Student Testimonials by Region

Learn from recent study abroad alumni about their experiences across the globe. 

Africa

USU Alumnus Austyn Gallegos takes a selfie with 2 Kenyan youth
Austyn Gallegos, Kenya

You get to travel around the world to learn about people’s culture, what their lives are like, and what the needs of other people are. I got to experience how day to day life was in Kenya for 2 weeks. The benefits are getting to know people, their stories, make connections, and tell stories about each other’s lives.

Austyn Gallegos, USU - Global Community Leadership and Global Health, Kenya, Faculty-Led, Summer 2019

 

 

Asia

USU Alumnus Camryn Rigby poses on the steps of Cambodian ruins
Camryn Rigby, Cambodia

My experience made me appreciate my access to education so much. In relation to cultures, it engrained my love for experiencing new things and meeting all different kinds of people.

Camryn Rigby, USU - Genocide and Memory, Cambodia, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

USU Alumnus Russell Anderson poses with 2 Korean men dressed in ancient warrior attire
Russell Anderson, Korea

Personally I was able to learn a lot about myself and what I want to accomplish in life. It helped me to enhance my language abilities and gain a greater appreciation for other cultures. And I also feel like I learned how to study better during my study abroad experience.

Russell Anderson, Korea University, South Korea, Exchange, Spring 2018

USU Alumnus Megyn Degraw poses with other USU alumni in a Cambodian town
Megyn Degraw, Cambodia

I believe EVERYONE should study abroad at some point during their college experience. Getting out of your comfort zone is part of living life. To study abroad is to see a new part of the world, meet surprising people, understand more about your own mentality, find the passion for unexpected subjects, and learn in a stimulating environment.

Megyn Degraw, USU - Genocide and Memory, Cambodia, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

USU Alumnus Sydney Metcalf strokes the trunk of an elephant
Sydney Metcalf, Cambodia

It was an incredible whirlwind of an adventure. We laughed, we cried, we worked, we played, we learned, we ate, we explored, we grew and, in the end, we emerged as better people because of it.

Sydney Metcalf, USU - Genocide and Memory, Cambodia, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

USU Alumnus Colter Christensen poses with some Japanese students
Colter Christensen, Japan

It’s helped to open my eyes about the different perspectives that people from around the world have. There’s so much more than the limited points of view we have in the US, and getting out allows you to observe your own country from the outside.

Colter Christensen, Waseda University, Japan, Exchange, Calendar Year 2017

With a Taiwanese mountain in the background, Alumnus Garrett Brogan and other alumni hold a USU flag
Garrett Brogan, Taiwan

I got to see how agriculture operated in another country completely different from ours. Oh, and the food was amazing!! I wish I could just relive the experiences again and again.

Garrett Brogan, USU - Agricultural and Cultural Exploration, Taiwan, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

Australia

USU Alumnus Kinsey Brashears poses on an Australian beach
Kinsey Brashears, Australia

The personal benefits were astounding. My worldview expanded so much with all the unique people I met. I have friends from all over the world now and I feel as though I have become very patient and a lot more open-minded because of this. Education-wise, this experience was also beneficial... Overall, going abroad may have been the best decision of my life and it changed me for the better!

Kinsey Brashears, Southern Cross University, Australia, Exchange, Spring 2019

 

 

Europe

USU Alumnus Cortland Bartlett at the Brandenburg Gate
Cortland Bartlett, Germany

My language is better. Learned what other cultures are like and how to adapt to difficult situations.

Cortland Bartlett, European University Viadrina, Germany, Exchange, Spring 2018

USU Alumnus Sierra Benson looks over a Spanish landscape
Sierra Benson, Spain

If I would have waited until I was more comfortable financially or with traveling alone, I would have been sitting in my house absolutely regretting the fact that I wanted to wait on a trip that may have changed my life. If you never give yourself permission to say yes to life, life is going to tell you "next year" or "when you're ready," which means never.

Sierra Benson, USU - Spanish Language, Spain, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

USU Alumnus Meg Rassmussen poses with another woman inside the Colosseum
Meg Rassmussen, Italy

Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to get completely outside my comfort zone and develop intercultural communication skills that I'll be able to use in my future career.

Meg Rassmussen, ISA Rome, Italy, Direct, Summer 2018

USU Alumnus Michaela Leishman poses in front of the Sagrada Família
Michaela Leishman, Spain

The classes enabled me to communicate with my host family, order food at a restaurant, and ask for directions at the bus stop. It was so freeing and liberating! I’ve never felt so independent and sure of myself.

Michaela Leishman, USU - Spanish Language, Spain, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

USU Alumnus Kayla Cook poses with another woman on the Cliffs of Moher
Kayla Cook, Europe

Be open to as much as you can! Try to have a good attitude because every day is different and can catch you off guard, you’re not in the comfort of your own home anymore. And if you’re like me and suck at branching out, go alone! It will force you to make friends and get out of your comfort zone, but it’s worth it!

Kayla Cook, USU - Humanities and Arts, Multiple locations in Europe, Faculty-led, Summer 2019

At the Orcus mouth in the Gardens of Bomarzo, Alumnus Helen Lea and other alumni hold a USU Flag
Helen Lea, Italy

In the long term, the memory of that amazing pizza you ate in Florence or the tour you decided to take of the Vatican is going to be worth so much more than the actual euros you spent. The time on your study abroad goes so insanely fast, so there’s no time to stress over a dollar here or there –get the gelato!

Helen Lea, USU - Landscape Architecture, Italy, Faculty-led, Summer 2019