By DORIAN SERRA

Beloit’s own Global Experience Office, or GEO, held its annual Study Away Fair at the Powerhouse this past Thursday. This was the first time that the event was held in person since the Fall 2019 semester. Since then, its recent meetings were over zoom and less than ideal as far as student engagement. Senior Director of Global and Immersive Learning, Joshua Moore, was surprised and went so far as to call it “an incredible turnout.” He gave his own rough estimate that close to 150 students participated this year, a strong shift from previous years that have brought as few as a couple dozen. 

The GEO was excited to be holding a postcard picture voting station. Previous students had been sending in pictures that they had taken while studying away to be entered into a competition that took place at this very event. Next year’s Global Experience Office postcards will have those winners and their proposed pictures on the office’s informational postcards. 

The event included 20 tables each with their own valuable information. Ten of these tables were brought by program representatives who had come specifically for this event. They advertised their many programs all with the express purpose of heightened learning. All of them held great knowledge in their programs and how Beloit students might get in contact with them. There were tables showcasing Marcquarie in Sydney Australia, Arcadia Abroad, and the University of Bristol with its representative having traveled from York, England. Not all of them were abroad organizations however. Carleton College, and the University of Minnesota had tables ready to share information with those also looking to travel, just not so far. 

The other ten tables were Beloit’s very own. Many of these were hosted by current students looking to share their experiences and advice to those still on the fence. Both Moore and Assistant Director of Global Experience Office and Study Abroad Advisor Kathy Landon considered the input of fellow peers to be circumstantially more valuable than their own. Landon articulated that fellow students have the unique perspective of having experienced these trips as students, and not as coordinators, and that “peers are the best sources of information.” The GEO also has official mentors, Senior Farah Tolu-Honary ‘24 is one of three. Their role is to help students at any stage of the studying away process. This can range from those who think that they might have interest to those already set on a destination and applying. Farah was enthusiastic about the event and studying away in general, having spent a full academic year abroad herself. She noted her excitement not only about the amount of students, but that so many were first years. She believes that “the earlier you start thinking about it, the smoother it will be” and that even though “it can be a lot of work, early conversations help.” International students studying away from home here at our very own Beloit had tables sharing their own experiences of getting out of their comfort zones and exploring the world. The GEO hosted a financial aid desk where they were offering information on what financial resources are available to those looking to study away. 

The amount of first year students was not completely by coincidence. The fair’s date was picked last Spring. The GEO wants the event to happen early in the semester so that students who are finding out about studying away then and there still have ample time to decide and apply. Landon shared that as early as last Spring, she had been targeting first year AMP instructors with the intention of them integrating study away information into their curriculums. “First years are the predominant target,” she says about the fair. Landon was happy about the event and its evolution since its last in person presence in the overly tense Science Center Atrium. She found this location to be much more comfortable. The access to eating options was fortunate as people could relax with snacks while browsing; and those who did not know of the event would certainly notice it while stopping by to eat.

Featured Image: Michele Campbell ‘96 Project Coordinator Global Experience Office