StudyIS BACK!Abroad

By Carter Seaton

Strike up the pep band! Shout it from the towers of Old Main! Study abroad has returned in full force for Marshall students.

The opportunity to study abroad had been available at the university for many decades, but that streak ended in March 2020 when the program came to a screeching halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No students traveled abroad, and the exchange programs were paused for nearly two years.

International Student Services. “While we didn’t send any stu dents abroad, we did accept new study abroad students from partner schools in other countries through our exchange programs. We started sending students abroad again in earnest in the spring and summer of 2022.”

“In the fall of 2021 we started to slowly ease back into things,” noted Tyler

Sharp, associate director of

Under the program, any students who have completed their freshman year with a GPA of 2.5, are self-motivated and independent, have a desire for adventure and have a strong interest in learning about other cultures are eligible for one or more of the programs managed by Sharp’s office. Those interested in dipping their feet in the overseas experience often begin with one of the Marshall faculty-led programs. These usually take place in the summer and are taught by Marshall faculty. In the past, students have traveled to Spain, Argentina, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico, China, Japan, Ireland and England to study and learn about the culture.

Darshan Sangani, now a senior at Marshall, chose to study in Spain with Dr. Maria Carmen Riddel. During his month abroad, Sangani took Spanish courses at the local university and lived with a host family. While he’d been to India to visit family, he’d never been to Spain or any part of Europe.

“At first, I was concerned about the costs. Luckily the Marshall study abroad office helped me figure it out financially and paved my way across the sea,” Sangani said. “I’m glad I explored the option. It was eye-opening. It gave me exposure to the world outside of campus life and allowed me to gain a new perspective on ways of thinking. You learn to appreciate and embrace other cultures. The experience showed me we are much more alike than we are different.”

Through KIIS (Kentucky Institute for International Studies) Marshall offers low-cost study abroad options for students. These range from 25 four-week summer programs to four-semester programs in Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada and Central and South America. KIIS is one of several nonprofit affiliate programs Marshall works with to help facilitate studying abroad. KIIS programs are faculty-led courses of study. Other affiliate programs offer opportunities in Greece, Australia, Ireland, the Middle East and sometimes Russia and India.

Currently, Marshall has school-to-school exchange partnerships with five universities overseas — two in France and Japan, and one in the United Kingdom. These are usually semester-long programs. Because the university wants the same number of exchange students coming to Marshall as it sends abroad, the number of those who participate fluctuates each semester.

The highest volume of students traveling abroad to study and experience other cultures occurs in the summer. That’s partially because students don’t want to give up an entire semester for one class when they have other requirements to fulfill. But it’s also because many Marshall students have never been out of the country, and shorter stays are easier on the students than ones that last four to five months. There are often 50 to 60 students participating in these short experiential summer opportunities.

Walker Tatum, a junior biology major, is one of those students. A native of Wayne, West Virginia, Tatum was initially concerned about traveling abroad for the first time.

“Initially, I turned down the chance to study overseas. But the people in the study abroad program addressed my concerns about the costs and what to expect,” Tatum said. “They spent more time prepping students like me who had never been out of the country. Looking back now, it’s something I would do 100 times over.”

Walker may have to get in line. According to Sharp, students are coming to his office constantly wanting to find out about studying abroad.

“Students are eager to travel. After COVID, I’ve definitely noticed there’s pent-up demand for study abroad programs,” Sharp noted.

While it may take some time to fully rebuild the program because of lingering anxiety about COVID or the state of world affairs, Sharp said students are ready to go now.

“They’re very eager, and I’m excited to be able to help them through this process. I’m happy the restrictions have mostly ended and that it’s safe for students to start studying abroad again. It’s a truly life-changing experience for them.”