bing pixel

This tag features Augsburg students that are on study abroad/away programs all around the world, including the USA.

Field Note from Amatlán: Women for Women

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Lorpu, from Augsburg University. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Communication and Media Studies: Migration & Social Change in Mexico”. This is an adaption from an assignment, shared with permission.

 On a Sunday in September, we met with a very confident and knowledgeable lady named Fabiola in Amatlán. She has one daughter and a fun fact about herself was that she is a dancer. Fabiola is a cofounder of the group called Women for Women in the town of Amatlán and other surrounding towns. Before she talked about her group and what they do, the first made a prayer asking the guardian to make everyone comfortable and to be able to understand and take away something from what she was going to tell us. That was interesting to hear.

According to Fabiola, Women for Women is an organized group of indigenous women that came together to unite and talk about their stories, struggles and other things that women go through and create a sisterhood. She said that she has also met with indigenous women from Peru, Ecuador, and the United States. Fabiola talked about how for a while she only saw herself as a woman from Tepoxalin, but travelling and being among different group of women made her realized that she was different. Another interesting thing that she said was that she is not married, and not being married made her work a little easier for her, because she doesn’t have an extra obligation to a man apart from being a mom. She also said that some of the women that she works with are not married neither. She also said that being in their group, she recognized that most the of the women had something in common. The thing that they all had a common was that they have all experienced some form of abuse, sexism, and racism. They had different kinds of violence in different ways. She also said that they don’t hate men even though they have experienced some type of violence from men. She said they are not what you would call “modern day” feminist. She said that they support their men and work beside them to stop violence. She said that their goal is to live free of violence and take full control of their lives.

 

Student Ambassador Post: Creating Memories, Family, and Friends Abroad!

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Lorpu, from Augsburg University. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Communication and Media Studies: Migration & Social Change in Mexico”.

students smiling in the vanOne of my fears of studying abroad in Mexico was the fear of being lonely. I was coming to a country where I didn’t know anyone. I couldn’t speak the language, and I was not sure if my two years of Spanish classes in college was going to work for me. I knew that there were students from my college coming as well, but at that moment, I had never met anyone of them. I had a lot of anxiety about things not going well. I reached out to Ann, the director here in Mexico to talk to her about some of my concerns about studying abroad, and she was kind enough to connect me with a student that had study abroad here in Mexico the previous semester. The student was very kind as well and she reassured me that everything was going to be okay once I arrive in Mexico.

My time here in Mexico has been amazing. The students here that I am studying abroad with are amazing. Maddy, Angelica, Bella, Savannah, Henry, Antonio, Towns, and Tori have all made my study abroad experience an amazing experience so far. It is great to have people that you can talk and relate to in other ways given that you all are going to the same experience. We have all been taking care of each other in ways that we know how to. For example, when I had some stomach issue during our trip to Amatlan, one of the students Angelica made me some tea and kept checking on me to make sure I was doing good. The same happens for other students as well. When someone is going somewhere cool, they extend the invitation to everyone in the group. We are like a family here.

students on the river

The staff here at Casa Augsburg are more than amazing. Ruti our RA is amazing. She goes above and beyond to meet our needs. She takes everyone needs very seriously. I can say that I feel comfortable going to her about my needs. I am sure the other students feel the same way. Ann and the other professors have been amazing as well. Sometimes everyone has lunch together after class and just talk about what is going on at the moment. Everyone has been respectful of each other’s boundaries. We haven’t had a problem with that. The staff are open to questions that we have, and they are always more than happy to answer them. Having lunch together with everyone and talking has been one of my favorite parts of my study abroad experience.

My both my host parents in Amatlan and Cuernavaca is amazing people. My host parents in Amatlan were what I would call “cool” they had tacos stand at night and we would go there to play cards and board games with my host sister and host brother. They even told us to invite our friends to the stand. We invited our friends, and they had an amazing time. One of my favorites parts of the homestay was walking our host brother to school in the morning and picking him up after school. My host parents here in Cuernavaca are great people as well. My host mom makes sure that my dietary needs are met, and she encourages me to ask for things when I need them. My host dad is amazing as well along with my host sister. We have been to their family gatherings, and I had a great time meeting the extended family. I love both families.

 

smiling student with host family in mexicoIn conclusion, I am having a great time in Cuernavaca Mexico! The people are very welcoming, and I have never been made to feel like I don’t belong. A word that I have used a lot in this post is “amazing” because that is the only way that I know how to describe my experience. There are days that can be a little hard because I get home sick sometimes, but I am enjoying the experience at the same time. I am making new friends and family here and it feels great to have that community of people who are supportive and loving.

