Overseas office staff host Study Abroad Fair

The Sept. 12 study abroad fair promised that “refreshments will be provided.” This enticement clearly resonated with a lot of students, as the initial mob made quick work of a wide array of treats in 15 minutes.

The fair featured study abroad programs in many countries, including Japan, Cuba, Jordan, Chile and Ireland. It seemed as though the whole globe was made available to LC students (so long as you had taken the correct prerequisites).

Besides the sheer number of countries in which to study, there was a surprising variety of purposes for those trips. Students can study abroad to learn another language. The Spanish and German language tables seemed to be a popular choice; their plethora of options entranced a sizable mob of students for the duration of the fair.

Students can also travel to an English-speaking country and focus on a specified course of study. For example, they can study biology on the Australia trip. They could also do a combination of both, emphasizing both regional studies and language, which is offered in the Ecuador regional program.

The variety of trips could be one the reasons why multiple of the staff working the fair described LC’s study abroad program as the college’s strongest asset. The friendly faces working the tables were definitely the fair’s strongest asset (though the refreshments certainly helped). The positive attitudes of faculty and student ambassadors helped to create a welcoming environment in which students could decide which trips to take and receive recommendations on prerequisites.

You cannot have a college study abroad fair without, of course, students. Students came for many different reasons, some for the food, others for the coffee and most for the opportunity to learn about study abroad opportunities and sign up for mailing lists (which filled up quickly).

Alex Rudawsky ’24, who has previously studied abroad in Australia, said he enjoyed the trip and the opportunities it gave him. He enjoyed the final week of the trip on Heron Island, situated off the middle coast of Queensland, Australia in the Great Barrier Reef.

“We lucked out with weather so we could snorkel every day, and you hear a lot about coral bleaching but the parts of the reef we were in were still completely alive.”

Sarah Warren, an associate professor of sociology at Lewis & Clark, who was hosting the table for the trip and leading the program for the spring of 2025 chimed in.

“That is something I am also looking forward to,” she said.

All in all, the study abroad fair was a fun time, and the impressive array of study abroad options will hopefully end up changing many a student’s life at LC.