By Shlomie Katash
Brooklyn College hosted its first-ever Study Abroad Fair on Thursday, Sept. 21, to introduce students to the numerous potential study abroad opportunities available to them. The fair was held in the West Quad Building, and allowed representatives from various study abroad programs to pitch their initiatives to interested students.
The representatives, many of them professors, centered their messages around the vast experiences of past students who studied abroad. Several of them stressed how life-changing it can be to travel to a new country on your own and soak in a completely different culture and community.
“The biggest plus to studying abroad is breaking out of your everyday, normal activities, seeing a new culture,” said History Professor Louis Fishman, who was promoting the Turkey study abroad program. “It allows [students] to immerse themselves in a new culture, a new society, and learn about themselves as much as they’re learning about the culture that they’re in.”
Other representatives made sure to focus on the once-in-a-lifetime aspect that comes with studying abroad and how enjoyable it can be for people who take advantage of it.
“If nothing is holding you back, just do it. Just go for it, you won’t regret it. You will regret not going. It’s a lot of fun,” said Vladlen Cabodoesky, a representative of the Italy program who was once enrolled in the program.
Some professors also noted the influx of unique students who became interested in their programs for the first time as the fair gave them a platform to reach a larger portion of the BC community.
“It’s absolutely fascinating to see how many people approach us from numerous different departments and backgrounds,” said Professor Fishman. “I’m a professor of the history department, and usually only people in the history department and a few other people know about it [the program]. Now, we’re getting exposure to many more different groups and majors, and I think that’s a really good thing.”
Additionally, the fair helped alleviate some concerns for interested students. For instance, while some students worried about the cost attached to studying abroad, the fair attempted to remedy that by having tables dedicated to sharing financial aid and scholarship information with students. The fair helped address other concerns, as well.
“Each section has different pamphlets and different forms, and each professor is very welcoming and very informative,” said Christopher Bonifacio, a sophomore at BC, noting that the fair was very helpful.
More information about the study abroad programs on campus can be found on Brooklyn College’s Study Abroad Programs’ Instagram and website, or by visiting their office at 1212 Boylan Hall.
“I would encourage every student to try to do study abroad,” Professor Fishman said. “By going outside of your comfort zone, you’re really discovering yourself and another culture at the same time […] Nobody’s college experience is the same if they don’t do study abroad.”