Augsburg CGEE Students Meet Bill Clinton in Northern Ireland

In April 2023, Northern Ireland celebrates 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement that brought an end to the time period known as The Troubles.

This event has coincided with Augsburg CGEE’s launch of our newest semester program out of the city Derry-Londonderry, titled “Peace, Conflict and Transition in Northern Ireland.” On this program, our students learn about the history and cultural context that led to the Troubles as well as the peacemaking process. With all of the excitement, our two students on the inaugural program were able to attend the Hume Foundation’s Event “Making Hope and History Rhyme” and meet Bill Clinton and shake his hand. The following post is written by Daisy Vinkemeier (Augsburg ’26). Thanks to Daisy for the reflections and the photos! Continue reading “Augsburg CGEE Students Meet Bill Clinton in Northern Ireland”

Finding Home: One Auggie’s Global Story

“Finding Home” by Eve Elizabeth Taft, Augsburg ’18

This is a guest blog post by Augsburg alum Eve, who writes about her global journey to Ireland. 

I ended up in Ireland because of Ernest Hemingway.

Let me backtrack a little. I’m writing this post from my partner’s family home in County Tipperary, supervised by his dog, Poppy. Ashley’s a Tipp man, born and raised, and I live (when I’m not out here) in the attic of house that once belonged to the playwright Kate O’Brien. I think my room used to be the servants’ quarters. I work running phones for a dental practice by day and copyedit, run a horror-themed column, and publish my own work by night. Continue reading “Finding Home: One Auggie’s Global Story”

World Wednesdays Spring 2021

During spring 2021 semester, the study abroad/away office will host weekly “World Wednesdays” live on zoom to answer your questions about study abroad/away for the future. Each Wednesday, we will do a deep dive into a specific topic with guest speakers, experts, and various program representatives, along with time for Q & A from the audience. Recordings will be posted here after the live event concludes.

 

SCHEDULE & ZOOM LINKS (check back regularly for updates):
Continue reading “World Wednesdays Spring 2021”

International Education Week 2019

International Education Week (IEW), November 18-22, 2019, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Augsburg University, the Center for Global Education and Experience, and the International Student Organization (ISO) will be celebrating the week with multiple activities and events!  Continue reading “International Education Week 2019”

TRIO Student Reflections from Abroad: Erika

This is an excerpt from a student’s reflection written for Augsburg TRIO’s spring 2019 newsletter. Please see the newsletter for the original post in full. Thank you to Erika and TRIO for sharing with CGEE!

1.) Where did you study abroad? Why did you choose this location and/or program? How did you hear about the program?

I studied abroad in Southern Africa and had the honor of visiting South Africa and Namibia. I chose to study abroad through the Nation-Building, Globalization, and Decolonizing the Mind in Southern Africa program because of my interest in politics. I heard about this program through the Center for Global Education & Experience and the MSS office.

Continue reading “TRIO Student Reflections from Abroad: Erika”

Diversifying Study Abroad Presentation

On February 5, 2019, Augsburg student and CGEE Central America alumni Arianna Antone-Ramirez, gave a wonderful presentation titled, “Diversifying Study Abroad” as her Gilman Project.

Arianna was a winner of the Gilman Scholarship Award, a prestigious national scholarship for study abroad. From the Gilman website: “The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies and interns abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints.  The program aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries or areas and world regions.” Continue reading “Diversifying Study Abroad Presentation”

National China Delegation

Augsburg student, Tylan Mitchell, was chosen to participate in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated (CBCF) Emerging Leaders: US-China Study Abroad Delegation. Tylan is a junior majoring in Management Information Systems.

Tylan is one of just 20 students from around the country chosen to participate. This elite delegation of STEM, Business, and Trade students all had exceptional coursework in their fields of study. He will have the opportunity to network with high-achieving peers from the black community and engage an intercultural experience to a country that is a leader in STEM and Business fields.

Delegates have almost all program and travel costs covered by CBCF. They met in Washington, D.C for a briefing with government officials before departing for two weeks in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. They will brief officials in D.C on their experience before returning to Minnesota. The program will take place June 1 to June 18.

During the program, students will study Mandarin, Chinese history & culture, and interact with Chinese leaders in science and technology. Included is a tour of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing, lectures and workshops about China’s economy, education system, art, and history, and US-China relations.

“The CBCF is committed to providing students with a global perspective,” said A. Shuanise Washington, president and chief executive officer of the CBCF. “The China study abroad program will allow our students to see the educational and career opportunities that are available to them internationally.”

The China-U.S. Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) organized and administered the program in collaboration with the CBCF.