Freshman computer science major Viktoria Dimitrova talks to Teaching Professor Jennifer Siciliani about an upcoming study abroad program she’s leading to Greece, including the island of Ikaria, during the annual Study Abroad Fair last Wednesday in the Millennium Student Center. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)

Viktoria Dimitrova already understands the value of international education far better than most college students.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis freshman left her native Bulgaria about 2½ years ago and moved to Missouri, finishing high school at Fort Zumwalt West in O’Fallon. Last fall, she arrived at UMSL as an Opportunity Scholar, intent on studying computer science.

Ever since Dimitrova left home, she has been intrigued by the possibility of going back overseas to study somewhere else in Europe.

“It gives you more experience, it makes you grow, and it makes you see the world,” Dimitrova said.

She was one of the many students who made their way to the Millennium Student Center last week on a snowy Wednesday afternoon to learn about potential opportunities during UMSL’s annual Study Abroad Fair.

Dimitrova was eager to talk to Jennifer Siciliani, a teaching professor and director of undergraduate education in the Department of Psychological Sciences, about a new 13-day study abroad program she’ll be leading this June to Greece, including five days on the island of Ikaria in the Aegean Sea. It is one of the original five so-called Blue Zones – distinct, geographically isolated regions identified by researcher Dan Buettner where people are thought to live long, healthy lives.

Freshman cybersecurity major Gemilla Kelly speaks to Associate Teaching Professor Tim Abeln during the annual Study Abroad Fair. Abeln leads a winter intercession program to Costa Rica.

Students who take part in the study abroad program are expected to soak in the serenity of the island while also experiencing its vibrant community, including a lesson in traditional dance and an herbal tour exploring the islands medicinal plants. The program also includes time in Nafplio, Piraeus and Athens.

“It’s their first time doing it, and even the faculty are excited about it,” Dimitrova said.

The Study Abroad Fair offered information on other destinations students might explore.

Freshman Gemilla Kelly stopped by one of the tables to gather information about a winter intercession program Associate Teaching Professor Tim Abeln leads to San Jose, Costa Rica. Participants live with host families and have a chance to immerse themselves in a Spanish-speaking environment. They also get to experience Costa Rica’s natural beauty while taking trips to both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.

“I do want to travel more, and I’ve wanted to go outside of the States,” said Kelly, a freshman majoring in cybersecurity, who finds Costa Rica’s tropical climate enticing. “It’d give me a chance to interact with people and experience the culture and then be able to say I traveled somewhere else while also going to school.”

Maggie Hook, the study abroad manager for UMSL Global, believes the annual fair provides valuable exposure to the opportunities that exist – both with faculty-led short-term study abroad programs and semester-long experiences. The fair also showcases the collaboration that goes into making study abroad experiences successful. In addition to representatives of the various programs, members of the advising staff were on hand to help students think through how a study abroad program might fit into their academic schedule.

Another central partner is Student Financial Services because arguably the biggest barrier that prevents students from considering study abroad is the cost – or perceived cost. Hook tries to make students aware of the funding support available.

“UMSL has scholarships to support students wanting to study abroad,” she said. “I really encourage students to talk to Student Financial Services about their particular financial aid package and whether that will carry to a summer study abroad experience.”

The fair also provides aspiring students with an invaluable opportunity to hear from their peers who’ve done it about what it’s like to study overseas.

Kaine Koehler, a sophomore majoring in entrepreneurship, recently returned from the winter intercession program to Belgium and the Netherlands, co-led by Finance and Legal Studies Teaching Professor Michael Costello and Political Science Assistant Professor Stephen Bagwell. He and his fellow students spoke with a representative of a Belgian investment firm, met with soldiers from Poland and the United States stationed at NATO and visited the headquarters of the European Union.

“It was really a revolutionary trip,” Koehler said. “Not only being able to meet international businesses and policymakers, but to be able to just experience being in a different country, from the small coffee shops to seeing the canals and meeting with the locals. I came back with so many new perspectives and just a much larger urge to continue studying and growing back at home.”

Clayton Bruce, a graduate student pursuing his MBA in marketing and international business, was at one of the tables talking about his time last summer studying at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences in Finland, which maintains a long-standing partnership with the Ed G. Smith College of Business. As part of the program, Bruce and his fellow students had the opportunity to help develop a marketing plan for Kyro Distillery, which at the time was looking to expand in the American market.

“In terms of classes, we learned a lot about marketing and idea creation – thinking about how to think outside the box and adapt to the culture,” Bruce said. “I think that’s a big issue for a lot of brands in globalization. You have a good product, but you need to learn the market,  how to acclimate it to wherever you want it to go.”

Learning opportunities such as that enhance a student’s educational experience.

Professor Joe Rottman, the director of UMSL’s International Business Institute, has been leading study abroad programs for about 15 years. He believes the simple act of a student stepping outside their comfort zone can have a profound impact on their life.

“For your typical UMSL student who may not have ever traveled abroad, once they return from a study abroad, they have broader perspectives, they have a more global mindset, and they understand how things work in a different country,” Rottman said. “They spend 10 days in Finland, or they spend a month in Germany, and they come back a better person.”