"Studying abroad is not about comparing your journey to others, but rather reflecting on your own, unique discoveries including another culture and learning a bit more about yourself."

"Would I truly be accepted by this program, these new people, this new country? The answer I found, very quickly after my arrival in France, was yes. A resounding, whole hearted yes."

"I was the first of my family to spend a long period of time abroad and that came with a lot of uncertainty... I was unsure how I was going to be perceived as a Black and Native American woman, but to my surprise, Greece had more diversity than I imagined, and I felt very accepted."

"Studying abroad is one of my best decisions and moving to a foreign country gave me a whole set of skills that I would never have if I had stayed home."

"By the end of the trip, I no longer felt like I was an outsider in my program at Iowa as someone who was older and who had transferred in from a community college."

"I studied abroad in Vienna, Austria, interning for a medical training fitness gym through IES Abroad. Living in Vienna for the summer allowed me to see how different the lifestyle of the community was compared to what I am used to in the United States."

"Studying abroad is something that I never saw myself doing because of the high costs and social barriers... I decided to dive into the idea of studying abroad and found that there were many scholarships and options to help with funding and support throughout the experience."

"I found myself falling in love with the lifestyle and the daily activities that are typically done by Spaniards. I loved all the beautiful landmarks that we visited to further explore their culture and history."

"While in Chile, I learned a lot about myself and my disabilities... I realized the many skills and traits my disabilities had allowed me to foster, such as the ability to find hope and persevere in every situation."

"I want to take a moment to reflect on how my time abroad has impacted my identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community who also has hearing loss."

"After my time in Rome had concluded, I returned home with a redefined sense of self and a new confidence that hadn’t shown through as brightly before."

"My time abroad made me realize that I really appreciate my early life experiences of feeling like the other. Because my formative years are marked by feeling different, unfamiliar, or uncomfortable, I learned quickly to not only get used to the unfamiliar, but to welcome and look forward to the unfamiliar."