral research fellow at Cranfield University. The focus of his work is conducting environmental modeling and ecosystem services assessment as part of a government-funded consortium project studying biodiversity in urban landscapes.

Hau-Wong Ho came to the UI, at the time called State University of Iowa, from Hong Kong in 1956. Having previously received his bachelor’s degree upon arriving, he spent only one year taking 48 credit hours and eventually obtained his B.S. in civil engineering to go on to hydraulics. Ho later received his M.S. in 1957.

"Unforgettable" is one word international alumni Yitong (Yu Wang) Wang would use to describe her University of Iowa experience.