KNOXVILLE — Scott Wofford, a senior in public relations from Brentwood, Tenn., who is studying broad this semester, has discovered that learning Spanish while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina “is much easier and way more fun that taking classes at school.”
Sarah Beth Ramsey, a senior in English from Cleveland, Tenn., studied in New Zealand for a semester in 2008 and found time to rock climb, kayak, skydive, hike, camp and bungee jump.
Adena Lane, a fifth-year senior in Honors English and Spanish from Madison, Tenn., spent a semester in Puebla, Mexico, and got a taste of “the mystery and wonder of the beautiful diversity in our world.”
For these University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students, and hundreds of others, study abroad is a challenging, exciting — often life-changing — experience.
Students interested in studying abroad are invited to attend the Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the University Center ballroom.
Those attending the fair will find information on summer, semester and yearlong programs. Students who have studied abroad will be on hand to share their experiences. Faculty leading summer and mini-term programs also will be there to answer questions. Information will be available about scholarships, financial aid and internship opportunities abroad.
Ready for the World, the campus’ international and intercultural initiative, will be at the fair with giveaways and information about “Volunteers Rock the World!” a program which is collecting stories about students, faculty, staff and alumni who volunteer in our community and around the world.
Expanding study-abroad and work-study opportunities are important components of Ready for the World.
UT Knoxville students pay a $10 annual fee that helps fund $300,000 in study abroad scholarships per year. More than 320 students have received the scholarships since spring 2009.
For Wofford, Ramsey and Lane, study abroad was an experience they’ll never forget.
Wofford is taking an intensive Spanish class at the Universidad del Salvador.
“My Spanish has improved more in the last two months than my entire formal Spanish education, on and off since first grade. I’ve also gained direction about my career goals and come to appreciate the things I take for granted at home,” Wofford said. He is blogging about his trip at http://scottwofford.net.
Ramsey, who spent the spring semester of 2008 at the University of Otago in New Zealand, is a peer adviser at the Programs Abroad Office.
“A lot of students feel like they will miss something at UT while they are gone, but I tell them they are missing out on something much better if they don’t study abroad,” she said.
Lane agrees. “If I had stayed at UT the semester that I was in Puebla, I would have never had the opportunity to see the expanse of the mountains of Central Mexico … twirl on a club floor with a live salsa band blasting music … or tasted a real Mexican meal, hand-made by a friend’s mother.
“It was the most worthwhile contribution to my undergraduate education and my future,” she said.
For more information about UT Knoxville’s Study Abroad programs, visit https://studyabroad.utk.edu/.
—
C O N T A C T :
Amy Blakely, (865-974-5034, ablakely@tennessee.edu)