Teddy Van Winkle, a first-generation college student studying music and arts entrepreneurship shares his experiences while on a summer internship program in Vienna, Austria.

Omar Khodor, a senior studying environmental science with a minor in Arabic and biology studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia in spring 2019.

My name is Isabella Senno and I am a senior working towards degrees in anthropology (gender and culture track), and psychology, along with a Spanish minor. Over the spring of 2019, I was able to study abroad in San Sebastián, Spain. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that this was one of the best decisions I have made during my time here at the University of Iowa.

Anibal Mares Marquez talks about his experience studying abroad in Italy with the CIMBA program.

T'Shailyn Harrington reflects on her IES internship as a marketing and public relations coordinator at the Cape Town Science Center.

I identify as an Asian American, specifically of East Indian descent, and I have felt that too much of my focus was on the academic side of college. Most of the Indians I know participated in few to no activities outside of the classroom because we have been raised in a culture that stresses the importance of academics far more than our non-academic interests. Many of my family members and friends of Indian descent love to tell me about their time in college but when I ask them what clubs or events they participated in I too often get blank stares.

My name is Brooke Jennings, and I am fourth year biology student on the pre-medicine track. This winter I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Kerala, India. When I first decided to study abroad, I knew that the cost would be my primary obstacle. I grew up in a low-income household, and I am currently putting myself through school. This meant that I had to decide if studying abroad was worth it, that it would make a difference in my educational experience. This was the best decision I have ever made. The trip to India was nothing short of life changing. Working with the wonderful staff of Pallium India was the best experience of my undergraduate career.

I am happy to be writing to you since returning from the 2017-2018 India Winterim Study Abroad Program. It was an adventure to say the least, but I hope my letter will provide you with some insight and direction in your choices of studying abroad. I will describe the sites visited as well as the field based learning opportunities.I studied abroad in Bangalore, Karnataka, India in the section titled: Youth, Nutrition, and Foods. This program aimed to educate students about India’s overall culture and cuisine, the ways in which schools and businesses work together to feed India’s children living in low income populations and/or living with disabilities, and the history of India to provide a better understanding of it’s current landscape today.

My name is Amanda Burroughs, and I am a first generation college student, as well as an only child. I come from a middle class family in which no one before me ever attended college, and I have a lot of student loans covering the cost of my education. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably considering studying abroad but you aren’t sure how to make it happen, or if it’s even possible with a limited budget. About 6 months ago, I found out about an amazing program called the India Winterim. I wanted more than anything to be a part of that trip, and I knew in my heart that it would be the experience of a lifetime, but my heart sank when I looked at the program cost sheet. It can be discouraging when you first look at the expense of going abroad, but I am here to assure you that if you are truly passionate about traveling and determined to have an experience abroad, you CAN find a way to make it happen!

Hi! My name is Russell. I’m a Biomedical Engineering major from West Branch,  Iowa. I studied abroad the summer after my freshman year in Hong Kong, at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). My time abroad was undoubtedly the most memorable two months of my life, and I’d like to share   some of my experiences with you here.   Before I went abroad, I remember feeling varying combinations of  apprehensiveness and enthusiasm. On one hand,  I was nervous - this was my first time ever traveling outside of the US,  and I knew zero Cantonese. But I also felt a feeling of excitement growing inside of me. Excitement to experience what life is like in a   country so different than the U.S., and excitement for all the adventures that I imagined having.  

My name is Juan Martin. I am a proud Latino and I am the first in my family to go to college. I wanted to show my family what a college education, what a student from the Tippie College of Business, has the abilities to do: at home and abroad. I spent the entirety of my summer interning for a French financial institution in the heart of Paris. This was also the first time I had ever been outside of the country and the first time I could truly learn and immerse myself into another country’s culture.

My name is Nazira Coury and I am a fourth-year student majoring in International Relations, and minoring in Latin American Studies and Arabic. During the summer of 2017, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad for nine weeks in the very hot, but very beautiful city of Fes, Morocco. As a first generation student, I am the first person in my family to go to college and now, I am also the first in my family to have studied abroad.