The Adventure of Studying Abroad

Education Abroad is a series of programs offered by the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley that allows students to discover and learn in a unique academic environment.

According to the Education Abroad’s mission statement their goals are to offer “unique, life-changing [and] educational experience overseas.” 

In 2023, according to Caroline Miles, director of Education Abroad with a doctorate in English Literature, a record of 250 UTRGV students traveled overseas. 

She said many courses and destinations are offered each year. Students can choose from long-term (a full semester) and short-term (mini semester) trips. 

Jack Robertson, a theater sophomore with a concentration in performance, stands on rocks earlier this summer in Northern Ireland during the Education Abroad Summer I trip. 
Photo Courtesy UTRGV Theater Professor Brian Warren 

This past summer, UTRGV had 17 short-term trips abroad to different countries, including Ireland and Switzerland. 

With the company of a chosen class, students are guided through a series of activities aimed to be engaging.

This past June, Brian J. Warren, UTRGV theater professor,who has a doctorate in theater education took students to Belfast, Ireland for History of Theater II. He and two other faculty members,Tom Pearson, who has a doctorate in philosophy and Magaret Graham, who has a doctorate in anthropology, took 10 students to Ireland. On the trip, the students saw Irish theater and learned how it could influence their future works. 

“We spent a lot of time on the Celtic Revival in Literature, specifically drama and studied the works or impact of several playwrights,” Warren shared. 

Sarah Dominguez, an entrepreneurship and innovation senior who traveled to Switzerland in May, said she wanted to get away from her normal life.

“I feel like, you know, I needed a little bit of a break, honestly. And that was like my escape,” she said. 

A challenge Dominguez faced was the time difference. 

“We thought we adjusted to the time, but then the next day we would get tired at like 3 p.m. you have to adjust your sleep,” she said.

Nevertheless, she encourages students who are considering studying abroad to “do it now or you don’t do it never.” Dominguez said she hopes that more people take a chance and go on these Education Abroad programs. 

Sarah Dominguez, senior in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and a minor in Graphic Design, posed in front of Gruyeres, Switzerland during a Study Abroad May Minimester trip. Photo taken by Ishvari Garcia, senior in Marketing. Photo courtesy of Sarah Dominguez.

Warren said when the group of students landed in Belfast, they had many questions about what the trip would entail, such as “What are you going to expect? What is passport control? What precautions do they take when you land? What should you pack?”

 Planning is a big aspect of a study abroad trip, students are representing the university overseas, so letting the students know what to anticipate is important. 

The cost of studying abroad can also seem daunting, but there are many resources that can help students.

 Warren mentions  that the Office of Global Affairs, “Will inform the students about scholarship opportunities and expenses. You know how much you should save by the time you leave.”

Professor Miles also said the American Passport grant, a program that allows up to 25 students to receive some funds for traveling, is available to help students. 

For Miles, Education Abroad “is an investment in your future.” The skills and growth that students can get  from studying abroad is a very important goal of the program. 

To finalize, Warren added, “If you are a person on planet Earth, which we all are, we should have some understanding of other cultures. World cultures. We shouldn’t just isolate ourselves and say that everything begins and ends in Texas.” 
For more information, students can visit: https://www.utrgv.edu/ga/education-abroad/index.htm