Students expand horizons with CAFNR study abroad programs
by Samantha Rhoades, posted Sept. 21, 2009
Before studying abroad, Holly Bellis almost talked herself out of going. Besides obstacles for many students, such as time and money, she had also been offered an internship in Washington, D.C.
Yet, looking back now, she couldn’t be more thankful that she traveled overseas. On the morning of her flight back from more than six weeks in Prague, she said she found herself crying at the thought of leaving.
Bellis, an agricultural education senior, studied abroad through one of the many programs offered by the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. She earned nine credit hours toward her degree studying subjects such as Czech language and history, agriculture and rural sociology.
Before the trip, Bellis said CAFNR study abroad director Roy Robinson helped her feel prepared and educated on where she was going and what she would be doing. While in Prague, she said she gained a lot from the experience of seeing other cultures, from a change in perspective to the friends she made.
“I saw firsthand what farming and agriculture looks like in their country,” Bellis said. “I now appreciate the United States on a whole new level as well. I made friends with Czech students and since we've been home, two have already flown over to visit us.”
Robinson said that study abroad comes with both personal and professional benefits. He said employers are looking for students with study abroad experience.
“When I speak to the career services director she tells me that the international component is one of the first things employers ask about,” Robinson said.
In her study abroad experience, Bellis was able to travel many places by train, such as Krakow, Poland, and Germany. She also spent some weekends in Rome and flew from Prague to Paris for $65.
CAFNR has an impressive percentage of students going abroad. According to Robinson, 46.5 percent of CAFNR graduates from 2007 to 2008 studied abroad at some point in their college career, while the entire MU campus had only 20 percent.
Robinson credits this to the affordable trips offered, and the fact that it’s a smaller field where instructors often get to know students personally. Robinson encourages students to go abroad for as long a time period as they can in order to get the most out of their experience.
Two- and three-week trips are also offered in addition to month and semester programs. He said it’s a good time for students to go before they are dealing with the responsibilities of a full time career.
“I urge each and every CAFNR student to study abroad while they are here,” Bellis said. “It's the experience of a lifetime.”
For the students interested in traveling with CAFNR the deadline for applying for a winter break 2009 or a spring study abroad trip in 2010 is Oct. 15, the deadline for a summer program is March 15.
Robinson said most programs fill before the application deadline so students wanting to travel should plan ahead.
Bellis said the application was simple and took little time to complete. She took advantage of the scholarships offered by CAFNR, as well as the Divison of Social Sciences to help pay for airfare. CAFNR Students can apply for loans of up to $3,500, and CAFNR offers $20,000 annually in a variety of scholarships. Students also earn up to 15 credits with the semester study-abroad programs.
Robinson said that Thailand might be his favorite place, although trips popular to students are Prague, New Zealand and Australia. There are also trips to Costa Rica, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Ireland, and Germany.
“Being held up here in the Midwest, it’s important for students to learn about different cultures and see it with their own eyes,” Robinson said.
For more information on how to plan a trip abroad, visit the CAFNR Web site at: http://www.cafnr.missouri.edu/study-abroad/, or contact Roy Robinson at robinsonre@missouri.edu .
