UNK is filled with many opportunities for students to branch out. One example is the study abroad program and every year, program organizers host a fair to inform students of why and where they could study abroad.
Matt Fischer, a senior elementary education major from Hickman, took his opportunity to study abroad last summer in Finland.
“I’ve always wanted to study abroad,” Fischer said. “I didn’t do it earlier because of money, but then I got some and just decided that I was going to go.”
Once students return from studying abroad, Anne Marie Park, UNK assistant director of International Partnerships and Study Abroad, asks if they would help with the study abroad fair. At the fair, students talk about their experiences and answer questions for others considering or are planning on studying abroad.
“Anne Marie emailed me and asked if I would be interested in being involved with the fair and I thought, ‘Oh I’d love to talk to people about this,’” Fischer said. “I had such good experiences with this program that I wanted to share it with others.”
Fischer’s undergraduate adviser is from Finland and was going to teach a class and asked if he wanted to go. That’s when Fischer took his chance to finally leave the United States.
“I want to be an elementary education teacher and their education is so good over there and so I wanted to go and learn from them,” Fischer said.
When Fischer studied abroad, he was immersed into a new culture that’s unlike the United States, which can be terrifying. The experiences of learning about another country make it worth it.
“People say this all the time, but it is a super life changing experience to study abroad,” Fischer said. “Even the couple of weeks I was in Finland I see things differently and my perspective is different.”
Fischer enjoyed going to Finland because of his experiences with traveling around and making connections with people that he will talk to for a while
“We got to do a weekend cruise to Stockholm, Sweden, and that was incredible,” Fischer said. “We got to see the Royal Palace, changing of the guard, we shopped around, and saw a lot of historical sites and architecture.”
Money is a concern for most students when considering studying abroad, just like it was for Fischer. Students can talk to financial aid and the office of study abroad about help with payments and scholarships to allow them to study abroad.
“The whole money thing is what held me back from studying abroad sooner and I think that’s what holds most people back,” Fischer said. “There’s help people can get, and I would tell people to just go for it, so you can do it again before you graduate. Just do it.”
