While many Mexicans are heading north to Minneapolis, Augsburg students Courtnie Higgins and Sarah Mueller have headed south for a semester at Augsburg´s Center for Global Education (CGE) campus in Minneapolis’ newest sister-city, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
For Higgins (pictured right), the decision to study abroad in Mexico came quite easily. “I wanted to experience a new language and culture. In particular, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the complexities in the relationship between the United States and Mexico. To me, this was an opportunity to immerse myself in a different way of life that Mexico could offer that other countries in Europe couldn’t.” The decision came with a bit more difficulty for Mueller (pictured left). “I never thought I wanted to study abroad, but the experience has proved to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It makes you see the world and your place in it differently.” Continue reading “Study Abroad — A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity”
On a bright afternoon in late July, ten women from Augsburg College boarded a plane bound for Guatemala City. They were six students representing the day, weekend, and graduate programs, two faculty, and two staff members. Before this flight they were acquainted perhaps only casually, but the next nine days would change not only their relationships with each other but also their ideas about themselves. Their trip, sponsored by Augsburg’s Center for Teaching and Learning and Augsburg Abroad, was partially funded by the Hoversten Peace Endowment. 
Students who study abroad often return home and tell of profound, life-changing lessons. Through their programs, students come into contact with a wide range of people and circumstances, and many of these encounters lead students to explore careers or ways of life they had previously not considered. Augsburg’s Center for Global Education sums up this experience with a promise: “See the world through another’s eyes, and your world will never be the same.” 
It’s not too late yet to apply for fall semester study abroad programs — the deadline is April 1. Two programs offered in Mexico through the Center for Global Education (CGE) are International Business and Global Citizenship, and Crossing Borders: Gender and Social Change in Mesoamerica.
The deadline for short-term study abroad applications is Feb. 1, 2008. With so many program options available, there is a good fit for every Auggie. Short-term programs offered this year are traveling to Thailand, Germany, Canada, France, Mexico, Poland, and the Czech Republic.