OCU has a new study abroad coordinator who encourages students to take advantage of unique study abroad experiences.
Rachael Brown has been acting as the new study abroad coordinator for the past three weeks and has some insight and new ideas to add to the program.
Brown said things have been going very well so far, but she is still very new.
“So far, so good; I am hitting the ground running and really digging into every program,” Brown said.
Brown said many students are not aware of the various study abroad programs available to students.
“There are potential opportunities for students that will be different based on their priorities,” Brown said.
Brown said one of her main jobs is getting to know students on a one-on-one basis and figuring out what is best for them.
Brown said one of the upcoming programs OCU offers is the OCU-Doers Cultural Exchange Program, which is a two-week cultural exchange program that allows students to learn about and experience different cultures. This year’s program will send students to Taiwan, and participating students will only have to pay $250 to attend. Most costs of the trip, including housing, meals, and international airfare are paid for by the Doers Cultural and Educational Foundation.
Mary Margaret Dutcher, dance management senior, participated in the Doers program in the past.
“I did Doers 2018 and went to China for about two weeks,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher said the program revolves around facilitating camps with elementary school students to help them learn English through activities.
Dutcher said while the community service was an amazing part, she also enjoyed traveling and the overall experience of studying abroad.
“We got to tour Shanghai and travel to a beautiful mountain range,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher said she thinks everyone should study abroad while they have the chance.
“Yeah, definitely study abroad. Personally, I always tell people that if you want to and can’t during the semester, summer is the perfect time,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher also said she thinks students should utilize the opportunity they have to do it before graduation.
“After graduation it’s hard to travel, and it’s hard to find programs easily available like this,” Dutcher said.
Dutcher said studying abroad was so much better than she expected.
“I am so grateful for the experience and actually am applying to go again, so I obviously loved it,” Dutcher said.
Brown is looking forward to getting students more involved in study abroad programs.
“My primary role is to get students to study abroad, in whatever capacity that is,” Brown said.
Applications for this year’s Doers program are open until March 1. The dates of the program are June 1-15.
To learn more information about the Doers Program or other study abroad programs, students can visit the study abroad page on the OCU website.
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