Cultivating globally-minded, conscientious citizens of the world is one of Juniata’s primary missions for its student body.  Juniata offers 48 study abroad programs in 19 countries, and an impressive 44 pecent of graduates had an international experience in 2009-2010.  The recent annual Study Abroad Fair provided interested students further information on studying abroad from experts — students who have already had the experience.  Here are some thoughts and tips from Juniata students who have studied abroad.

Kara Buda ’12 (City Unity Univ.: Athens, Greece/New York Univ.: London, UK): “Meeting new people, making new friends, and getting to experience the world with them was my favorite part.”

Carianne Turin ’12 (York St. John Univ.: York, UK): “I would recommend students go abroad for self-development and increased cultural awareness.  It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and learning independence is a big gain.”

Holly Brandes ’12 (Gambia summer trip): “I think it’s important for people to study abroad because it really broadens your horizons, as cliché as that might sound, and forces you to see the world through a different lens which can really make you appreciate how privileged we as Americans really are.  The best part, in addition to these life lessons, was having an amazingly fun experience with a group of fellow students I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise.”

Kelly O’Shea ’12 (Catholic Univ. of Lille: Lille, France): “It was so fun being able to travel everywhere! Once you’re in Europe, it’s so easy and cheap to travel all over. I visited seven different countries including France, Denmark, The Czech Republic, and even northern Africa.”

Michael McCarry ’12 (China summer trip): “It was great getting the chance to meet a group of great friends that I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise.  Experiencing a completely different culture and seeing how that culture makes a direct impact on business decisions and trade was valuable. We were able to see historical sights like the Forbidden City, and the food was delicious.”

–Jenny Wang ’12, Juniata Online Journalist