I am a Political Science Student with a minor in Economics at Georgia State University. When I came back from France, I signed up to become a “buddy” for exchange students here at Georgia State. Through that, I was paired up with a student from the Université de Strasbourg—we shared many of the same academic interests, but we also knew the exact same city and could share experiences in various places we’d both been to. We’ve done a number of things together, and he’s become a good friend. The buddy program and my work as an ambassador, in turn, helped with my own adjustment from studying abroad, because it helped to connect my time in France to my life in the States. Instead of that semester overseas being an isolated event, I continued to discuss my experience with others, which only gave me more and more of an appreciation for what I had been able to do. I’ve been able to build on that semester and adjust my career plans based on what I learned and did, because it remains a part of my life.

"One of the biggest lessons I took home from my study abroad program was the value of international experiences. I met many other students and recent graduates, many of whom had begun their respective careers, and a common theme among them was how important it was to have knowledge of cultures outside of your own."