Kayla Strauss (second from right) celebrated the festival Ikeda Matsuri in Japan with some of her fellow students last year. Kayla, a senior language major, went to school in Japan as part of UMSL's Study Abroad Program.

Kayla Strauss, a senior language major at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, says her trip to Japan last year changed her life. Japan’s devastating earthquake in March cut her visit short of the year she had planned there, but she can’t wait to return.

Strauss’ trip to Japan was part of UMSL’s study abroad program. No matter what the major, study abroad expands a student’s knowledge and provides a competitive advantage in today’s workplace.

A story on studying abroad in the Oct. 14 issue of the St. Louis Post Dispatch featured information on the program and some of Strauss’ experiences.